Drone site selection tool 2

DSST-2 now includes the November 2025 drone regulation updates, covering medium drones and Level 1 Complex Operations. Summary of 2025 changes | See the new rules

Show Map Only

Overview

The Drone Site Selection Tool is an interactive map designed to help drone pilots determine areas where drone flight is prohibited, restricted or potentially hazardous. Drones are prohibited at areas that are highlighted in red. You will require permission from the appropriate authority to fly a drone in areas highlighted in orange. Areas filled with yellow require additional caution due to other air traffic.

If you fly a drone in Canada you must follow the rules that help keep people and aircraft safe. All drones over 250 grams must be registered with Transport Canada, and flown by a pilot with a drone pilot certificate.

Quick Start Guide

Use the icons in the sidebar of the map to perform the following functions:
- - Specify details about your operation/qualifications
- - Centre the map on a geographic location
- - Adjust the map controls
- - FAQ and Help
- - Save settings or reset to defaults
- - Adjust map layers
- - Send feedback to the website developers
1. Users should start by selecting the appropriate category of your drone operations (i.e. Basic or Advanced). Select the appropriate category by using the 'operation details' tab that opens when you click on the Drone icon ().
2. Next, either manually centre the map using standard zoom/pan controls, or use the Search icon () to search for a location, or centre the map by using your device's geolocation.
The map uses colour to identify areas that require additional caution, or are prohibited from drone flights. Areas filled with red are prohibited. Areas filled with yellow require additional caution due to other air traffic. Areas filled with orange require permission from an appropriate stakeholder such as Nav Canada, Parks Canada, National Defence, other agencies, or an airport operator. Clicking on any shape will present an information window providing further details.

How to Interpret the Map

The map uses colour to identify areas that require additional caution, or are prohibited from drone flights. Areas filled with red are prohibited. Areas filled with yellow require additional caution due to other air traffic. Areas filled with orange require permission from an appropriate stakeholder such as Nav Canada, Parks Canada, National Defence, other agencies, or an airport operator. Clicking on any shape will present an information window providing further details.
Operations details

Category of Operation

In Canada, there are several categories of drone operation . Each one has a different set of rules drone pilots must follow. The weight of your drone, distance from bystanders and airspace rules define your category. Find your drone category Opens in new window.

Select your category below
  MICRO (<250g)

  BASIC

  ADVANCED

  BVLOS

Low Risk BVLOS

Select the distance from populated areas your RPAS is approved* for:
  Operations < 1km from populated areas

  Operations ≥ 1km from populated areas

*Standard 901.87 specifies the RPAS manufacturer declarations required for Small and Medium BVLOS operations relative to population density.

DAA/Observer ARC performance
Select the highest ARC that your RPAS can operate. Standard 922.10 Opens in new window specifies the performance requirements for DAA systems based on Risk Ratio. Standard 923 specifies the performance requirements for visual observers.

Cursor Position

Latitude, Longitude (deg)

Latitude, Longitude (Deg, Min, Sec)
Map centre

Centre Map
You can centre the map via searching for a city, geolocation, or you can enter the location manually.

  Search

  My Position/GeoLocation

  Keyboard Latitude/Longitude

Latitude (N) (Decimal degrees only) (required)

Longitude (E) (Decimal degrees only) (required)

Cursor Position

The cursor position box below indicates the latitude and longitude (in decimal degrees) of the cursor's position. This may prove useful in describing the geographical boundaries of the intended operation. Please note that the cursor must be over the map in order to update (i.e. not over the sidebar).

Latitude, Longitude (deg)

Latitude, Longitude (Deg, Min, Sec)
Map controls

Controls
By checking, or un-checking the checkboxes below you can toggle the various Map controls visible on the map canvas.

Zoom Control

Fullscreen Control

Legend

Sidebar Help

Select Map Type

The Zoom control adds +/- icons that can be used to modify the zoom level.

The Fullscreen control introduces an icon that may be used to expand the map to occupy your full screen.

The Map type control introduces a drop down menu where you can select whether the map is a roadmap (with toggleable terrain), or satellite imagery.
Help and FAQ

Help
Getting Started

Users should start by selecting the appropriate category of your drone operations (e.g. Basic or Advanced). Select the appropriate category by using the 'operation details' tab that opens when you click on the Drone icon.

Next, either manually centre the map using standard zoom/pan controls, or use the Search icon to search for a location, or centre the map by using your device's geolocation.

