Run DroneLink in your territory
DroneLink will license trained operators to deliver its services, starting with exterior cleaning, in their own territory on the DroneLink platform. The program is coming; you can apply to be notified.
What a licensed operator is
A DroneLink licensed operator is an independent business that delivers DroneLink services in a defined territory, under the DroneLink name, using DroneLink's training, methods, ordering and software. Clients order through the platform, the job lands with the operator for that area, and the work is delivered and recorded the same way wherever it happens.
The first service in the program is exterior cleaning by drone, because it needs local crews, equipment and repeat visits to the same buildings. Other services may follow. The program is coming: it is being designed now, alongside the launch of cleaning on Vancouver Island, where flights are flown by Elite Drone Solutions of Victoria.
What the program is designed to provide
- Training in DroneLink's cleaning methods, site assessment, safety planning and runoff control, alongside the pilot certification you hold or obtain. See pilot training.
- Ordering: clients in your territory order through the DroneLink service catalogue, with estimates, orders, invoices and payment on the platform, which is live today.
- Software: a project record per site, deliverables by link and photo review with comments pinned on the image, all live today. The operator network portal and Transport Canada compliance records for crews and aircraft are coming. See for operators.
- Brand: the DroneLink name, standards and materials, used under licence.
- Methods: written procedures for each service so a building gets the same result in any territory.
Who should apply
- Certified drone operators who want a service line with repeat clients rather than one-off flights.
- Window-cleaning and exterior-cleaning companies that want to own drone capability. If you would rather keep your business as it is and bring in the drone for high work, see window cleaning partners.
- Building maintenance and property service businesses with an existing client base.
- People prepared to run a safety-first operation with written procedures and records.
Certificates, insurance and equipment
| Item | Canada | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot certificate | Transport Canada Advanced pilot certificate for most urban work; medium aircraft over 25 kg need the conditions introduced in November 2025. | FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate; heavier aircraft or certain dispensing need exemptions. |
| Aircraft registration | Registered and marked with Transport Canada. | Registered with the FAA. |
| Special authorizations | Controlled airspace authorization from NAV CANADA; a special flight operations certificate where the operation requires one. | LAANC or FAA DroneZone authorization; waivers or exemptions where required. |
| Insurance | Aviation liability suited to commercial work near buildings and people, plus general liability. | Aviation and general liability to client and site requirements. |
| Workplace safety | Registration with the provincial workers' compensation board and a written safety program. | State workers' compensation and OSHA obligations. |
| Equipment | Cleaning drone, tethered ground system, water treatment, hose, containment and a vehicle to carry it, to program specification. | Same. |
From application to first job
Apply to be notified
Tell us who you are, where you want to operate and what certificates and experience you hold. Contact us.
Conversation and territory
We talk through the territory, your existing business and whether the program fits.
Documents
When the program opens, you receive the program terms and any disclosure the law requires in your province or state, with time to review them with your own lawyer and accountant before signing.
Certification and training
Pilot certificates in place, then DroneLink method training and a practical assessment.
Equipment and set-up
Equipment to specification, insurance certificates, platform accounts.
First jobs
Early jobs are planned and reviewed together before you run independently.
Why licensing, and why disclosure law matters
Drone cleaning is local work: a skid on the sidewalk, a crew that knows the buildings, repeat visits every season. A licensed operator model lets that work be done by people who live in the territory, while the method, safety standard, brand and record are the same everywhere. Clients get one way of ordering and one kind of result.
Arrangements where a business uses another company's brand and system, receives significant support or control, and pays for the right to do so can meet the legal definition of a franchise, whatever the arrangement is called. In Canada, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and, since June 2026, Saskatchewan have franchise disclosure laws that require a disclosure document before signing or paying. In the United States, the FTC Franchise Rule applies nationally, and several states add registration or disclosure requirements. We design the program with those laws in mind. This is general information, not legal advice: anyone considering a program like this should get their own legal advice.
Questions
Is the DroneLink operator program a franchise?
It is a licensed operator program. Whether any business arrangement meets the legal definition of a franchise depends on its terms and the law where you are, not on its name, and the program is being designed with franchise disclosure laws in mind. Get your own legal advice before signing any agreement.
How much does it cost to become a DroneLink operator?
The program is still being designed, and terms will be set out in writing when it opens. We do not publish figures before then.
How much can a drone cleaning operator earn?
We do not make income claims. Results depend on territory, clients, weather, costs and how the business is run.
Do I need a drone licence to be an operator?
Yes. In Canada, a Transport Canada pilot certificate suited to the operations, usually Advanced for urban work. In the US, an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate, plus any exemptions the aircraft or operation needs.
What equipment does a drone cleaning business need?
A cleaning drone, a tethered ground system with pump and hose, water treatment for pure water, containment gear, safety equipment and a vehicle. The program will specify equipment so results match across territories.
When will the operator program open?
It is coming, alongside the launch of drone cleaning. Apply to be notified and we will contact you when it opens in your area.
Can I apply from outside British Columbia?
Yes. Tell us where you want to operate. The program starts in British Columbia and will extend across Canada and the United States as the network is built.
Tell us about your Miami site.
An address and what you need is enough to start. We reply with what it will take, who will fly it and when.