The word “armed” blinks red on the laptop screen as a propeller whirs to life. Soon, the drone rises steadily over a dusty landscape.

But this isn’t Afghanistan – it’s Milton, Ont., where geographer Scott McTavish is using his autonomous aircraft to survey a gravel pit.

This quotation comes from a recent feature on the tremendous civil or domestic applications of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAV”) in Canada, the focus of this blog entry.

Unlike the debate in the United States, the use of drones in Canada has a decidedly constructive and positive tone.  For example, there are reports of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police saving  a 25-year-old man’s life by using a small drone helicopter  to locate him after his vehicle rolled over in near-freezing temperatures.  These stories are a great contrast to those told in anti-drone and military-colored discussions in America.

There are lessons here as the temperature against drones rises in spite of documented positive applications.

A great video here, meanwhile of Canadian aviation – a significant global contributor.