Recreational Pilot License
Obtaining Your Recreational Pilot License in Canada:
PILOT PERMIT
RECREATIONAL AEROPLANES (PPR)
GENERAL
The Recreational Pilot permit was introduced by Transport Canada on August 1st, 1995. This was the result of a joint government/industry effort to introduce a reduced requirement, reduced privilege pilot license to make the initial step into aviation easier and cheaper.
The requirements of the Private Pilot License course were trimmed down to meet the more basic needs of the ‘good weather only’ occasional flyer.
PRIVILEGES
A Recreational Pilot may fly…
* in ultra-light aeroplanes
* in single engine, non-high performance aircraft
* land or sea/float aeroplanes (endorsement is required to cross-over)
* aircraft rated for no more than four passengers
* carrying no more than one passenger at a time
* during day-time only
* under visual flight rules (VFR); means basically in reasonably good weather
* only in Canada
Training towards a PPR is currently only available on certified aeroplanes. All training in this type of aeroplane may be counted toward a Private Pilot License at any time, should one decide to upgrade their permit.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
* An applicant for a PPR must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant.
* If born in Canada, the document required at the time of enrolment is a birth certificate or a baptism certificate.
* If born outside of Canada, the document required at the time of enrolment is a Canadian citizen certificate or Passport.
* Foreign students must hold a valid and applicable student authorization issued by Immigration Canada.
STUDENT AGE
Flight training can commence at any age. In order to obtain a Student pilot permit – a necessary requirement to complete the mandatory solo-flight portion of the course – one has to be at least 14 years old.
To be issued and hold a PPR, one has to be at least 16 years old. There is no maximum age.
MEDICAL
You must hold a class 4-medical certificate
You may start your training without it, but the approved medical Certificate must be presented to us before we can send you on your first Solo-Flight!
You complete a Medical Declaration Form (Transport Canada Form 26-0297) which is then signed by any physician licensed to practice medicine in Canada. The validity period is 60 months if under 40 years of age and 24 months if over 40 years of age.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER
* Make sure that the name on your medical application is exactly the same as on your Birth certificate.
* The medical Certificate will become part of your Pilot License/Permit.
* The medical fee (approximately $80.00 to $120.00) is to be paid to the doctor.
* Further examination (tests such as ECG or Chest x-ray) depend on the applicant’s medical history.
Plan well ahead: It may take up to three weeks after your examination before Transport Canada mails the actual certificate to your permanent address. Delaying your training (i.e. first solo flight) while waiting for a piece of paper can be very discouraging and frustrating and will be particularly expensive!
FLIGHT TRAINING
Our Transport Canada approved course consists of a minimum of 25 hours of in-flight training. Of these 25 hours, at least 15 hours must be dual instruction (with a flight instructor on board), and at least 5 hours must be solo practice (the instructor stays on the ground, while you fly the aircraft alone). You will eventually have more than the minimum required either dual or solo, to accumulate the minimum of 25 hours total.
Please note that the average student requires slightly more than 25 hours to reach flight test standards. Your flight instructor will also give you a detailed briefing before and after every flight.
FLIGHT TEST
The flight training concludes with a flight test to the standards set by Transport Canada. The flight test will either be administered by an examiner employed by Transport Canada, or a civilian Designated Flight Test Examiner who acts on behalf of Transport Canada to the same standards.
GROUND SCHOOL (Ground School Schedule) AND WRITTEN EXAM
Ground school is aviation lingo for a classroom instruction on various subjects related to flying. The PPR course does not contain a ground school requirement, but we highly recommend to attend our 40 hour Private Pilot ground school course. The lectures include air regulations, general aeronautical knowledge, meteorology and navigation. Upon completion of 10 hours of flight training, you may attempt the written exam, which has a pass mark of 60%.
COST OF TRAINING
RECREATIONAL PILOT PERMIT:
TRANSPORT CANADA MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
| DUAL INSTRUCTION | 20 HOURS@ $171.00 | $3420.00 |
| SOLO FLIGHT TIME | 5 HOURS@ $121.00 | $ 605.00 |
| GROUND BRIEFING | 5 HOURS @ $50.00 | $ 250.00 |
| TUITION FEES($350.00)BOOKS($300.00) | $ 650.00 | |
| B.F.C. MEMBERSHIP (MANDATORY) | $ 50.00 | |
| AVIATION LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST | $ 50.00 | |
| TOTAL MINIMUM COST (TAXES NOT INCLUDED) | $4975.00 |
Prices are subject to change at any time
*A FUEL SURCHARGE MAY APPLY, DEPENDING ON CURRENT FUEL PRICES
Aircraft rental is based on the popular Cessna 172 4-seat aircraft.
*non-high performance aircraft (all not yet flyers: don’t let this confuse you just yet, but it has to be said) Aircraft that have a minimum flight crew of one, a Vne (velocity-never-exceed, the aeronautical term for something that you may coil “maximum allowable speed”) below 250 KIAS (KIAS: knots indicated airspeed, simply a speed unit such as km. mils, etc.) and a Vso (Velocity-stall in landing configuration, somewhat like a “minimum speed”) of 80 KIAS. For amateur-built aeroplanes, a wing loading below 13.3 lbs/sq ft without flaps or 20.4 lbs/sq ft with flaps.
Membership:
All persons using club facilities must hold a valid club membership. The fee is $50 per year for a Flying Membership. Fees are available upon request.
Clubhouse:
The Brandon Flying Club membership entitles each member to use the facilities of our clubhouse. The club operates seven days per week. There are also various social activities as well as seminars that are held throughout the year.
