Canadian Drone Industrial Applications Training Program (CDIATP)

Overview

The Canadian Drone Industrial Applications Training Program is designed to equip drone pilots with the advanced knowledge, practical skills and industry tools needed to build a career or business in the commercial drone sector.

The program comprises 17 modules covering photography, photogrammetry, videography, thermography, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), data processing and business development. Each module concludes with a 60-minute open-book exam, with a minimum pass mark of 80 per cent required to progress, in line with Transport Canada examination procedures.

Students will train using the DJI Matrice 4 TD, a commercial enterprise drone with photo, video and thermal capabilities, as well as the DJI Matrice 400 with the Zenmuse L2 LiDAR and P1 camera. The program also provides hands-on experience with state-of-the-art, industry-standard data processing software.

Prerequisites

To be eligible for enrolment, applicants must:

Be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Hold a valid Transport Canada Advanced Drone Pilot Certificate and have completed a minimum of 20 hours of drone flight time.
Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
Be at least 19 years of age.

Inclusions

The program includes a DJI Matrice 4 TD (DJI M4TD), a commercial enterprise drone with photo, video and thermal capabilities. Students will also receive hands-on training using the DJI Matrice 400 equipped with the Zenmuse L2 LiDAR and P1 camera, along with industry-standard data processing software.

Equipment

Students are required to have access to a working computer capable of supporting the online learning components and data processing requirements of the program. A computer is not included as part of the course.

Commitment and cost

This program involves a total commitment of 336 hours, comprising 236 hours of online study material, 48 hours of self-study, 40 hours of in-person flight training, and 12 hours of mission preparation training. This is equivalent to approximately 12 to 15 weeks of study.
The total program fee is $35,709 plus tax. (check out our funding opportunities)

Course dates and location

Online/on-campus training starts 1 June 2026

In-person flight training (Minimum 5 maximum 10 students) are currently scheduled as follows:
Winnipeg 15 - 19 September 2026
Additional dates subject to student numbers

The course is offered both online and in person at our campus, located at 700 South Gate Road, St Andrews, Manitoba, Canada, R1A 3P8.

Program modules

The program comprises 17 online modules followed by an in-person mission planning and flight training component. Together, these modules provide a comprehensive foundation in commercial and industrial drone operations, combining technical knowledge, practical application and industry-relevant business skills.

Online modules include:

Introduction to the commercial drone sector and industrial applications
Drone and remote-control design
Satellite navigation theory
Drone data processing
Photography
Photogrammetry
Videography
LiDAR
Thermography
Level 1 Complex
Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations
Mission planning for industrial missions
Business development
Drone business operations
DJI Matrice 4 TD operations
DJI Matrice 400 operations

In-person training includes:

A five-day industrial applications flight training and data processing component, including mission planning, data collection, post-processing and presentation of results using industry-standard drone platforms and payloads.

Award

Canadian Drone Industrial Applications Certificate
The following micro credentials:
- DJI Matrice 4 TD Certified Operators Certificate
- DJI Matrice 400 Certified Operators Certificate
- Drone LIDAR Operator Certificate
- Drone Thermal Drone Applications Certificate
- Drone Photography Certificate
- Drone Photogrammetry Certificate
- Drone Videography Certificate
- BVLOS Certificate

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CDIATP - In Detail

Phase One - Online portion

Module 1 – Course introduction and overview

An introduction to the program, including course structure, expectations and learning outcomes.

Module 2 -Introduction to the commercial drone sector and industrial applications

This module provides an overview of the commercial drone sector and industrial applications, including:

latest developments in the drone sector in Canada
latest developments in the global drone industry
recent Transport Canada regulatory developments relating to commercial and industrial drone operations.

Module 3 -Review of drone and remote-control design

This module covers:

drone components across small, medium and large drone platforms
controller components
payload review
centre of gravity implications
end-of-module test.

