How to Draft Standard Operating Procedures for Drone Programs

This course teaches you how to develop the Standard Operating Procedures documentation required to legally operate a drone business in Canada. Whether you're building your first operations manual or upgrading existing documentation, you'll learn the systematic approach that separates professional operators from hobbyists with business cards. Canadian Aviation Regulations require every commercial RPAS operator to maintain written procedures covering crew roles, communication protocols, site surveys, and emergency response. The regulations tell you what to include but not how to write it. That gap leaves many operators struggling with vague documents that wouldn't survive a ramp check or an accident investigation. This course bridges that gap with practical templates, worked examples, and the reasoning behind each requirement. You'll work through each required element: document control systems that keep your paperwork audit-ready, role definitions that establish clear accountability, communication procedures with standardized callouts, site survey templates that capture the hazards inspectors expect you to identify, and emergency procedures for all five scenarios mandated by CAR 901.23. Every section includes fillable templates you can adapt immediately. The course emphasizes practical application over regulatory theory. You'll see complete policy examples, common mistakes with corrections, and decision-making frameworks for situations the regulations don't explicitly address. By the end, you'll have documentation that protects your certificate, satisfies client due diligence requirements, and genuinely improves operational safety. Professional documentation isn't bureaucratic overhead, it's the foundation that lets you take on complex projects and build a reputation that commands premium rates.