Drone owners who fly them for fun face new restrictions on where and when they can send their remote-controlled devices under rules announced Thursday by Transportation Minister Marc Garneau. The rules are effective immediately and mean recreational users will face a fine of up to $3,000 if drones weighing more than 250 grams are caught flying:
- Higher than 90 metres.
- Within 75 metres of buildings, vehicles, vessels, animals or people.
- More than 500 metres away from you.
- At night, in clouds or somewhere you can’t see it.
- Within nine kilometres of somewhere aircraft take off or land, or a forest fire.
- Without your name, address and phone number marked on the drone itself.
- Over forest fires, emergency response scenes or controlled airspace.
Some of those rules existed only as guidelines before the announcement, Garneau said, with no penalties for breaking them.