Understanding the map

The map uses colour to identify areas that require additional caution, or are prohibited from drone flights. Areas filled with red are prohibited for the currently selected operation details. Areas filled with yellow require additional caution due to other air traffic. Areas filled with orange require permission from an appropriate stakeholder such as Nav Canada, Parks Canada, National Defence, another user agency, or an airport operator. Clicking on any shape will present an information window providing further details. Using the layers icon it is possible to add Provincial park or additional airspace information to the map. The Provincial park data is known to be incomplete at this time, and is provided for information only.

Additional Provinicial, Municipal, or Federal restrictions beyond those displayed on the map may apply. For example, it is prohibited to fly a drone within five nautical miles of a wildfire area.

Map Options

The Globe Icon contains several controls that can be toggled on or off. The Zoom control adds +/- icons that can be used to modify the zoom level. The Map type control introduces a drop down menu where you can select whether the map is a roadmap (with toggleable terrain), satellite imagery, or alternate map styles. The Fullscreen control introduces an icon that may be used to expand the map to occupy your full screen.

Operation Design Tools

The tools icon contains tools that can be toggled to assist in the design of your RPAS operation.

By selecting the 'show measure tool' checkbox you can right click on the map to insert a measurement marker. Note: Currently you can only set the initial marker position outside a filled shape. Once 2 markers have been created a line will be drawn between them and the distance (in meters) will be displayed at the top centre of the map. The markers can be dragged and may be used to validate your operation's distances from built up areas or structures, etc. Un-checking the checkbox will remove the markers from the map.

More tools will be added in future releases.

Save Defaults

The cog icon allows users to save the current map settings as default (including map centre, zoom, and style), or to restore the NRC default settings. The settings are saved in your browser's local storage, and will be retained any time you visit the site from the same device. Deleting your browser cache will result in NRC defaults being applied.

Acronyms and Definitions

AAE

Above Aerodrome Elevation

AGL

Above Ground Level

ATS

Air Traffic Services

BVLOS

Beyond Visual Line of Sight

CDAH

Canadian Designated Airspace Handbook

Class A-G

Airspace in Canada is divided into 7 classes. Drone pilots with a Basic Drone Pilot Certificate must stay in Class G; drone pilots with an Advanced Drone Pilot Certificate may enter other classes of airspace if they have permission from the authority managing the airspace (NAV CANADA, or DND as appropriate)

CYA

Advisory Class F Airspace

CYD

Danger Class F Airspace

CYR

Restricted Class F Airspace

CZ

Control Zone

FIR

Flight Information Region

NOTAM

Notice to Airmen

RPAS

Remotely Piloted Aircraft System

SFC

Surface
Planning Your Flight
- Review the information at Transport Canada's web page Opens in new window.
- To legally fly a drone weighing over 250g you must have a registered drone Opens in new window, and a drone pilot certificate Opens in new window.
- In addition to using the Drone site selection tool you must meet the appropriate regulations regarding your type of operation.
- Perform a site survey as per 901.27. Here you must establish that the take-off/landing site is suitable for the operation considering the boundaries of the operation, the type of airspace, the altitudes and routes for approach/departure from the take-off/landing area, the proximity to other aircraft, obstacles, weather, and the horizontal distances from people not associated with the operation. You may want to save a screen capture of your operation as part of the record keeping requirements of 901.48
- When selecting a location for Take-Off/Landing, be mindful of 901.33 and ensure that there is no likelihood of collision with another aircraft, person or obstacle, and that the area is appropriate for the type of operation you are planning to conduct.
- Check the weather limits for your drone as per 901.34, and ensure that you have adequate control margin to safely conduct the operation. Applications such as Windy Opens in new window may assist in estimating the conditions.
- Read the NOTAMs prior to commencing flight operations. The NOTAMS can be downloaded from Nav Canada Opens in new window. Enter the ID associated with the nearest aerodrome to your proposed operation, and select the Aerodrome NOTAM file as well as the FIR NOTAM file. Alternatively, you can find a visual presentation of the NOTAMs at Zulu for Pilots Opens in new window.
- Establish a list of emergency contact information appropriate for the area, and consider the appropriate course of action/contact for events such as a fly-away, injury, etc.
- Ensure that your drone is serviceable as per 901.29, and verify that your flight plan has been loaded correctly into the software. Prior to flying you should ensure that there is minimal risk of losing the wireless link to your drone; be aware of any high power RF transmitters in the area. A spectrum analyzer such as the RF Explorer can help identify potential congested channels, and sources of interference.
- Fly safe, stick to your planned area, keep your drone within visual range, and stay clear of other aircraft at all times.
Helpful Links
- Flying your drone safely and legally Opens in new window - Transport Canada
- Windy Opens in new window - Weather forecasting
- NOTAMs Opens in new window - Nav Canada
- Zulu For Pilots Opens in new window - Map based visual NOTAMs
- Skyvector Opens in new window - Aeronautical Charts
- Canadian Airspace Viewer Opens in new window - Map displaying all Airspace as defined in the CDAH
- Drone Pilot Canada Opens in new window - Mobile app with airspace map, site survey, and flight logging tools
- Aerial Evolution Association Opens in new window - National Association for RPAS
- Nav Drone Opens in new window - NAV Canada app for showing airspace and requesting access to controlled airspace
FAQ

