Flying smart means flying safe—and safety starts long before takeoff. In S3E14 of Sky Commander Academy, we break down how to perform a professional Operational Risk Assessment (ORA), looking at both ground and air risks, and applying mitigation strategies that meet Transport Canada’s expectations for advanced and BVLOS operations.

In this episode:
🌍 Ground risk factors – people, property, vehicles, and infrastructure that could be impacted by an RPAS incident
✈️ Air risk factors – nearby manned aircraft, airspace class, traffic density, and environmental hazards
📊 The ORA process – identifying hazards, rating risk likelihood and severity, and applying mitigations
🛡 Mitigation strategies – flight planning, buffer zones, redundancies, crew briefings, and emergency procedures
📖 Regulatory context – why Transport Canada requires documented risk assessments for advanced and complex operations
🎯 Exam must-knows – ORA principles and examples Transport Canada could test
💡 Pro tips – how to build reusable ORA templates, integrate them into preflight checklists, and use them to impress clients as well as inspectors

Risk assessment isn’t paperwork—it’s your shield against accidents, liability, and operational failure. Master it, and you’ll fly more confidently, knowing every risk has a plan behind it.

👉 SkyCommander.ca
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