Drone photography in Vancouver

It depends on the address: a flight inside controlled airspace, which covers much of Vancouver, needs a NAV CANADA flight authorization. Transport Canada’s rules also require a certified pilot, a registered drone and visual line of sight. We check your property against current airspace before the shoot and request authorization where needed; it is decided per flight, so add drone when you book. More on drone photography.

Sometimes, but downtown is one of the hardest parts of the city to fly. Coal Harbour and the downtown waterfront sit beside a busy float-plane and helicopter harbour inside controlled airspace, and towers put flights close to people who aren’t part of the shoot, which Transport Canada restricts. We assess the exact address first and tell you before the shoot if aerials aren’t possible.

Not without a permit: the Vancouver Park Board does not allow drones in its parks without one. That affects shots that would be easiest from a beach, a park or the seawall, so we plan take-off from a spot where launching is allowed. If the view you want only works from over parkland, say so at booking and we’ll tell you before the shoot whether it can be done.

If airspace rules stop the flight, the drone charge is removed and the rest of your shoot goes ahead. Wind or rain can also ground the aircraft; in that case we reschedule the aerial part rather than deliver unusable footage. Your photos, floor plan or tour are not affected either way. See the other services on Vancouver photography.

Yes, our drone pilots are Transport Canada certified. Canada’s rules require drones in the weight range used for real estate work to be registered and flown by a certificated pilot, and flights in controlled airspace need the right certificate plus an authorization. Drone photos start at $175.99; see every aerial option on our prices page.