THE PROBLEM

Transport Canada's new RPAS Operator Certificate (RPOC) isn't a form you fill out. Under Part IX of the CARs, every RPOC applicant must establish and maintain an RPAS operations manual, documented safety processes, a training and evaluation program, and — where applicable — a maintenance control manual.

Advisory Circular 901-002 provides the templates. It doesn't tell you how to make them reflect your operation. And that's exactly what Transport Canada checks: manuals that mirror your organizational and operational reality, not copy-pasted boilerplate. Generic manuals are the fastest way to findings during certification and oversight.

Most operators have flown drones for years. Almost none have written aviation manuals. That gap is what this service closes.

WHAT THIS IS

This is not a self-paced course. There are no video lessons to watch.

Course 406 is a pre-paid block of five hours of direct consulting time with our regulatory team. We work with you — on calls and in your documents — to develop the framework your RPOC application depends on:

  • Your RPAS Operations Manual (CAR 901.217), built on the AC 901-002 Appendix A structure and tailored to your fleet, crew, and concept of operations
  • Standard operating procedures and checklists — normal, contingency, and emergency — that match how you actually fly
  • Safety processes (CAR 901.218): goal-setting, hazard reporting, risk assessment, and corrective action structures scaled to the complexity of your operation
  • Guidance on your training and evaluation program (CAR 901.219) and, where required, your Maintenance Control Manual (CAR 901.221)

You leave with documents you understand and can defend — because you helped build them. That matters: Transport Canada expects the Accountable Executive to own these systems, not outsource them.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Book your block. Purchase your five-hour consultation block and complete a short intake questionnaire about your operation, fleet, and intended mission profile.

2. Kickoff and gap analysis. Your first session maps what you have against what CAR Part IX and AC 901-002 require, and sets the development plan.

3. Build together. Working sessions to draft and refine your operations manual, SOPs, checklists, and processes. Between sessions, you do homework; we review.

4. Application-ready review. We walk your completed framework before you submit, flagging anything an inspector would.

Hours are tracked and used as your project requires. Unused time can be applied to future regulatory support.

WHY COASTAL DRONE

We're not consultants who read the regulations last week. Coastal Drone has trained thousands of Canadian RPAS pilots since 2016, and our team has been directly engaged by Transport Canada on regulatory development and examination. We know these requirements from the inside — how they're written, how they're interpreted, and how they're inspected.

Your manuals will be built by people who work with Part IX every day.

WHO THIS IS FOR

Right fit:

  • Operators applying for an RPOC or preparing a complex SFOC application
  • Companies scaling from single-pilot work to crewed, multi-aircraft, or BVLOS operations
  • Organizations that need manuals reflecting real operations, not template filler

Not the right fit:

  • Basic or Advanced VLOS operators who don't require an RPOC
  • Anyone looking for a downloadable manual template with their logo swapped in — Transport Canada sees through those, and so do we.

FAQ

  • Is this a course with lessons?

    No. It's five hours of professional consulting time delivered through scheduled working sessions. We sell it through our learning platform for convenience.

  • Will you write my entire operations manual for me?

    We guide, structure, draft alongside you, and review. The regulations require the manual to reflect your operation and be maintained by you — a manual you didn't participate in building won't survive an inspection or serve your crew. Five hours is typically enough to develop a solid framework for a straightforward operation; complex operations may need additional blocks.

  • What if I need more than five hours?

    Additional consulting time can be purchased at our standard rate of $250/hour.

  • Does this guarantee my RPOC is approved?

    No one can guarantee that, and you should be suspicious of anyone who does. What we guarantee is a framework built to the structure and expectations laid out in AC 901-002 and CAR Part IX.

  • How fast can we start

    Sessions are typically scheduled within 5 business days of purchase and intake completion.

  • Do the hours expire?

    Yes - consulting hours that are pre-paid must be used within 12 months of purchase.

Your RPOC application is only as strong as the manuals behind it.

Book your five-hour consultation block and build them right.