Site Survey requirements are laid out in CAR 901.

27:

No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system unless, before commencing operations,
they determine that the site for take-off, launch, landing or recovery is suitable for the proposed
operation by conducting a site survey that takes into account the following factors:

(a) the boundaries of the area of operation;

(b) the type of airspace and the applicable regulatory requirements;
(c) the altitudes and routes to be used on the approach to and departure from the area of
operation;
(d) the proximity of manned aircraft operations;
(e) the proximity of aerodromes, airports and heliports;
(f) the location and height of obstacles, including wires, masts, buildings, cell phone towers
and wind turbines
(g) the predominant weather and environmental conditions for the area of operation; and
(h) the horizontal distances from persons not involved in the operation.

Normal Operating Procedures cover the procedures associated with everyday operations such as
pre-flight packing, pre-flight, take-off/launch, post-take-off, approach and landing/recovery. Not
all aircraft will require all of these procedures or the same steps for a safe flight as other aircraft.

CAR 901.23 states that these processes are required.

(1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system unless the following procedures
are established:

(a) normal operating procedures, including pre-flight, take-off, launch, approach, landing
and recovery procedures;

Aside from the mandated items from Transport Canada, pilots have the discretion to make their
checklists as in-depth or cursory as their operations dictate. There's no right or wrong here, but
there are some best practices to share. Regardless of the depth of your processes, they need to
include these items from CAR 901.28.

A pilot of a remotely piloted aircraft shall, before commencing a flight,

(a) ensure that there is a sufficient amount of fuel or energy for safe completion of the flight;
(b) ensure that each crew member, before acting as a crew member, has been instructed

(i) with respect to the duties that the crew member is to perform, and
(ii) on the location and use of any emergency equipment associated with the operation of
the remotely piloted aircraft system; and

(c) determine the maximum distance from the pilot the aircraft can travel without endangering
aviation safety or the safety of any person.
In the next sections, we'll take a look at the best practices associated with these requirements.

While not listed in the CARs, this SOP is something you probably do naturally and can formalize
with a checklist. The idea here is to not be caught unprepared because you left something you
need back at the office. A good practice is to aim to start into this checklist about 48 hours
before you leave so you have time to get airspace permission if required and charge all your gear.

Have you ever sat down and thought about what all needs to get charged? Tablets, phones,
batteries, transmitters, laptops...
Or arrived on-site, ready to fly and realized you need a firmware update?

Having everything in a checklist and making one person responsible for packing helps ensure
you don't ever leave without SD cards* again!

Some operations will require property permission and/or airspace permission, you will be able to
start into your site survey, get your drone bag packed up and ensure you're feeling prepared
without extra stress when you arrive on-site.

*been there, done that.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

 Receive airspace permission, as required

 Request NFZ restrictions removed through [Link]/no-fly, as required (DJI only)
 Check NOTAM
 Check weather
 Determine required flight time (# of batteries)
 If non-standard equipment is to be used, confirm weight and balance
 Ensure all cargo is secured on the aircraft, as required
 Ensure no dangerous goods will be carried
 Inspect aircraft
 Charge flight batteries
 Charge transmitter
 Check firmware for update
 Charge tablet/phone batteries
 While many of the steps of a pre-flight inspection may seem simple, missing one step in
the process can be at the very least inconvenient and at the worst, cause injury to
bystanders or other airspace users. There are a few phases to this part of your procedures.
 Pre-Flight Inspection
One of the most devastating things that can occur during a flight is an equipment failure.
A crash caused by a propeller or IMU failing can lead to serious damage to the aircraft,
nearby property or even injure bystanders unable to get out of the way in time.
Conducting a pre-flight inspection can help avoid those problems by identifying damaged
 or worn parts before they become at risk of failure. This will help your RPAS remain
reliable and help you avoid crashes during flights.
 Because parts can get jostled and damaged during travel, it is important to do a full pre-
flight inspection of your equipment prior to every flight. Having a checklist of pre-flight
checks and procedures will help to formalize the pre-flight process and ensure that
nothing ever gets missed. At this point too, you can inspect the batteries for any puffiness
and ensure you have sufficient energy for the safe completion of the flight in accordance
with the CAR requirements.
 Completing Site Survey
Once you know your aircraft is good to fly, it's worth inspecting the area to complete
your site survey requirements. Take a look for things that have changed since you looked
at things online or when you were at the site last.
 Administrative
Once you have a good feel for the site, you can complete your pilot responsibilities of
briefing the crew, ensuring they are aware of their role as well as the location and use of
the emergency equipment in accordance with the CAR requirements. At this point, it's
also good to discuss the maximum safe distance the aircraft will travel from you so all
crew is aware of an issue if it crosses the defined boundary.
 Once you've completed your prep, you're ready for launch!
 Once a flight is underway, there is no room for confusion or misunderstanding. Be sure to
note the time if you aren't using an app to track flight time for you. While the aircraft is
active, the crew should be focused entirely on ensuring the safe flight of the RPAS and
communicating with each other regarding changes in conditions or potentially unsafe
situations.
 Just after take-off many pilots elect to hover or orbit the aircraft in one spot to listen for
deviances in motor sound. At this time you can check to ensure any manual inputs get the
result you're looking for. Check all stick directions and see that the aircraft responds the
way you anticipated!

