Maximum RPAS Altitude in Class G airspace
A few months ago I did an Advanced RPAS flight review. The examiner was well versed in the Transport Canada RPAS Regulations and asked me some very good questions. One he asked me that I got wrong was “How high can you fly your RPAS in ‘Class G’ airspace?” I answered “up to but not including 18,000 feet” I answered with confidence. Having spent the better part of my 20 years in aviation teaching aviation, I knew the answer immediately and with unwavering certainty having delivered the same script to new pilots about the classifications of airspace and their dimensions countless times.
“Incorrect.”
Silence.
I was flummoxed. Perplexed. My ego couldn’t handle being incorrect. Had I been teaching it wrong this whole time? I had to look it up. I checked the definition of Class G from the Transport Canada Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). This is an official Transport Canada document and represents the Canadian Aviation Regulations. Section 2.8.7 - Class G Airspace of the AIM reads:
“Class G airspace is airspace that has not been designated Class A, B, C, D, E or F, and within which ATC has neither the authority nor the responsibility to exercise control over air traffic. Unless controlled airspace is specified on a chart, Class G uncontrolled airspace extends up to, but not including, 18000’ in the Southern Domestic Airspace.” My ego felt much better knowing I had been teaching it correctly up until this point in my career.
Transport Canada has added RPAS operations to the AIM recently. It even has its own section tacked on to the back of the AIM starting at page 425 (as of November 1, 2021). These rules and regulations are RPAS specific.
In the RPA section of the AIM under section 3.2.13 - Maximum Altitude it reads:
“In uncontrolled airspace, RPAs are normally limited by regulation to a maximum altitude of 400 ft AGL (above ground level) or 100 ft above the tallest obstruction within 200 ft laterally (CAR 901.25).” The condition that will allow an RPA pilot to fly above 400 ft AGL is a ‘Special Flight Operations Certificate’ or SFOC. A special application can be submitted to acquire special permission to fly the RPAS higher.
It makes sense to have a 400 ft altitude restriction on remotely piloted aircraft. Piloted aircraft are restricted to an altitude no lower than 500 ft in Class G airspace, giving a buffer of 100 ft between unmanned and manned aircraft. There are some operators that do have special permission to fly as low as 300 ft in Class G airspace, although that is generally done in more remote areas and should not be a conflict for the general RPAS pilot.
Fly safe!
Transport Canada AIM