Here is a list of commonly asked questions.
1. If an area is not covered by a coloured shape is it legal to fly my drone there?

Not necessarily. The Drone Site Selection Tool shows the known locations of airports/heliports and airspace on its map. The legality of a particular operation may be influenced by the laws of several jurisdictions, including municipal, provincial, property access rights, and privacy etc...

The operation of a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) in accordance with this web-tool does not imply the operator is compliant with Transport Canada's regulatory requirements. The responsibility for ensuring compliance with the appropriate regulations lies with the RPAS pilot, Special Flight Operations Certificate holder, visual observers or other operators as applicable. Any questions regarding compliance with the regulations should be addressed to: Transport Canada RPAS Task Force.

2. Some of the shapes overlap the border to the United States. Can I fly there?

No. International flight is not permitted. A future release of the tool will crop all the shapes to ensure they remain within Canadian airspace.

3. Where does the data for the map come from?

The airport/heliport data comes from Nav Canada's database, and is updated on a 56-day cycle. The airspace data is parsed from the Designated Airspace Handbook. The national park data was extracted from the Canada Lands Survey web services

Provincial park data was obtained from various public sources. The ARC boundaries for BVLOS map layers were provided by Transport Canada. Population density information was derived from the 2021 census.

4. Why do some of the airspace altitudes not match those displayed on Nav Canada charts, or in ForeFlight?

The airspace data displayed comes from the Designated Airspace Handbook. Not all airspace as defined in the DAH have altitudes explicitly assigned to them, and instead may refer to an altitude above the aerodrome elevation (AAE). For example, most control zones extend to an altitude of 3000 feet above the aerodrome elevation. The Drone site selection tool shows these altitudes as Above Ground Level (AGL), whereas the Nav Canada charts show these altitudes as height above Mean Sea Level (MSL).

5. Why do some runway shapes not line up with the runway visible on the satellite image?

This can happen with airports that do not have accurate survey data available in the database. The Drone site selection tool uses surveyed runway end points to establish its shapes, where possible. In the absence of surveyed data, the tool uses a 'best guess' by using the reported aerodrome centre coordinate, runway length, and the runway direction from the runway number (corrected for magnetic variation). This can introduce up to a 10 degree error in runway heading, as well as minor issues regarding the runway location. Please do not report these errors to the developers, as it is the underlying database that requires improvement. Instead, it is recommended to contact the aerodrome operator to suggest that improved survey points should be added to the Canada Flight Supplement.

6. Can I have access to the database (e.g. for software development)?

Sorry, but not at this time. The licensing terms for the Nav Canada data used to derive the map shapes prohibit re-distribution of the underlying data at this time.

7. Will you make an iOS/Android version?

Sorry, but not at this time. While a native OS application would allow for improved user interface it would introduce too many code branches for us to maintain (i.e. one for each OS, iOS, Android, and Desktop HTML5, and in French and English).

8. Geolocation issues

There are several possible reasons why geolocation might not work as expected. Not all browsers are capable of supporting geolocation. You also need to have location services enabled on your device, and browser security settings. Using geolocation from a laptop or desktop can produce innacurate results because of the IP address locating technique that's used.

9. Poor map contrast

The contrast of the map can be adjusted by changing the map style via the globe icon. The opacity of the filled shapes can be adjusted by using the slider located in the layers menu.

10. What are 'micro drones'?

Micro-drones are drones weighing less than 250 g. The weight of the remote control is not factored in to the weight calculation, but the weight of anything attached or carried, such as optional cameras, lens filter, pegs, propeller guards, stickers or lights will be considered part of the weight. The micro RPA could thus reach 250 g or more and be made in the category of small RPA from 250 g to 25 Kg and have to comply with subpart 1 of part IX, requiring, among other things, an RPA registration and a RPA pilot certification.
11. What are the 'best practices' for flying micro drones?

