2.2 Operations Near and Over People

2.2 Operations Near and Over People

Quick Answer: Measure standoff horizontally from persons not involved in the operation. Basic small-drone flying typically stays ≥30 m away. Advanced small privileges: near people is less than 30 m but more than 5 m (922.05); over people is less than 5 m, including overflight (922.06). Medium Advanced VLOS: away more than 152.4 m (500 ft); near less than 152.4 m but more than 30 m; over within 30 m—each with the matching Standard 922 declaration type.

Near- and over-people rules are among the highest-yield Advanced exam topics because Transport Canada uses three numeric anchors—5 m, 30 m, and 152.4 m—and applies them differently by RPAS size. Candidates who memorize only "don't fly over people" without the distance bands fail scenario questions that hinge on a single metre of horizontal separation.

Uninvolved persons

The regulations speak of any person not involved in the operation. Involved persons are the pilot, visual observers, and other crew or support personnel who are part of the planned operation and briefed on their roles and risks. Bystanders, spectators, pedestrians, event attendees, workers on an adjacent site who are not part of the RPAS crew, and the general public are uninvolved.

Exam scenarios often plant a "friendly" bystander who agreed to stand still for a photo. Consent does not automatically reclassify someone as involved crew. Unless that person is genuinely part of the operation (role, briefing, risk acceptance as crew), treat them as uninvolved and apply the full standoff rule.

Measure horizontally (and at any altitude)

Transport Canada's Advanced operations language for near/over people repeatedly states distances are measured horizontally (and, for several provisions, at any altitude). That means:

• A drone 40 m directly above a bystander still has 0 m horizontal separation—if you are inside the over-people threshold for your size class, you need the over-people declaration (or you are non-compliant).
• Flying "high but close" is not a loophole. Altitude does not replace horizontal standoff in these CAR distance tests.
• Site survey should estimate horizontal distance along the ground track of people who may enter the area during the flight, not only the planned hover point.

Basic contrast: the 30 m small-drone baseline

In Basic operations with a small RPAS, the typical public-facing rule is to keep at least 30 m (100 ft) away from bystanders (persons not involved). That large standoff is why Basic does not require Standard 922 safety assurance for ordinary open-area flying. When you need to work closer than 30 m, you step into Advanced territory and must hold Advanced pilot privileges and use a small drone declared for the matching near- or over-people standard.

Memorize the conceptual ladder for small RPAS:

Small drones (250 g to 25 kg): near vs over

Near people (922.05)

With Advanced pilot certification and a 922.05 declaration, you may operate a small RPAS at a horizontal distance of less than 30 m (100 ft) but more than 5 m (16.4 ft) from any person not involved in the operation. Typical use cases include industrial inspections where workers are nearby but not under the aircraft, mapping along a trail with occasional pedestrians just outside a 5 m buffer, or construction site surveys with cordoned crew outside the inner 5 m ring.

Operational discipline still matters: near-people declaration does not authorize overflight or entry into the under-5 m bubble. If a person walks closer mid-flight, you must climb/offset to restore compliance or land.

Over people (922.06)

Over people for small RPAS means a horizontal distance of less than 5 m (16.4 ft) from any uninvolved person—including flying over them. This is the strictest small-drone ground-risk privilege in the Advanced VLOS set and requires the 922.06 declaration. Marketing copy that says "fly over people" is meaningless unless that specific model appears on Transport Canada's declared list for 922.06.

A practical exam distinction: 8 m horizontal from a crowd is near people (needs 922.05), not over people. 3 m horizontal or a pass directly overhead is over people (needs 922.06). Do not answer "near people" simply because the scenario mentions people in the area—check the number.

Medium drones: a different distance ladder

Any operation with a medium RPAS (more than 25 kg up to 150 kg) is Advanced or higher. Medium kinetic energy forces a larger standoff architecture. Transport Canada's Advanced operations page states you may fly a medium drone, with the appropriate declarations:

Notice how the medium "over people" threshold is 30 m, not 5 m. Applying the small-drone 5 m number to a 40 kg aircraft is a classic exam (and safety) error. Conversely, applying the medium 152.4 m away-from-people ring to a 1.2 kg multirotor is equally wrong.

Side-by-side comparison table (memorize this)

Exam traps: 5 m vs 30 m vs 152.4 m

Train yourself to catch these common distractors:

1. Wrong size ladder. Scenario uses a 30 kg RPAS but options quote 5 m over-people language from the small rules.
2. Near vs over mix-up. 10 m from people with a small drone is near (922.05), not over (922.06).
3. Vertical-only thinking. "I'm at 80 m AGL over the crowd so I'm fine" fails the horizontal measurement rule.
4. Declaration-free Advanced. Advanced certificate without the matching declared model is incomplete.
5. Medium away vs near. 200 m from people with medium is away (922.08); 80 m is near (922.07 PVD); 20 m is over (922.07 PVD).
6. Involved vs uninvolved. Crew with radios and a brief are not the same as spectators behind a fence who "know about the drone."

Operational decision sequence

Before take-off near people:

1. Classify RPAS as small or medium by maximum take-off mass band.
2. Estimate the minimum horizontal distance to the closest uninvolved person who might be present during the flight.
3. Select the privilege band (away / near / over).
4. Verify pilot certificate (Advanced for these privileges) and model declaration (and PVD where required).
5. Brief crew, mark buffers, assign a person to watch for approaching public, and define a go/no-go if someone enters a tighter band than declared.

That sequence is how professional Advanced operators convert table law into a safe site survey—and how you should attack multi-part exam scenarios under time pressure.