1.3 Basic vs Advanced Privileges

Transport Canada’s RPAS scheme is privilege-based: what you may do depends on the certificate level, the aircraft, the environment, and whether any required declarations or authorizations are in place. The Advanced Operations certificate is not merely "Basic plus a harder exam"—it unlocks a different risk envelope. This section contrasts Basic and Advanced privileges at the framework level so later chapters on safety assurance, people proximity, medium RPAS, and EVLOS have a clear foundation.

Two Certificate Levels, One Part IX System

Part IX defines Basic and Advanced pilot certificates for small (and, for Advanced, additional) RPAS operations. Both levels require knowledge, and Advanced adds a flight review pathway in addition to the written exam. Holding Advanced means you demonstrated a higher standard; it does not mean the general operating rules disappear. VLOS, altitude limits, right of way, fitness, and registration still apply unless a specific rule provides an exception or additional condition.

Use the table as a memory scaffold, then learn the precise distance and declaration numbers in the dedicated Advanced-rules chapters. On this section’s exam items, graders want the privilege contrast, not invented fees or unofficial distances.

Basic Privileges — What "Limited" Means

Basic operations are intentionally constrained so lower-risk flights can proceed with a lower qualification bar. Historically and in teaching summaries, Basic is framed as:

• Operating in uncontrolled airspace
• Keeping clear of people beyond the Advanced near/over-people pathways
• Focusing on small RPAS rather than medium category Advanced work
• Remaining inside the general Part IX operating rules without Advanced-only expansions

Basic is not "unregulated." A Basic pilot still faces VLOS, maximum altitude 122 m (400 ft) AGL (unless a valid exception applies), right-of-way duties, fitness rules, and registration/marking for applicable aircraft. Basic simply does not authorize the Advanced environments that require extra assurance.

Advanced Privileges — Expanded Envelope

Advanced privileges exist because industry needs operations that Basic cannot lawfully cover. Core expansions include:

Controlled Airspace with Authorization

Advanced pilots may operate in controlled airspace when they obtain the required RPAS flight authorization (commonly coordinated through NAV CANADA’s RPAS services such as NAV Drone) and comply with any conditions. Authorization is not optional window dressing: enter controlled airspace without it and you have left the Advanced privilege pathway and entered a violation.

Closer to Airports and Heliports Under Rules

Proximity to certified airports, military aerodromes, and heliports is tightly managed. Advanced status does not grant unrestricted flight next to runways. It allows operations nearer those environments only when the distance, airspace class, and authorization rules are satisfied. Later aerodrome chapters detail figures such as the commonly tested 5.6 km (3 NM) and 1.9 km (1 NM) concepts—learn them there; for now, remember the principle: Advanced + rules-compliant proximity, not free approach.

Near and Over People with Declarations

Advanced pathways allow operations near or over people when the RPAS has appropriate manufacturer safety assurance (or equivalent permitted pathways) and the pilot follows the applicable horizontal distance concepts. Small and medium categories use different distance frameworks (taught in depth in the safety-assurance and people chapters). The framework point for this section: people proximity is an Advanced privilege with conditions, not a Basic default.

Medium Drones

Medium RPAS (in the modern Part IX weight bands above small and below the large/special thresholds used in the regulations) are tied to Advanced operations and additional technical and operating expectations. Basic is not the certificate for medium-category professional envelopes.

EVLOS and Sheltered Operations

Extended visual line-of-sight (EVLOS) and sheltered operations are Advanced-era tools for specific use cases. They remain constrained: EVLOS still depends on procedures and visual observers/crew concepts as required, and sheltered operations are not a blank cheque to ignore airspace or people rules outside the shelter concept. Treat them as named Advanced privileges with their own limits, not as loopholes.

Pilot Requirements — CAR 901.63 (Age 16)

CAR 901.63 addresses pilot requirements for the Advanced certificate context tested on this exam. A core memory item is minimum age 16. Age alone is not enough: the candidate must also meet knowledge, examination, and flight-review requirements for issuance. Exam traps sometimes suggest that anyone of any age may hold Advanced if they pay a fee—reject that. Age and qualification standards are regulatory, not commercial marketing.

Issuance — CAR 901.64

CAR 901.64 covers issuance of the pilot certificate — Advanced operations. Conceptually:

1. Meet eligibility (including age).
2. Complete required knowledge demonstration (written exam pathway).
3. Complete the flight review with a qualified reviewer under the applicable standard.
4. Receive issuance through Transport Canada’s certification process (commonly via the Drone Management Portal ecosystem).

Issuance creates legal privileges. Until issued, passing a practice test or finishing a course does not authorize Advanced operations.

Advanced Includes Basic Operations

A critical privilege interaction: an Advanced certificate also allows Basic operations. You do not need two plastic cards in your wallet to fly a simple uncontrolled-airspace job if you already hold Advanced and remain current. However:

• You must still obey whatever rules apply to that flight.
• You must not assume every flight automatically uses every Advanced expansion.
• Recency and fitness still apply.

Think of Advanced as a superset of Basic privileges, not a separate parallel universe that forbids simple flights.

Certificate Longevity and Recency

The Advanced pilot certificate is commonly described as not expiring on a fixed multi-year renewal calendar the way some licences do. That does not mean privileges are unconditional forever. Recency requirements exist so that pilots who have not maintained currency complete the required experience or training activities before exercising privileges again.

Exam-ready formulation:

• Non-expiring certificate document ≠ permanent unrestricted flying rights without recency
• If recency has lapsed, fix recency before conducting operations that require the certificate
• Inspectors may ask for recency proof along with the certificate itself

Choosing the Right Mental Model for Scenarios

When a question describes a mission, classify it:

1. Is the airspace controlled? → Advanced + authorization pathway.
2. Is the operation near/over people beyond Basic stand-off? → Advanced + safety assurance pathway.
3. Is the aircraft medium category? → Advanced framework.
4. Is the operation EVLOS or sheltered? → Advanced-specific rules.
5. Is it a simple uncontrolled, people-clear, small-RPA flight? → Basic envelope (also legal for Advanced holders).

Misclassification is a common exam failure mode: candidates either under-privilege (thinking everything needs Special Flight Operations Certificate thinking from older eras) or over-privilege (thinking Advanced means "anywhere, anytime").

Link to the Rest of the Guide

Subsequent chapters convert these privilege headlines into numbers and procedures: Standard 922 declarations, people distances, medium RPA rules, EVLOS/sheltered limits, and NAV CANADA authorization workflows. Master the Basic vs Advanced map here so those details attach to a stable structure.