A small aircraft flying over downtown Kelowna had a close call, nearly colliding with a drone on Tuesday (April 20).
The pilot reported the near-miss to Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System, stating the drone came within 200 feet of their Cessna 172N while flying at 3,500 feet above sea level.
The report also notes that unmanned aircraft gained unauthorized entry to the controlled airspace. Kelowna RCMP was notified, but no damages or injuries were reported.
A drone pilot license is required to operate a drone that weighs anywhere from 250 grams to 25 kilograms. Drone operators are reminded to fly in spaces where the vision is clear. They cannot exceed heights of 400 feet in the air and are to be flown in controlled airspaces away from other aircraft and airports.
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