Producing Aerial Photography

The City of St. Albert employs unmanned air vehicles (UAVs, or drones) as a cost-effective way to produce aerial photos for marketing and surveying purposes.

All UAVs used by organizations in Canada require a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from Transport Canada. The City has attained and maintains this certification for all of its operators.

Flight Plans

Flight plans for our UAVs require pre-approval from Transport Canada and must detail the following:

• The purpose of the flight,
• The date and time of the flight,
• The anticipated operating area, and
• The operator's contact information

Flight plans must also conform to these constraints:

• A maintained flying height between 30-122m (100-400ft.)
• A minimum 30m (100ft.) buffer from people, animals, vehicles and structures 

Once a flight has received all necessary government approvals, the City will share information on upcoming flights with the community on this page.

Scheduled Flights

* The time window within which the flight will take place. Most UAV flights will be completed within 20 minutes.