Operate your drones safely
Erin Kernohan-Berning
1/22/20254 min read


Super Scooper 243 from Quebec in 2010 skimming across a lake near South Porcupine in Ontario, Canada. This is the same aircraft that was hit by a civilian drone while fighting the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in 2025. Photo by Viv Lynch. CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
A combination of strong Santa Ana winds and prolonged drought conditions exacerbated by climate change has resulted in some of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. If you’ve been keeping track of the fires on social media, you may have seen footage of two bright yellow airplanes skimming across Santa Monica Bay and taking off, heading toward the thousands of hectares burning in the Pacific Palisades.
The footage, captured by reporter Cristen Drummond, shows two water bombers from Quebec – the Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper. These aircraft are sent to the United States to aid in firefighting efforts during their wildfire season as part of a long-standing mutual aid relationship which also includes Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand among other countries.
The Super Scooper is a pretty amazing piece of technology. First manufactured in 1993 as a replacement for the older CL-215 Scooper, the design is very much like a boat with wings. It can land on a body of water that is as little as 1.3 km long, and within 12 seconds scoop 1,350 gallons of water. The plane can make several trips carrying water to drop on a fire, and has become an important resource for fighting wildfires worldwide paired with fire fighters on the ground and other firefighting aircraft.
Unfortunately, not long after Drummond filmed those Super Scoopers from the beach on Santa Monica Bay, one of the planes hit a civilian drone which punched a fist-sized hole in the leading edge of the wing. Thankfully, no one was injured and the plane landed safely. However, the incident also grounded an important tool being used to help in a dangerous emergency where people have died and homes have been destroyed.
Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are regulated in the United States by the FAA, and Transport Canada in Canada. Drones can be used for a variety of tasks, photography and video being some of the more common civilian uses.
It is important to know the regulations for using drones in the jurisdiction you are planning on flying in. In Canada, if your drone’s take-off weight is between 250g and 25kg (including all attachments, battery, payload, etc.), you need to register your drone with Transport Canada and get certified as a drone pilot. You also need to determine if the kind of operations you’ll be performing with your drone are basic or advanced and determine whether your drone meets the safety standards for those activities.
If your drone’s take-off weight is under 250g, then it is considered a “microdrone.” Microdrones are relatively easy to purchase, costing anywhere from under $100 to just over $1,000 depending on what features you are looking for. You do not require a license to pilot a microdrone, and you do not need to register your microdrone. You still need to comply with applicable laws (including relevant sections of the Criminal Code, provincial trespass laws, and laws respecting privacy), as well as following the rules in the Canadian Aviation Regulations.
Rules in Canada for flying drones under 250g include:
Surveying the area you will be flying in for obstacles or other hazards.
Flying drones safely – don’t endanger people or other aircraft.
Never flying in restricted airspace or areas where an emergency is taking place, like a forest fire.
Avoiding advertised events and airports.
Ensuring your drone remains under 400 feet.
Ensuring you can see your drone at all times.
Other things to consider when you are flying a drone are ensuring you are minimizing disturbances to humans and wildlife, as well as the environment. Losing your drone in a lake, for instance, could mean that damaging chemicals from the battery, plastics, and circuits leach into that ecosystem if your drone is not recovered. Also, drones are not quiet pieces of equipment and can disturb birds and other animals in sensitive habitats.
Drones used by firefighting professionals are playing an increasing role in dealing with wildfires. Trained pilots can fly larger drones equipped with cameras and sensors that can get a bird’s eye view of a fire, as well as detect spot fires even in thick smoke. This information is relayed to crews on the ground so that they can move where they are needed, as well as out of harm’s way if needed.
When an emergency is happening, it’s important to not become part of the problem. The US Forest Service has been reminding people in the fire affected areas, “If you fly, we can’t.” Operating a drone around an emergency area might satisfy your curiosity about what’s going on, but it can put emergency personnel and others in more danger. If you have a drone, be sure that you are operating it safely.
Learn more
Palisades fire. (Wikipedia) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
International Support. (National Interagency Fire Centre) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
Super Scoopers in Action. 2025. Cristen Drummond. (Facebook) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
Amphibious Water Scooper Aircraft Operation Plan 2016. USDA. (PDF) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
Drones under 250g. Transport Canada. (PDF) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
Drones and Wildfires. Transport Canada. (PDF) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
Canadian Aviation Regulations Part IX. Justice Laws Website. (Government of Canada) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
Keeping Wildlife Safe from Drones. Tina Shaw. (USFWS) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
Mechanized birds: Wildland firefighting with drone intelligence. 2022. Andrew Avitt. (USDA) Last accessed 2025/01/24.
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