How close can I fly to people?

Keep a legal separation from people who are not part of your operation, including when your aircraft passes over them.

• You know the class of the aircraft you are flying (small or medium).
• You know whether you are operating under Division IV (Basic) or Division V (Advanced). CAR 901.26
• You know the class of the RPAS you are flying, because the separation distance depends on it. CAR 901.26
• You can judge horizontal distance on the ground, independently of height.

The separation from a person not involved in the operation depends on the size of the aircraft you are flying:

Aircraft	Minimum horizontal distance from an uninvolved person
Small remotely piloted aircraft	100 feet (30 m) CAR 901.26
Medium remotely piloted aircraft	500 feet (152.4 m) CAR 901.26

Neither figure is a "keep away from crowds" guideline — both are prohibitions, and both apply to a single uninvolved person, not only to a group.

The distance is also part of what makes an operation a Basic one. Division IV applies to the operation of a small remotely piloted aircraft in a VLOS operation in uncontrolled airspace and at a distance of not less than 100 feet (30 m), measured horizontally and at any altitude, from any person not involved in the operation. CAR 901.53

So the 30 m figure is not only a limit you must respect; it is one of the conditions that places the flight in the Basic regime at all. Cross it, and you are no longer in the operation Division IV describes. CAR 901.53

The distance is also part of what makes an operation a Basic one. Division IV applies to the operation of a small remotely piloted aircraft in a VLOS operation in uncontrolled airspace and at a distance of not less than 100 feet (30 m), measured horizontally and at any altitude, from any person not involved in the operation. CAR 901.53

So the 30 m figure is not only a limit you must respect; it is one of the conditions that places the flight in the Basic regime at all. Cross it, and you are no longer in the operation Division IV describes. CAR 901.53

The section says the distance is measured horizontally and at any altitude. That phrase is doing real work, and it is routinely misread as permission.

It means the measurement ignores height. Flying directly over someone at 300 ft puts you at a horizontal distance of zero from them, not 300 ft. CAR 901.26

Warning Height does not create distance. "Measured horizontally and at any altitude" means an aircraft vertically above a person is at zero horizontal separation, regardless of how high it is.

This is why the rule is written the way it is: an aircraft overhead at any height is still an aircraft overhead, and altitude does not reduce that risk the way a lateral distance does.

The distance in this lesson is usually measured on paper rather than in the air, and the AIM gives the field method. Using the scale on the map or chart with a metric or imperial ruler, read the distance on the map and translate it: at a scale of 1:20 000, one linear centimetre on the map represents 20 000 centimetres — 200 m — on the ground. The alternative the AIM offers is an online GIS platform whose spatial tools measure the terrain surface directly. AIM 3.2.14

The same paragraph settles the unit question that catches people out. A nautical mile is one latitudinal minute of the earth's spheroid — on the WGS84 geoid, 6 076.1 ft, 1 852 m, or 1.15 statute miles — and it is the distance unit aviation actually uses. AIM 3.2.14

Two skills, then, and they are separate: turning a measurement on a map into a distance on the ground, and keeping the regulation's units straight in your head — metres for the 30 m separation, nautical miles for the aerodrome rings. AIM 3.2.14

The section opens with an exclusion: it applies unless the operation is conducted under Division V (Advanced operations). CAR 901.26

That is the mechanism by which advanced operations may lawfully be conducted closer to people — but the exclusion is not permission on its own. Division V has its own requirements, including the declaration regime under Standard 922 for operations near or over people. CAR 901.26

Note Read 901.26 and 901.53 together. Division IV's application section sets out where the Basic rules apply, and it describes the same 100 ft (30 m) separation — the two provisions are consistent, not competing. CAR 901.26

Two groups sit outside the measurement, and both come from the AIM's reading of the rule.

People inside vehicles or inside buildings are not factored into the 30 m rule. That is a statement about the measurement, not about safety: even where the distance rule does not apply — vehicles, buildings, crew members, or people involved in the operation — the flight must still be conducted safely. AIM 3.2.14 CAR 900.06

And "involved in the operation" has content rather than being a judgement call. The AIM's examples are construction site or mine workers, film crews, and wedding guests and others involved in a wedding, including facility staff and caterers. A person is part of the operation if they have been briefed on the RPA hazard and have the opportunity to leave the site if they are uncomfortable with it. AIM 3.2.14

The AIM states a rule that is easy to break while doing the right thing: whatever action you take to maintain the safety distance, the aircraft must not fly within 30 m of one person while you are trying to remain 30 m away from another. AIM 3.2.14