Module 4 -Satellite navigation theory

This module covers:

basic satellite navigation theory
GPS
GNSS
GLONASS
BeiDou
Galileo
the impact of losing one or more navigation systems while continuing to operate
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 5 -Drone data processing

This module includes:

basic data processing and storage
introduction to data processing for large photogrammetry missions
introduction to data processing of infrared and thermal data
introduction to data processing for LiDAR
transferring large data files to clients
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 6 -Photography

This module covers:

photography fundamentals
photography with drones
photography sample data collection
photography processing software and applications
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 7 -Photogrammetry

This module covers:

photogrammetry fundamentals
photogrammetry sample data collection
mission planning for photogrammetry
photogrammetry processing software and applications
hands-on photogrammetry exercises
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 8 -Videography

This module covers:

videography fundamentals
videography with drones
mission planning for videography
videography sample data collection
video processing software and applications
hands-on videography exercises
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 9 -LiDAR

This module covers:

basic LiDAR theory
LiDAR data
mission planning for LiDAR missions
LiDAR processing software and applications
post-processing LiDAR products
gravel pit volume determination
building and bridge inspections
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 10 – Thermography

This module covers:

basic thermal theory
thermal data
post-processing thermal products
solar panel inspections
building heat-loss inspections
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 11 - Level 1 Complex

This module introduces:

Visual Line of Sight (VLOS), Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations
practice exam preparation.

Module 12 -Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations

This module covers:

introduction to VLOS, EVLOS and BVLOS operations
operator prerequisites
SORA 2.5
building the SORA
BVLOS Pilot in Command responsibilities
power management
SOP requirements
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module exam.

Module 13 -Mission planning for industrial missions

This module covers:

review of basic mission planning skills and requirements
review of NAVDRONE and other mission planning applications
advanced mission planning
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 14 -Business

This module introduces the fundamentals of establishing and operating a business, including:

business structures such as sole proprietorship, partnership and incorporation
benefits and risks of each structure
general tax implications by province
website development
marketing
advertising
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 15 -Drone business specifics

This module covers:

SOPs
RPOC
crew resource management
flight safety
maintenance
insurance
invoicing
conflict resolution
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 16 -Introduction to the DJI Matrice 4 TD

This module covers:

drone assembly
batteries and power management
photography and photogrammetry with the Matrice 4 TD
thermal camera operations
basic flight handling
mission programming
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Module 17 -Introduction to the DJI Matrice 400

This module covers:

drone assembly
batteries and power management
Zenmuse H30T thermal camera
Zenmuse L2 LiDAR camera
Zenmuse P1 camera
basic flight handling
mission programming
study time and practical exercises
end-of-module test.

Phase Two - In-person training portion

Module 1 8 -Industrial applications flight training and data processing

This in-person component consists of 40 hours of practical training over five days, plus 12 hours of mission planning and evening preparation, for a total of 52 hours.

Training is delivered by VEdTS instructors using the DJI Matrice 4 TD and DJI Matrice 400 with the H30T thermal camera, Zenmuse L2 LiDAR camera and P1 photography/photogrammetry camera.

Day 1

Morning

Review of the DJI M4TD and Matrice 400 platforms and accessories
Basic flying with the M4TD and Matrice 400 using various cameras
Mission planning for an advanced industrial applications mission

Afternoon

Basic and advanced flying with the M4TD and M400

Evening assignment

Review advanced mission planning and consider the final mission.

Day 2

Morning

Photo and video data collection and processing

Afternoon

Photogrammetry data collection and processing

Evening assignment

Process photo, video and photogrammetry data collected during the day.

Day 3

Morning

Thermography data collection and processing

Afternoon

LiDAR data collection and processing

Evening assignment

Process thermal and LiDAR data collected and plan a mission using advanced mission planning knowledge.

Day 4

Morning

Review of mission plan

Afternoon

Execute an advanced industrial applications mission

Evening assignment

Process the data collected for presentation on Day 5.

Day 5

Morning

Present the results of the mission, including post-mission processing and reporting

Afternoon

Industrial drone applications practicum, including a possible visit to a precision agriculture site, fire department or police department, subject to availability at the training location.

Certificate and micro-credentials

At the end of the course, graduates will receive the Canadian Drone Industrial Applications Certificate, together with the following micro-credentials:

DJI Matrice 4 TD Certified Operators Certificate
DJI Matrice 400 Certified Operators Certificate
Drone LiDAR Operator Certificate
Drone Thermal Applications Certificate
Drone Photography Certificate
Drone Photogrammetry Certificate
Drone Videography Certificate
BVLOS Certificate.

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