Category: Academy
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Lest We Forget
On November 11 we pause to honour Canadians who served—and those who never came home. A brief reflection on courage, sacrifice, and what remembrance asks of us today: integrity, care for one another, and stewardship of the skies. Lest we forget.
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Wingman Wednesday: Fright Night — Be Seen to Be Safe (and Smart) After Dark
Night flying isn’t scary when you have a plan. In Fright Night, we turn darkness into an advantage with a clear night-ops playbook: make your drone and crew unmistakable, build a lit LZ, use a VO like a pro, beat night illusions, and know the U.S./Canada rules—plus a copy-ready thermal scenario.
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Wingman Wednesday: “There’s nothing scarier than a drone pilot who doesn’t follow the rules”
There’s nothing scarier than a drone pilot who doesn’t follow the rules. 🎃 This Halloween Gala Week, Sky Commander brings you five frightening real-world flight mistakes — and the quick fixes that keep you safe. Read on before your next mission becomes a monster story.
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🚨 Mysterious Drone Sightings & Your Liability: What Happens If You’re That Pilot in the Wrong Place?
Airports shutting down. Police searchlights sweeping the night sky. Mystery drones making headlines. Even if you’re flying legally, one misidentified sighting could put your license, your reputation, and your wallet on the line. In this Wingman Wednesday post, Sky Commander breaks down the real risks of being “that pilot in the wrong place at the…
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Wingman Wednesday: Canada’s New Level 1 Complex Certificate — What Every Pilot Needs to Know
Canada’s drone rules are changing this November with the introduction of the new Level 1 Complex Certificate. From Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) to RPAS Operator Certificates (RPOC), here’s what every pilot—new or experienced—needs to know. Learn how these updates impact training, operations, and the future role of pilots as automation and autonomy take…
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✈️ Wingman Wednesday: Decode the Sky, Dodge the Turbulence, Dominate the Flight
Canadian skies can turn on you fast. This Wingman Wednesday dives into decoding METARs/TAFs, reading turbulence layers, and spotting convective weather before it wrecks your mission. Backed by Sky Commander Academy Podcast insights.
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🚨 The 2025 NAV CANADA Update: What It Means for You (And How to Be BVLOS-Ready Before Everyone Else)
Major NAV CANADA updates take effect in November 2025 — including expanded BVLOS trial zones, faster controlled airspace authorizations, and updated pilot profile requirements. Learn what’s changing, why it matters, and how to get BVLOS-ready before the rest of the industry.
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🛩️ Wingman Wednesday: Operational Risk Assessment – Your First Line of Defense
Before your drone ever leaves the ground, one decision can define your entire mission: Did you assess the risks? In this week’s Wingman Wednesday, we break down how operational risk assessment isn’t just a checkbox—it’s your crew’s first line of defense. From weather and powerlines to people and terrain, learn how the pros at Sky…
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🧭 Wingman Wednesday: The Pilot in Command (PIC) – The Captain of Every Mission
🚨 Who Really Runs the Mission? It’s not the drone. It’s not the tech. It’s you — the Pilot in Command. In this explosive final chapter of our Wingman Wednesday series, we reveal the untold truth about the PIC role — why it’s more than a title, and how mastering it could make or break…
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🛰️ Wingman Wednesday: The Flight Planner – Your Crew’s Secret Weapon
“The only drone flight that goes exactly as planned…is the one that was planned for everything.”— Every seasoned Flight Planner, ever Some crew roles are obvious. The pilot? Critical. Payload operator? A tech wizard.But the Flight Planner? Most people don’t even realize they exist—until the mission collapses without one. In today’s Wingman Wednesday, we’re pulling back the…
Sky Commander – Drone Inspections & Aerial Intelligence 