Prior to landing, there are a few quick safety checks to complete. This will depend on the aircraft
flown, but generally, a pilot should ensure the area used for approach and landing is free of
bystanders, crew and obstructions. An announcement should be made so all in the vicinity keep
the aircraft in sight as it returns to low altitudes and for landing. For those who may be on-site
and not super familiar with RPAS operations, ensure they know that the "flight" isn't over until
the aircraft is powered down. Just because it's back on the ground, doesn't mean it's safe to
approach. Once the aircraft has landed, it is important to make sure that the aircraft has been
powered down, secured, inspected for damage, parts and batteries have been securely stored, and
the crew has been debriefed.

A good landing/recovery checklist ensures that an RPAS has been thoroughly inspected for
damage, all information related to the flight has been recorded, and all crew members have had
the opportunity to debrief. Having well defined post-flight procedures makes sure that the data
you collect on your flight is properly uploaded, everything is put away where it belongs and the
RPAS receives the maintenance it needs to be ready for the next flight.
While nobody likes to think about emergencies, they are something that every RPAS pilot needs
to always be ready for. Given enough time, even the most cautious and prepared pilot will
experience an emergency situation at some point. When caught in an emergency situation, the
ability to respond quickly, calmly and effectively can be the difference between a brilliant
recovery and a devastating crash.

Creating a checklist for emergency procedures accomplishes two things. First, it forces you to
consider the possibility of an emergency situation and the many ways that one could occur. This
will help you to design and prepare preventative measures and identify problems before they
occur. Second, they give you a defined set of procedures to refer to and follow when an
emergency actually occurs. When things start to go wrong and the adrenaline begins to flow, it
can be easy to forget or overlook an important step in the heat of the moment. Familiarizing
yourself with your emergency procedures on a regular basis will give you the confidence to
effectively react to emergency situations every time.

CAR 901.23 states that emergency procedures are required

(1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system unless the following procedures are
established:

(b) emergency procedures, including with respect to

(i) a control station failure,

(ii) an equipment failure,
(iii) a failure of the remotely piloted aircraft,
(iv) a loss of the command and control link,
(v) a fly-away, and
(vi) flight termination.

Whether controlled via a laptop, RC or other device.

While some equipment will not be flight-critical, crews should know what items require aircraft
grounding and which are safe to fly without. Establishing a manufacturer-advised minimum equipment
list is a good practice. Crews should be aware of items that will cause a critical failure of the RPA and
what flight condition these failures will create. While fixed wings may glide, most multirotors will
descend with varying levels of control. Immediate actions should involve establishing a safe area and
preparing for injury or incident response. the RPAS crew should have troubleshooting items committed to
memory for immediate action. Pilots should know, and be prepared for how their aircraft will respond to a
crashed app, powered down transmitter or low battery scenario.
Immediate action items should include troubleshooting which, depending on the system used, may
involve reorienting antennas, confirming or exchanging cable connection or selecting a flight termination
system. Crew should monitor the aircraft and the airspace until the connection can be regained, the
aircraft lands safely or fly away procedures should be commenced.
A flyaway indicates an unresponsive aircraft and should warrant immediate action by the crew to mitigate
associated risks both in airspace and on the ground. After initial troubleshooting, action should be taken
to alert ATSP of a deviation from the planned flight path and any potential conflict that may exist. This is
why it is critical pilots understand the airspace surrounding their operating environment both laterally and
vertically.
Flight termination can take many forms and may be as simple as a normal landing or as complex as a
fragmentation system or parachute. Another common flight termination system is return-to-home or RTH.
Crews should know when and how to activate RTH and how to cancel or override, if possible.

Transport Canada

In the event you encounter any of the listed incidents or accidents in CAR 901.49 and below, a
pilot should immediately cease operations until an analysis is undertaken as to the cause of the
occurrence and corrective actions have been taken to mitigate the risk of recurrence:

(a) injuries to any person requiring medical attention;

(b) unintended contact between the aircraft and persons;

(c) unanticipated damage incurred to the airframe, control station, payload or command and
control links that adversely affects the performance or flight characteristics of the aircraft;

(d) any time the aircraft is not kept within horizontal boundaries or altitude limits;

(e) any collision with or risk of collision with another aircraft;

(f) any time the aircraft becomes uncontrollable, experiences a fly-away, or is missing; and

(g) any incident not referred to in paragraphs (a) to (f) for which a police report has been filed
or for which a Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report has resulted.

The RPAS pilot shall keep a record of any occurrences which is kept for 12 months after the day
on which the record is created, and make available to the Minister on request any analyses
undertaken.

This means you don't have to send a report to TC immediately, but should log things internally.
A good practice is to log all incidents (left home without SD cards or broke a prop in transit) so
you can show that you're keeping good records even if nothing serious enough to classify under
901.49 happens. It's like in an audit, you want them to find something just nothing bad.

Transportation Safety Board

Outside of the TC requirements, the TSB has some additional reporting requirements. These are
currently under revision as the manned aircraft standard didn't apply well to RPAS. If in doubt,
better to report it to the TSB and have them say "Thanks we don't need any more information"
than get a call asking why you never submitted anything. Generally though, if you have an
impact with a manned aircraft, seriously injure or kill someone with your drone, you should be
reporting it to the TSB.

NavCanada

NavCanada only needs to know about incidents that impact airspace. If you enter controlled
airspace without permission, let them know. They'll likely ask you to let them know, in the case
of a flyaway, when the aircraft is no longer a threat to other airspace users (it has crashed) or you
lose the ability to maintain contact them in the way they specified (your phone battery or radio
dies).