Flying a Drone in Victoria, BC: What You Should Know Before You Go

Fisgard Lighthouse

Flying a drone in Victoria feels like it should be straightforward. Beaches, ocean, skylines, mountains, and some of the best morning light you’ll find anywhere. And honestly — most of the time, it is straightforward.

You just need a bit of local awareness before you head out.

Greater Victoria has a lot going on in the air. Floatplanes are a normal part of daily life here. Helicopters come and go. There’s Coast Guard activity, military traffic nearby, and the YYJ control zone covers more ground than people expect. None of that means you can’t fly — it just means this isn’t empty sky.

That applies whether you’re flying a big drone or a tiny one.

A micro drone gives you flexibility, but it doesn’t give you a free pass to ignore what’s around you. The good news is that most common-sense flying already lines up with the rules: stay away from people, don’t hover over crowds, and don’t do anything that makes others uncomfortable. If someone didn’t agree to be part of your flight, they shouldn’t be under it.

One thing that helps a lot around here is timing. Early mornings are hard to beat. The light is better, the air is calmer, and there are usually far fewer people around. It’s simply a nicer way to fly — less pressure, fewer distractions, and nobody wondering what the buzzing noise is over their head.

That’s mostly how we fly now. Sometimes it’s professional work with a larger drone, planned properly and done by the book. Other times it’s much simpler — flying a small DJI Neo 2 alongside my four-year-old son, taking turns, laughing at less-than-perfect landings, and packing it up once we’ve had our fun. Same place, same rules, very different pace.

One thing that surprises people is that airspace isn’t always the only thing to think about. Even if the sky itself is fine, there can be separate rules tied to land use or specific locations. They’re not always obvious, and they don’t always line up neatly with what the airspace map shows. It’s just part of flying in a place as layered as Victoria.

The easiest rule to follow is also the simplest: if a spot feels busy, awkward, or like it might irritate people, come back another time. Vancouver Island isn’t short on beautiful places to fly, and there’s always another quiet morning waiting.

Despite the quirks, this is an incredible place to fly a drone. Long coastlines, dramatic weather, calm stretches of water, and endless views make it worth taking the time to do it right — and to enjoy it.

Go fly.
Be aware of what’s around you.
Be respectful of other people.

And enjoy seeing Vancouver Island from above.

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