Pilot licensing in Canada

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Pilot licensing in Canada is governed by Transport Canada in accordance with the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs). A person may operate an aircraft or act as a flight crew member only with a licence issued by Transport Canada. Personnel Licensing [1] is divided into two classes: licences and permits. Both classes allow a person to act as a flight crew member. In most cases this implies acting as the pilot-in-command (PIC) of a class of aircraft for one of three purposes: private use, commercial use, and airline transport.


Contents

[edit] Overview

A licence is issued by Transport Canada in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) licence standards and recommendations [1]. A licence can be used to fly domestically as well as internationally. A permit is a class of licence issued by Transport Canada that does not comply with ICAO standards and can only be used domestically. The most common type of licence is the private pilot licence—aeroplane. This is the licence acquired by most individuals who wish to fly light single engine general aviation aircraft.

Pilots with licences from countries other than Canada may apply to Transport Canada for a Validation of a Foreign Licence. This application is subject to the Aeronautics Act, and in particular implies that the foreign pilot's licence was issued by a contracting member country of the ICAO. Foreign licensing includes other options for the foreign licensed pilot.

Pilot Permits

Pilot Licences

Other Licences

Note that the term Licence in Canada is semantically equivalent to the term Certificate in the United States (Pilot certification in the United States). The term Licence in the United Kingdom (Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom) is used as it is in Canada. And, in terms of the ICAO they are all legally equivalent.

Because of the significant variations between the skills required for different aircraft and piloting situations, a pilot licence in Canada is not in and of itself usable as such. Every permit and licence is qualified by at least one or more Ratings. A rating is a Transport Canada endorsement that grants additional special privileges. Different ratings apply to different licences and permits. The night rating is an example of a rating and that allows a pilot to fly at night.

Aircraft class ratings

The aeroplane class ratings are endorsements pertaining to different skills required for different classes of aeroplanes. Seaplane piloting requires special skills for navigating on water. Multi-engine piloting requires special skills for flying an aircraft with one engine out and experiencing asymmetric thrust.

Aircraft type ratings

Blanket and individual type ratings refer to the specific models of aircraft. These two ratings determine which model aircraft a pilot may fly. The CARs use the term type instead of model. A blanket rating is applicable for all individual types of aircraft for that type. For example, the aeroplanes blanket type rating covers all single engine aeroplanes that have a minimum flight crew requirement of one pilot. Examples of this type of aircraft are the Cessna 172 Skyhawk and the Piper Cherokee PA-28. A person with a private pilot licence with the aeroplanes rating may fly either of these aircraft or any other aircraft of this type. The individual type rating applies to a single specific type (model) of aircraft and allows the pilot to fly only that type. For example, a person with a private pilot licence—helicopter with a rating for the Bell 407 helicopter may fly only that helicopter and no other. Ratings combine to allow a pilot specific sets of privileges and to fly multiple aircraft.

Note that helicopters do not have a blanket rating. A person must earn an individual type rating for each type of helicopter to be flown. Similarly, there are no individual type ratings for gliders. A person with a glider pilot licence may fly any glider. The specific sets of privileges and requirements for each rating are detailed in the CARs regulations and standards.

Because at least a blanket type rating is required to make a pilot permit or pilot licence practicable, an initial type rating is automatically granted with any new licence. That is, for example, when a person earns a private pilot licence—aeroplane, in fact what is earned is a private pilot licence—aeroplane with the aeroplanes blanket aircraft type rating as well as the landplane aircraft class rating. Likewise, when a person earns a glider pilot licence, the licence is automatically endorsed with the gliders blanket aircraft type rating and the landplane aircraft class rating.

Beyond the aircraft class and aircraft type ratings are the following ratings. These ratings pertain to various skillsets a pilot may acquire. Once Transport Canada's endorsement is granted, each rating allows a pilot a discrete set of special piloting privileges, such as flying using instruments only (without visual references out of the aeroplane). Transport Canada grants the endorsement based on a specific set of requirements for training and experience as specified in the CARs.

Flight crew ratings

Not all of these ratings apply to all permits or licences.

The last family of ratings pertain to flight training. They are:

Flight instructor ratings

  • Flight instructor—aeroplane
    • Class 4
    • Class 3
    • Class 2
    • Class 1
  • Flight instructor—aeroplane-aerobatic
    • Class 2
    • Class 1
  • Flight instructor—helicopter
    • Class 4
    • Class 3
    • Class 2
    • Class 1
  • Flight instructor—gyroplane
  • Flight instructor—balloon
  • Flight instructor—glider
  • Flight instructor—glider-aerobatic
  • Flight instructor—ultra-light aeroplane

[edit] Licences and permits

[edit] Student pilot permit

The student pilot permit allows a person to fly as pilot-in-command of an aircraft under the supervision of a flight instructor for the purpose of flight training. Before holding a student pilot permit, the student pilot may only practice during dual flight instruction with an instructor. Upon receipt of the student pilot permit, the student pilot may fly alone for purposes of flight training. Only domestic day flying with visual flight rules (VFR) is allowed under this permit and no passengers may be carried.