As a good practice, you should always:
- maintain the drone in direct line of sight
- fly your drone at or below 400 feet above ground
- stay far away from aerodromes, airports, heliports and water airports
- avoid flying near critical infrastructure
- stay clear of other aircraft, at all times
- do a pre-flight visual inspection of your drone
- keep the drone close enough to maintain the connection with the remote controller
- follow the drone manufacturer's operational guidelines
- avoid advertised events
Follow these guidelines to avoid flying in a negligent or reckless manner and being subject to fines. Enjoy a safe flight and minimize the risk of incidents. Remember: if you feel that your flight is risky, don’t do it.

For more info on micro drones visit the Transport Canada website Opens in new window and consult the RPA chapter of the Transport Canada Aeronautical Information Manual Opens in new window.
12. Why are some “airports” drawn in yellow and other in red?

901.47(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations states:

"No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft at or near an aerodrome that is listed in the Canada Flight Supplement or the Water Aerodrome Supplement in a manner that could interfere with an aircraft operating in the established traffic pattern."

901.47(2) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations states:

"Subject to section 901.73, no pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft at a distance of less than: (a) three nautical miles from the centre of an airport; and (b) one nautical mile from the centre of a heliport.”

There are different restrictions associated with aerodromes vs airports and heliports. For BASIC operations airports and heliports (which have a certificate in accordance with Part III of the Canadian Aviation Regulations) are drawn in red, whereas all other aerodromes are drawn in yellow.
Defaults and settings

User Defaults

Save the current map settings (zoom, centre, map type, etc) as defaults so they are restored when you return to this page:

Restore the original NRC map defaults:
Tools

Select from various tools to help you plan your mission.

By selecting the 'Show Measurement Tool' checkbox you can drag measurement markers. The distance will be displayed at the top centre of the map. The markers can be dragged and may be used to validate your operation's distances from built-up areas or structures, etc. Un-checking the checkbox will remove the markers from the map.

Tools
Tools

Measurement Tool

Operation Bounds

This area displays the coordinates of any operation that has been defined and displayed on the map.

Operation bounds: Lat,Lng Bounds of operation
Map layers
Map Layer Order

The table shows the map layers that are currently rendered in draw order with the top most layer at the bottom of the table. You can click and drag to re-arrange the draw order. The checkboxes allow you to toggle the layer's visibility.
- National Parks
  
  N/A
- Provincial Parks
  
  Provincial Parks colour picker
- Aerodromes
  
  N/A
- Airspace < 400 ft AGL
  
  N/A
- Population Density
  
  N/A
- TC
  
  N/A
- Airspace > 400 ft AGL
  
  Airspace > 400 ft AGL colour picker
- ARC B
  
  ARC B colour picker
- ARC C
  
  ARC C colour picker
- ARC D
  
  ARC D colour picker
Fill Opacity

Airspace above 400 ft AGL

Use the controls below to toggle the visibility of the airspace above 400 ft AGL. Note that the Airspace layer radio button will hide all airspace shapes.

Show airspace above 400ft AGL
Enabled

Airspace above 400ft can be filtered by airspace class.

Class Filter

Classes
Class B

Class C

Class D

Class E

Class F

Airspace above 400ft can be filtered by airspace type.

Type Filter

Types
Transition Area

Control Area Extension

Control Zone

Terminal Control Area

Low Frequency Airway

VHF Airway

RNAV Route

Danger CYD

Restricted CYR

Advisory CYA

Transponder Required

Use the select boxes below to further refine airspace visibility by altitude.

Altitude Filter

Show airspace between (ft) (required)

And (ft) (required)
E-mail feedback

To report problems with the Drone site selection tool please send a direct email to the developers.

Please note that NRC staff are unable to provide guidance regarding the legality of your proposed operation. For more information on drone safety rules in Canada, visit Drone Safety Opens in new window.

For questions and concerns about Drone regulations in Canada, please contact Transport Canada.
Ops checklist

Alerts

Your proposed operation has the following critical alerts:

Warnings

Your proposed operation has the following warnings:

Info

Information about your operation:

Your operation bounds have changed! Click on the Check Ops Area button below to generate a new report.

Page details

From: National Research Council Canada

Date modified:: 2025-11-06