Anyone who flies a plane in Canada (with the exception of hang gliders and paragliders) must obtain a pilot license or permit issued by Transport Canada. Not surprisingly, the training is less comprehensive and lengthy for those wanting to fly a recreational plane for fun (e.g., ultralight, balloons or gliders) versus training for a career as a commercial pilot. Every license also has one or more ratings endorsed by Transport Canada granting additional privileges. For example, a night rating allows a pilot to fly in the evenings.

With many reputable flight schools, Canada is a great place to train as a pilot. Before choosing a training program, do your research and ensure the flight school aligns with your career aspirations as a pilot—and that it is accredited by the Civil Aviation Authority, overseen by Transport Canada. Each school has its own enrollment requirements and fees will vary depending on which pilot training courses you pursue.

Student Pilot Permit (SPL)

Pilot training in Canada can start as early as 14 years of age with a Student Pilot Permit (SPL). You attend “ground school” first to learn how planes work, as well as the rules and regulations of the skies. Candidates need to be able to speak, understand, read and write in English, pass regulatory exams and obtain a clean bill of health with a valid medical certificate. With an SPL, you can fly solo under the supervision of a flight instructor and only for the purpose of training.

Depending on your flight goals, there are three types of pilot licenses you can earn after you obtain an SPL, and they must be earned in the following sequence:

1. Student Pilot Permit (SPL)
2. Private Pilot License (PPL)
3. Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
4. Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL)

All license holders must be a Canadian citizen, a landed immigrant, or a person admitted to Canada with a valid visa, and be a secondary school graduate.

Private Pilot License (PPL)

You can pursue a Private Pilot License (PPL) at 17 years of age, and it allows you to fly alone or with other people, provided you are not paid for your flying services. It’s ideal if you plan to fly recreationally as a hobby.

You must pass all the ground school exams and a flight check ride by Transport Canada, hold a Category 3 Medical Certificate, and complete 40 hours ground school instruction and 45 hours of flight training in an airplane.

All PPL applicants need to achieve a minimum of 60 percent in each of the four mandatory subject areas as well as in the overall written examination.

Commercial Pilot License (CPL)

Once you’ve secured a PPL, you can train for your Commercial Pilot License (CPL), which allows you to fly an aircraft and get paid for it. You can act as a captain of an aircraft for compensation and carry people and cargo.

To obtain a CPL, you need to be at least 18 years old, hold a Category 1 Medical Certificate, complete 80 hours ground school instruction, and meet the flight time requirements. Flight time requirements consist of 200 hours of flight time, including a minimum of 100 hours pilot-in-command time, with 20 hours cross-country; and an additional 65 hours of flight time, including 35 hours dual instruction under the supervision of a flight instructor and 30 hours solo flight time.

Plus, all applicants need to achieve a minimum of 60 percent in each of the four mandatory subject areas as well as in the overall written CPL examination.

Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL)

Once you’ve earned your CPL, you can apply for an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), which allows you to be the captain of a multi-crew airplane. Airlines typically only hire ATPL holders. Simply put, if you’ve always desired to be an airline pilot and want to fly larger planes like Boeing, Airbus, or similar commercial airliners, an ATPL is the right license for you. Plus, most airlines also require a diploma or degree in addition to flight training.

ATPL applicants should be at least 21 years of age, hold a Category 1 Medical Certificate and earn at least 70 per cent on each of three required examinations. You’ll also need at least 1,500 flight hours under your belt.

Even when fully licensed, pilots participate in recurrent training to maintain their qualifications. Transport Canada provides more information on what is required to stay proficient as a pilot.

Those wishing to become commercial pilots will also need to clear a series of medical exams conducted by a Canadian Aviation Medical Examiner. Exams will test eyesight, hearing, hand-eye coordination and overall health.

Certain conditions may disqualify applicants such as:

• certain heart diseases
• epilepsy
• poor hearing
• bad vision; or
• some allergies that require medications that cause drowsiness.

Once they clear their exams, pilots still need to revalidate their medical license every few years depending on age. In some cases, these renewals can be done through telemedicine.

Analytical: While there are no specific highschool course requirements to become a pilot, taking courses in math, science, geography and even psychology could be useful. Even though flight-planning software is normally used to make calculations in flight, having a good understanding of math and physics is important for pilots to make decisions on the fly if needed.

Communicative: To make a career out of flying, you need to have effective communication skills, as you’re required to deal with co-pilots, cabin crew, passengers and air traffic control. You need to be able to convey your instructions clearly and confidently, while understanding and working well with others. Teamwork is essential.

Composed: The ability to stay calm and collected under pressure, while making good decisions, is another key attribute of a good pilot. When something out of the ordinary occurs, for example, a pilot must be able to call on previous experience or knowledge to make split-second decisions about how to handle that situation.

Detail-oriented: Attention to detail is crucial. Flying an aircraft requires doing several tasks at once, and forgetting even one step can have detrimental results.

Once licensed, pilots can explore a variety of career paths including working for a national or regional airline. They can also work for one of more than 800 on-demand aviation service providers in Canada flying floatplanes, helicopters, or chartered planes.

There are a host of specialty aviation services requiring pilots too, including agricultural spraying, forest firefighting, medical evacuations and surveillance. There is also an ongoing demand for flight instructors to address gaps in training needed to fill the industry’s growing shortage of pilots in Canada.

Furthermore, there are opportunities for promotion within the profession. In Canada, you can progress from student pilot to private pilot to commercial pilot and eventually airline captain. Pilots typically start out as second officers, progressing on to first officers, senior first officers and then captains.

The number of stripes on a pilot’s uniform represents the pilot’s level of experience and corresponding responsibility for the aircraft, crew and passengers. For example, a second officer wears two stripes, a first officer (co-pilot/second-in-command) wears three stripes, and a captain or pilot-in-command—the highest rank—is awarded four stripes.

Pilots need to be comfortable working in tight spaces for extended periods of time, often with only a few colleagues. They may have irregular work hours and spend several days/nights away from home every week, including holidays, which are prime commercial flying periods. They may also have long wait times between flights. Due to the nature of their work, pilots can experience jet lag and fatigue, especially during long flights in which time zones are crossed.

Short-haul pilots fly an average of 700-900 hours a year, while those doing long-haul flights can expect to fly 400-740 hours annually. On average, pilots work a maximum of 35 hours a week. Commercial pilots typically work on a fixed schedule with several days of flying followed by several days off (e.g., five days at work with four days off). An aircraft is typically operated by two pilots: one is the pilot in command, while the other will be the supporting first officer. They may take turns flying the plane to avoid fatigue.

While exhilarating, the work environment for a commercial pilot, in particular, can be stressful due to erratic weather conditions and the responsibilities inherent with safely transporting thousands of people from place to place. Finding adequate rest before and after a long duty day is essential.

On the upside, pilots enjoy the perks of being able to travel for free and get travel discounts for family and friends. They are meeting new people daily, while working in an environment that challenges them to make important decisions every time they sit down for their shift. Plus, you can’t beat the view!

The salaries of pilots in Canada depend on experience, skills and location. In 2023, the average annual salary for a pilot in Canada is $82,021.

Not surprising, salaries increase substantially with years of experience. For example, a pilot with two to five years of experience can expect to make 42 percent more than someone with zero to two years of flying under their belt. On average, pilots can expect to double their starting salary by the time they have 10 years of experience.

Using current salary data from Indeed.com, CourseCompare has compiled a list of average pilot salaries across Canada (last updated in November 2023).

Source: Indeed