The pilot should have contingency plans for the case where a person not associated with the operation comes within 30 m of the aircraft, and be prepared to act immediately to restore the buffer. The AIM's examples: rerouting, returning to land, or holding over a secure area until the minimum distance can be restored. Pre-planning and site preparation during the site survey are what make that possible. AIM 3.2.14

Operations between 30 m and 5 m from another person are described as "near people" and are an advanced operation. To operate near people the pilot needs two things: a pilot certificate — advanced operations, and the right system, used in accordance with section 901.194 and Standard 922 — eligibility for which is written on the certificate of registration. AIM 3.2.14

That is where this lesson meets the declaration regime: the distance decides the certificate, and the certificate plus the declaration decide whether the aircraft may be there at all. AIM 3.2.14

The AIM is blunt about the ordering of risks: the risk of injuring a person is greater than the risk of colliding with another aircraft, and a good safety margin should be kept according to the situation — especially for advanced operations within 30 m of the public. AIM 3.2.4

It follows that the pilot manages the flight towards a safe outcome, using every resource available, and is prepared to continue, end or re-schedule. And if the pilot becomes aware of any situation that endangers aviation safety or the safety of persons on the ground, they must immediately cease the operation until it is safe to continue. AIM 3.2.4 CAR 901.16

Your operation complies only when all of the following hold:

• Every uninvolved person is at least 100 ft (30 m) horizontally away, if you fly a small RPAS CAR 901.26
• Every uninvolved person is at least 500 ft (152.4 m) horizontally away, if you fly a medium RPAS CAR 901.26
• No uninvolved person is directly beneath the aircraft at any altitude
• If you are closer than these distances, you are operating under Division V and meet its requirements
• Anyone counted as involved in the operation has been briefed on the hazard and can leave the site AIM 3.2.14
• You are not passing within 30 m of one person to stay 30 m from another AIM 3.2.14
• You have contingency plans for a person walking into the buffer AIM 3.2.14
• Closer than 30 m, you hold an advanced certificate and a system declared for near-people operation AIM 3.2.14

Situation	What applies
Small aircraft, person at ground level, 50 ft away	Prohibited — under 100 ft CAR 901.26
Small aircraft directly overhead at 300 ft	Prohibited — horizontal distance is zero CAR 901.26
Medium aircraft, person 200 ft away	Prohibited — under 500 ft CAR 901.26
Advanced operation under Division V	This section does not apply; Division V rules do CAR 901.26
Person involved in the operation (crew, VO)	Not an uninvolved person; outside this rule
People inside vehicles or buildings	Not factored into the 30 m rule AIM 3.2.14
Operations between 30 m and 5 m	"Near people" — an advanced operation AIM 3.2.14
A person not involved enters the buffer	Contingency: reroute, land, or hold over a secure area AIM 3.2.14

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
You thought you were 300 ft away because you were 300 ft up	Height is not horizontal distance	Measure the ground separation, not the altitude CAR 901.26
You applied 100 ft while flying a medium aircraft	The 100 ft figure is for small aircraft only	Use 500 ft (152.4 m) for medium CAR 901.26
A crowd has formed under your route	The rule applies to a single uninvolved person	Move the route, or operate under Division V CAR 901.26
You are near people and hold an Advanced certificate	Advanced operations fall under Division V	Confirm you meet Division V, including the Standard 922 declaration regime CAR 901.26
You kept 30 m from one person but passed close to another	The two distances are not tradeable	Re-plan so the route satisfies the rule for every person AIM 3.2.14
A bystander walked into the area mid-flight	The buffer must be restored immediately	Use your contingency plan AIM 3.2.14
A person is inside a building under your route	Buildings are not factored into the 30 m rule	Fly safely regardless — 900.06 still applies CAR 900.06
Guests at a shoot were treated as uninvolved	Involved means briefed and able to leave	Brief them, or keep the distance AIM 3.2.14
You saw a situation endangering people and continued	901.16 requires the operation to cease	Cease until it is safe to continue CAR 901.16

Practise: Horizontal distance from uninvolved persons

Practise: Distance unit conversion

• CAR 901.26 — Horizontal Distance
• CAR 901.53 — Application
• CAR 900.06 — Reckless or Negligent Operation
• CAR 901.16 — Operation Prohibited
• AIM RPA 3.2.4 — Flight Safety
• AIM RPA 3.2.14 — Horizontal Distance
• Consolidation: CARs current to 2026-09-21