The student pilot permit applies to the following aircraft categories:

A student pilot permit is required for each aircraft type for which a person is pursuing flight instruction.

Section 421.19 of the CARs standard Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Ratings specifies the requirements for a student pilot permit.

Gyroplane aircraft category

Ultra-light aeroplane aircraft category

  • Minimum age: 14 years
  • Medical fitness
  • Knowledge
    • A minimum grade of 90% on an instructor-administered examination of the topics listed in CARs 421.19(2)(d)(i)

Glider aircraft category

  • Minimum age: 14 years
  • Medical fitness
  • Knowledge
    • A passing grade on an instructor-administered examination of the topics listed in CARs 421.19(2)(d)(ii)

Balloon aircraft category

Aeroplane aircraft category

  • Minimum age: 14 years
  • Medical fitness
  • Knowledge

Helicopter aircraft category

[edit] Gyroplane pilot permit

[edit] Ultra-light pilot permit

Ultra-light aeroplane

[edit] Recreational pilot permit—aeroplane

A Recreationals Pilot Permit is a newer licence designed to make flying more accessible. As such it has fewer requirements regarding hours and experience, health, and age; however it carries a number of restrictions which make it significantly less desirable than a Private Pilot's Licence.

  • Requirements
    • 16 years old at time of licence completion
    • Must obtain a Category 4, 3 or 1 Medical Certificate
    • Complete a minimum of 15 hours of flight (10 Dual, 5 Solo)
    • Must complete at least 2 hours of cross country flight time (Included in total 15 hour requirement)
    • Successfully complete a flight test to the standard outlined in the Flight Test Guide
    • Successfully pass a written exam with Transport Canada
  • Privileges and restrictions upon completion
    • May act as pilot-in-command of an aircraft with up to four seats (as endorsed on the licence)
    • May carry a maximum of one passenger (per aircraft limitations, subject to currency requirements)
    • May not fly for hire (including carriage of passengers or cargo)
    • Limited to day, VFR flight conditions
    • Limited to flight in Canada (may fly an ultralight into the United States)
    • Only applicable additional rating is floats

[edit] Recreational pilot permit—helicopter

[edit] Glider pilot licence

[edit] Balloon pilot licence

[edit] Private pilot licence—aeroplane

The private pilot licence—aeroplane allows a person to fly as pilot-in-command (PIC) or co-pilot of an aircraft. This is the most commonly held licence in Canada by non-professional pilots and is generally the first licence earned by the aspiring professional pilot. A pilot licence is not usable in and of itself (see overview). A person may fly only with respect to other ratings endorsing the licence. As such, in terms of actual flight training a private pilot licence—aeroplane is generally earned with the Landplane aircraft class rating and the Aeroplanes blanket aircraft type rating, allowing the pilot to fly single pilot, single engine, non-high performance landplanes. Other ratings are commonly earned that allow a pilot other privileges.

An implicit privilege of this licence is to act as a PIC of an ultra-light aeroplane.

  • Requirements
    • 17 years of age at time of licence application
    • Must hold a category 3 or 1 medical certificate
    • Completed a minimum of 40 hours of ground school on specified topics
    • Completed 45 hours of flight training including all designated exercises
    • Successfully pass a written exam with Transport Canada (PPAER - pass mark 60%)
    • Successfully complete a flight test to the standard outlined in the Flight Test Guide
  • Privileges and restrictions upon completion
    • May act as pilot-in-command of any single engine, non-high performance, land aeroplane
    • May carry passengers (as per aircraft limitations, subject to currency requirements)
    • May not fly for hire (including carriage of passengers or cargo)
    • Limited to day, VFR flight conditions
    • May obtain Night, Instrument, Float, Multi-engine, and VFR Over-the-top ratings

[edit] Private pilot licence—helicopter

[edit] Commercial pilot licence—aeroplane

A Commercial Pilot Licence is required before a pilot can fly for hire in Canada. Once holding a Commercial Pilot Licence, a pilot may work for a commercial air operator. Appropriate ratings are still required if the pilot wishes to fly/work under instrument conditions, on floats, as an instructor, or on an aircraft not covered by the "blanket rating" given by the Commercial Pilot Licence. There are equivalent Commercial Pilot Licences for helicopters and other aircraft with different requirements but similar privileges.

