Features In the Field Industry
UAVS causing real problems at Canadian airports

Vancouver – On July 1, 2014, a small Piper PA-31 aircraft departed the Vancouver International Airport en route to Qualicum Beach. Shortly after takeoff, the plane reported a near-miss with an unmanned aerial vehicle. The Piper’s pilot climbed to avoid the UAV, and estimated that the two aircraft passed each other with less than 100 feet between them.

A few days later, on July 5, 2014, multiple aircraft intending to land at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport had their runway changed after pilots spotted a drone in the vicinity. Toronto Police were called.

Incidents involving drone aircraft, as recorded in Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) database, climbed significantly in 2014. According to a Global News analysis of the data, there were 38 incidents involving drones in Canadian airspace recorded in 2014, compared to three or fewer every year going back to 2002. | READ MORE