Site Survey and SFOC Validity Duration
Verified from official sourcesGet permission for special drone operations - Medium and high-complexity - RPAS Operation Risk Assessment (ORA)Version 1Effective -Verified 23 August 2026
In plain language
You must provide a site survey. If you only operate in one specific area (like a single mine), you can request a single-site SFOC to avoid writing a complex site survey procedure.
Requirement as structured
Applicants must provide a site survey or an example meeting the requirements, with a preferred SFOC validity of 1 year if a representative site survey process is detailed.
Original regulatory text
provide either the site survey for the intended RPAS operation or an example of one that meets the site survey requirements ... Our preferred position is to issue SFOC-RPAS for 1 year. However, if you need to do a site survey as part of the application, the recommendation is to complete a site survey on an area that represents your ConOps... If you only require only one area... you are free to request just that single site. This will reduce the requirement to write out a site survey procedure.
Applies when
- country
- Canada
- operation
- medium and high-complexity RPAS operations
- regulatory category
- Specific