About VAP
Victoria Air Photos and Survey is a 100% locally (Victoria, BC) owned and operated, private, and independent company employing RPAS commercially. In operation since 2012, we offer a wide range of safe and professional RPAS services to the general public, corporations and government services in a wide spectrum of applications.
VAP is also active in the community supporting University of Victoria's Engineering Department Aero Club uvicaero.com/ as a Silver Sponsor, and is active with training and equipping the RPAS pilots of tomorrow with necessary skills.
We also volunteer with the SPCA Animal Rescue for drone search operations.
David Carlos: About the Owner/ Chief Pilot
David Carlos has logged over 3500 hours of Complex RPAS air time. In addition, he has trained thousands of students in unmanned RPAS flight practices and enhanced safety. Carlos continues with professional flight and ground instruction sessions in drone studies for students seeking to be professional RPAS pilots, or those seeki9ng to employ drones commercially in their own business. See Training page
Carlos currently holds a Standing Canadian Commercial RPAS Advanced (Flight Reviewer Rating) Certificate plus Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC). Carlos also holds a Canadian (Fixed Wing) Pilot's License with advanced training.
Victoria Air Photos and Survey employs and uses trained and qualified visual observers and sensor operators.
He works with engineers and professional BCLS on various projects
Carlos has been self-employed in business for the past 21 years where he was a small commercial boat captain and guide and operated a logistics firm. He has also served in the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserve (Army) in Logistics as well for 2 years.
Carlos has a Private Pilot Night Rating, and extensive instrument and flight simulator training.
Victoria Air Photos and Survey is a Transport Canada Compliant RPAS Training Centre in Canada as self-declared. David is an authorized ROC-A instructor and examiner for Industry Canada as well as Flight Reviewer under the new RPAS regulations.
Clients for VAP's RPAS training program include a wide range of students from private, corporate and government sectors. Carlos has trained municipal and government protective services, including fire and police in the professional use of UAVs with the popular RPAS 101 program and advanced specialized training.
Safety and Privacy
With safety as our number one priority, we are Transport Canada Aviation certified for Special Flight Operations and fully insured.
We are proactive in the community and publicly advocate for safer RPAS/RC aircraft flight practices. We also seek way to respect any public privacy concerns.
an companies already specializing in a profession add drones to their busy operations? WE DO NOT advise them to do this!
Be Careful Before Buying that Drone! Written by David Carlos
"Operating drones is an extremely complex specialty and should not be treated lightly as a sideline or just a tool most anyone can use. There are too many unseen hazards. The drone operation frequently requires much attention, time and dedication, situational awareness along with regular maintenance/upgrades in order to be done safely. There is no shortcut.Can companies already specializing in a profession add drones to their already busy operations? We strongly advise them NOT make this mistake!"
With 10 years in business and thousands of hours of experience in RPAS.....what is the easiest part of the drone industry and their commercial potentials by far???? Buying the drone system! It is all uphill from there! Most dealers are more than eager to push/sell them to vulnerable corporate consumers who are not aware of the common pitfalls. Companies want to streamline and cut costs!While as a drone service provider, I may be biased, but I am also an instructor, drone safety advocate & Transport Canada Flight Reviewer. You do not want to know what I have seen out there!
To say drones are being proliferated is to put it mildly. Manufacturing companies, like the DJI, have made and make so many drones they don't know what to do with them. And making them flight ready is done much quicker than the time it takes for qualified or unqualified pilots to learn to operate them safely. Some manufactures will even offer to replace your drone free if an operator destroys it. But if you seriously injure or kill someone, and/or are found criminally negligent for damages, that will offer little comfort.
Can it be done? With the utmost care, possibly! "Task saturation" is the all to common risk factor which results in accidents and equipment loss as we have seen over and over. https://lnkd.in/gTM2PebP No you cannot do it all!We seek warn the public and companies about risk of task saturation. In our fast paced world, the tendency to do too much, with too little resources, is a serious safety issue with the challenge of drone integration in Canada.Manufactures "fool proof" systems like obstacle avoidance adds even more problems.
The solution for companies to avoid accidents, equipment loss, insurance claims or even criminal investigations, is to contract qualified drone service providers with a proven track record, and ample knowledge, equipment, and experience with RPAS.Given that drones tasking is periodic for most companies, this especially makes sense.
Why have to buy and maintain expensive equipment along with having qualified, experienced pilots to operate them?We have seen a similar situation before. In WW2 there were more brand new Spitfire aircraft than pilots would could fly them!