Licensed FPV flight around Niagara Falls yields striking footage
After obtaining approvals from Transport Canada and Niagara Parks, a first‑person view (FPV) drone pilot carried out an ambitious flight that wound up and around the 170‑foot drop of the Falls, producing close, cinematic footage on a sunny day. The pilot, Evan Bilon — known online as FPV Evan — tested GoPro’s new Mission 1 Pro camera during the run, describing the location as "such a beautiful location."
The flight demonstrates how drone operators can work within the rules when seeking to film in sensitive and busy airspace around one of Ontario’s most visited natural attractions. Bilon said relationships with regulators have taken years to build, and that each flight still requires careful planning and coordination.
Preparation and safety steps taken before the flight
- Advance contact and coordination with Transport Canada.
- Notifications to local operators, including zip line, boat tour and helicopter tour operators.
- Completion of paperwork and a drone checklist for the mission.
- Use of a dedicated spotter and specialised equipment.
- Adherence to a prescribed height limit to stay within regulatory bounds.
Bilon stressed the practical considerations that come with flying near the Falls: maintaining radio link quality, keeping a spotter on hand and respecting height restrictions so the flight remains compliant with authorities.
“Over the last three years, I’ve built a pretty good relationship with Transport Canada, allowing me to fly drones in restricted airspace.”
He also spoke candidly about the pilot’s typical nervousness in such conditions — tightening up the controls when flying close to mist banks and the water’s edge — and the need to relax his flying style to get the best shots. The clear, sunny conditions on the day of the flight created strong contrast that made the mist look almost ethereal in the captured footage.
Technical details and what the footage shows
The mission doubled as a camera trial for GoPro’s Mission 1 Pro. Bilon piloted the FPV rig to skim the surface, dive over the lip of the Horseshoe Falls and pass under some of the mist, then retreat for wider, slower‑motion shots.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Pilot | FPV Evan (Evan Bilon) |
| Camera | GoPro Mission 1 Pro |
| Permissions | Transport Canada, Niagara Parks |
| Feature filmed | Horseshoe Falls (approx. 170 ft drop) |
On completion of the flight, Bilon said the run achieved what he had hoped for — close passes around the lip of the Falls as well as more distant, cinematic angles. "We pretty much got all we wanted; we went around the lip of the falls, went underneath. We got some further back shots too, some slower motion ones going back and forth," he said after landing.
The operation is a reminder that filming with drones in and around Niagara Falls is not simply a matter of launching a craft and capturing images. It requires approval from federal and local authorities, coordination with other commercial operators in the area, and rigorous attention to safety so public attractions and tourist activities are not disrupted.
For residents and visitors, such formally approved flights can provide unique visual perspectives on the Falls while demonstrating how operators can balance creative aims with regulatory and safety obligations in one of Ontario’s busiest recreational airspaces.
