What you will know
Know exactly what section 901.37 forbids, what arrangement the AIM permits instead, and what changes about your recovery plan when the launch point sails away.
Before this lesson
- You can tell operating a vehicle from being in one, because the prohibition turns on that difference. CAR 901.37
- You know who is on the crew and what each of them is doing, because two of the three rules are about the person at the controls. AIM 3.2.24
- You know how your aircraft's return-to-home behaves, because the last step is about that. AIM 3.2.24
How it works
1. The prohibition is about doing two things at once
Section 901.37 is one sentence: no pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft while operating a moving vehicle, vessel or manned aircraft. CAR 901.37
The word doing the work is while. The section does not forbid flying from a vehicle, from a boat or from an aircraft — it forbids being the person operating that vehicle, vessel or manned aircraft at the same time. CAR 901.37
2. What that means in practice
Two consequences follow, and questions are built on both. A pilot in the passenger seat of a truck driven by somebody else is not operating the vehicle, so the section is not engaged. And the prohibition is not limited to road vehicles: a vessel and a manned aircraft are named in the same sentence. CAR 901.37
3. The arrangement the AIM permits
Where it is necessary to operate an RPA from a moving vehicle, the AIM states the requirement plainly: there must be a dedicated person operating the vehicle while the pilot operates the RPAS. AIM 3.2.24
The same logic reaches the third crew member. If a visual observer is used, they are also prohibited from operating the vehicle while performing their duties as a visual observer — the observer's job already requires unaided visual contact with the airspace, and driving is incompatible with it. AIM 3.2.24
So a crew of two on a moving boat can work: one person drives, one person flies. Two people cannot each do two jobs. AIM 3.2.24
4. Plan the recovery, not just the launch
The AIM adds a practical warning for launch from a vehicle, such as a boat, that is in motion or that will be in a different location when the aircraft is recovered: the return-to-home function may register the initial position at take-off, so the aircraft's idea of "home" may be where you no longer are. AIM 3.2.24
Some systems let you choose between the launch point and the location of the transmitter. Either way, the advice is to plan ahead for a manual landing, or another landing procedure at a specifically designated location, and to adjust the contingency plans so that the aircraft is not sent to the wrong place in an emergency. AIM 3.2.24
Your checklist
| Question | The answer |
|---|---|
| What does 901.37 prohibit? | Operating an RPA while operating a moving vehicle, vessel or manned aircraft CAR 901.37 |
| Is flying from a moving vehicle forbidden? | No — being the person operating it is CAR 901.37 |
| A pilot in the passenger seat? | Permitted: the colleague is operating the vehicle CAR 901.37 |
| What does the AIM require when it is necessary? | A dedicated person operating the vehicle AIM 3.2.24 |
| May a visual observer drive the vehicle? | No — not while performing observer duties AIM 3.2.24 |
| What is the recovery risk? | Return-to-home may register the take-off position, which the vehicle has left AIM 3.2.24 |
- The prohibition covers a vessel and a manned aircraft, not only road vehicles CAR 901.37
- The distinction is operating the vehicle, not sitting in it CAR 901.37
- The vehicle must have a dedicated driver AIM 3.2.24
- Plan a manual landing and adjust the contingency plans AIM 3.2.24
Where people go wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Flying from a boat is assumed to be prohibited | The prohibition is on operating the boat | Have someone else drive CAR 901.37 |
| The observer is asked to drive while observing | Both duties cannot be held at once | Keep the roles separate AIM 3.2.24 |
| Only road vehicles are considered | Vessels and manned aircraft are named too | Apply the section to all three CAR 901.37 |
| A pilot alone on a moving boat plans to fly | Nobody is left to operate the vessel | Bring a second crew member AIM 3.2.24 |
| The recovery is left to return-to-home | It may point at the launch position | Plan the landing and the contingency AIM 3.2.24 |
Test yourself
Sources
- CAR 901.37 — Prohibition — Operation of Moving Vehicles, Vessels and Manned Aircraft
- TC — Formation Flight (including 3.2.25, moving vehicles)