  • Requirements (single engine land non-high performance aeroplanes)
    • 18 years old at time of licence application
    • Must hold a minimum of a Private Pilot Licence to start training
    • Must hold a Category 1 Medical Certificate
    • Complete an additional 80 hours of ground school (Changed 2007)
    • Complete a grand total of 200 hours of flight time including 100 hours as pilot-in-command
    • Successfully complete a flight test to the standard outlined in the Flight Test Guide
    • Successfully pass a written exam with Transport Canada
  • Privileges and restrictions upon completion
    • May act as pilot-in-command of any single engine, non-high performance, land aeroplane
    • May carry passengers (as per aircraft limitations, subject to currency requirements)
    • May fly for hire (as per CARs requirements)
    • May fly VFR OTT
    • May fly at night

[edit] Commercial pilot licence—helicopter

[edit] Airline transport pilot licence—aeroplane

An Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) is the highest licence available in Canada. It authorizes a pilot to fly two-crew (or more) aircraft carrying large amounts of passengers or cargo. [2]

  • Requirements (single engine land non-high performance aeroplanes)
    • 21 years old at time of licence completion
    • Must hold a minimum of a Commercial Pilot Licence and Valid Instrument, Night, and Multi-engine Ratings to start training
    • Must obtain a Category 1 Medical Certificate
    • Complete a grand total of 1500 hours of flight time including 900 min in aeroplanes:
      • 250hrs PIC (may include 100hrs co-pilot as PIC undersupervision)
      • 100 hours PIC Cross-country
      • 100 hours Night
      • 25 PIC Cross-country Night
      • 200 hours cross-country flight time as a co-pilot in a two-crew aircraft or an additional 100hrs PIC Cross-country
      • 75 hours instrument flight time (25 max in sim, 35max in Helicopters)
    • 70% pass mark on SAMRA ,SARON and INRAT written exams from Transport Canada
  • Privileges and restrictions upon completion
    • May act as pilot-in-command or co-pilot of any two-crew aircraft (as endorsed on the licence) while engaged in providing a commercial air service.
    • May carry passengers (as per aircraft limitations, subject to currency requirements)

[edit] Airline transport pilot licence—helicopter

[edit] Ratings

[edit] Aircraft class

[edit] Seaplane

May act as pilot-in-command of seaplane

[edit] Multi-engine

May act as pilot-in-command of a multi-engine aircraft

[edit] Aircraft type

[edit] Flight crew

[edit] Night

The night rating allows a PIC to fly at night but in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). [Even in the darkness of night a pilot may fly and navigate using visual references to the ground. This is different from instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) where the pilot flies and maintains situational awareness strictly by using instruments and avionics.]

The night rating applies to the following licences:

Note that for the commercial and airline pilot licences (aeroplane) it is expected that the night rating will have already been earned. If not, a restrictred licence may be issued by Transport Canada that restricts the pilot to daylight flying (CARs 421.30 (6)).

Section 421.42 of the CARs standard Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Ratings specifies the requirements for a night rating.

The experience and skill requirements for the night rating are the same for holders of the private pilot licence—aeroplane, private pilot licence—helicopter, and pilot permit—gyroplane and are summarized as follows:.

  • Experience
    • 20 hours total training time
    • 10 hours instrument time (up to 5 of which may be instrument ground time)
    • 5 hours dual night flight time (including 2 hours dual night cross-country)
    • 5 hours solo night flight time
    • 10 takeoffs and landings
  • Skill
    • There is neither a practical examination nor a written examination required to earn this rating. However, the student must demonstrate the skill specified in the guide, Flight Instructor Guide—Aeroplane (TP 975) to their flight instructor during a qualifying flight.

For the pilot licence—balloon:

  • Experience
    • 1 dual night ascent
    • 1 solo night ascent
    • 4 hours dual night flight time
  • Skill
    • There is neither a Transport Canada practical examination nor a written examination to earn this rating.

The CARs contain further detail on how these quantities may be combined.

[edit] VFR-Over-the-Top

The VFR-Over-the-Top (VFR OTT) rating allows a pilot daylight flying of an aircraft above and between cloud layers—without visual reference to the ground—with flight rules as specified by CARs 602.116. The essence of 602.116 is that a pilot must takeoff from an aerodrome in normal VMC and VFR and must likewise land at the destination aerodrome with the same conditions. The cruise flight in between may be flown using the privilege of the special VFR OTT flight rules; namely, that the pilot-in-command need not continually maintain a visual reference to the ground as per normal VFR.

This rating is in essence an intermediary step between piloting privileges that allow only for VFR flying and a full instrument rating. As such, this rating is automatically issued by Transport Canada upon request of a pilot who has already earned an instrument rating.

The VFR OTT rating applies to the following licences:

Earning the rating for a licence in the aeroplane category also earns the rating for the helicopter category and vice versa.

Section 421.44 of the CARs standard Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Ratings specifies the requirements in order to earn a VFR OTT rating. It is summarized as follows:

  • Skill
    • There is neither a Transport Canada practical examination nor a written examination to earn this rating.

[edit] Instrument

The instrument rating allows a PIC to fly day or night in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), for example when cloud layers obscure the pilot's view of the ground. An instrument rated pilot is able to fly and maintain situational awareness strictly by using instruments and avionics. This rating is one of the more involved ratings to be earned and is a major step toward earning more advanced licences such as an airline transport pilot—aeroplane. The specific privileges of an instrument rating are in accordance with instrument flight rules (IFR) and as detailed in the CARs (602.121).

The rating may only be exercised with that group of aircraft to which flying under IFR is applicable. That is, an aircraft may only be operated as specified by its flight authority. As such, only aircraft with a flight authority certifying IFR operations may be flown under IFR, and only by a pilot with an instrument rating in hand. Moreover, an instrument rating is often combined with other ratings to form a set of piloting privileges. For example, the multi-engine rating is required in addition to an instrument rating to fly a multi-engined aircraft under instrument flight rules.

Note that a VFR-Over-the-Top rating is implicit in an instrument rating and is issued automatically by Transport Canada upon request.

The instrument rating applies to the following licences:

The requirements for an instrument rating are the same for both a private pilot licence—aeroplane and a private pilot licence—helicopter. However, Transport Canada issues distinct instrument ratings for each of the following four groups of aircraft types dependent upon the nature of the training for the instrument rating and the associated flight test.

Four classes of instrument ratings issued by Transport Canada
  Training in Instrument rating valid for
Group 1 Multi-engine aeroplane All aeroplanes
Group 2 Multi-engine center line thrust aeroplane Multi-engine centre line thrust aeroplanes and
single engine aeroplanes
Group 3 Single engine aeroplane Single engine aeroplanes
Group 4 Helicopter All helicopters

Section 421.46 of the CARs standard Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Ratings specifies the requirements in order to earn an instrument rating. It is summarized as follows:

  • Knowledge
    • A minimum grade of 70% on the Transport Canada INRAT (TP 691) examination
  • Experience
    • A minimum of 50 hours of cross-country flight as a PIC
    • A minimum of 40 hours of instrument flight time including the following
      • A maximum of 20 hours of the instrument flight time may be instrument ground time
      • A minimum of 5 hours of dual instrument flight time with a flight instructor
      • A minimum of 15 hours dual instrument flight time with a flight instructor or an experienced pilot with an instrument rating
      • A minimum of 5 hours flight time in the pertinent group class of aircraft (see above)
      • A minimum of 1 dual cross-country flight under actual or simulated IMC conditions
  • Skill
    • Successfully complete a flight test in accordance with the Flight Test Guide - Instrument Rating (TP 9939)
    • also
    • Successfully complete a Pilot Proficiency Check (PPC) for operations under IFR in accordance with the CARs. This entails:
      • CARs Part VI
      • or (as applicable)
      • CARs Part VII Commercial Air Services Standard 722 Aerial Work
      • or
      • A Line Operational Evaluation (LOE) from an approved Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) is considered to have met the Part VI or Part VII PPC.

[edit] Flight instructor

May conduct dual flight instruction in respect of the issuance of a pilot permit, pilot licence, or rating, available in 4 classes with varying requirements and privileges accorded to each. See Flight instructor.

[edit] Aerobatic

There is no de jure aerobatic rating in Canada. Any pilot may conduct aerobatic maneuvers within the regulations of the CARs and the capabilities of the aircraft used. Nonetheless, it is commonly understood that conducting aerobatic maneuvers without relevant training is inherently dangerous.

Section 602.28 of the CARs prescribes regulations concerning the carrying of a passenger while performing aerobatic maneuvers. These regulations pertain to required experience that a pilot must possess. The required level of experience is a regulation that must be adhered to, but does not constitute an explicit rating. In order to carry a passenger while conducting aerobatic maneuvers, one option 602.28 allows for is dual instruction with a flight instructor possessing the flight instructor—aeroplane-aerobatic rating.

[edit] Foreign licensing

[edit] Conversion between U.S. and Canadian pilot licences

As of 2006-12-01 Canadian pilots who hold certain pilot licences will be able to convert those licences into FAA Certificates with greater ease that is possible today. Similarly, American pilots who hold certain pilot certificates will be able to convert those certificates into Canadian licences. Further information is available from the Transport Canada Web site, including the conditions for conversion.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Annex 1 to the ICAO amendment number 167, chapter 1.2 "General rules concerning licences"
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