North America · Authority: Transport Canada
54 researched schools and 110 verified programs so far. This is the research done to date, not a complete list of every provider in Canada.
Province or territory:AlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNova ScotiaOntarioQuebecSaskatchewan
54 schools
Flying club · Kingston, Canada
Flying club at Kingston's Norman Rogers Airport (CYGK) offering recreational and private licence training, advanced ratings, ground school, aircraft rental and charters with a Cessna 172 and a Piper Twin Comanche.
Helicopter school · Calgary, Canada
Helicopter operator and training academy based at Springbank Airport near Calgary, offering Canadian private and commercial helicopter licence training and advanced courses.
Independent flight school · Yorkton, Canada
Yorkton flight school and FBO offering recreational, private and commercial licences, night, multi-engine, instrument and instructor ratings, with satellite schools in other Saskatchewan and Manitoba communities.
Independent flight school · Saskatoon, Canada
Saskatoon flight school at Saskatoon International Airport offering introductory flights, recreational, private and commercial licences, ratings and a flight instructor programme.
Professional flight academy · Moncton, Fredericton, Canada
Flight training college in New Brunswick with campuses in Moncton and Fredericton, offering private and commercial licence training, an integrated commercial pilot course and university-partnered aviation degrees.
University flight-training unit · Calgary, Canada
Calgary university offering aviation diploma and Bachelor of Aviation Management programs with flight training at its Springbank campus, plus a continuing-education private pilot licence.
Helicopter school · Calgary, Canada
Helicopter training school in the Calgary area offering Private Helicopter Pilot courses on Robinson helicopters.
Independent flight school · Owen Sound, Canada
Flight school, charter and sightseeing operator in Grey-Bruce, Ontario with three Cessna 172M aircraft, offering introductory flights, recreational and private licence training, ratings, ground school and career-college programmes.
Flying club · Delta, Canada
Not-for-profit flying club at Boundary Bay Airport with a 30-aircraft fleet, offering recreational, private and commercial training and ratings; also the fixed-wing partner in a BCIT diploma.
Professional flight academy · Pitt Meadows, Canada
Pitt Meadows flight academy offering Private, Commercial and Instructor Rating programmes plus ground school, with a dedicated section for international students; regulated as a private training institution in British Columbia.
Helicopter school · Gimli, Canada
Manitoba helicopter charter operator whose flight training facility at Gimli Airport trains private and commercial helicopter pilots on a turbine Bell 206B Jet Ranger.
Independent flight school · Delta, Canada
Flight school at Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, BC, operating since 1986 with a fleet of about 23 aircraft; offers private, commercial, instructor, multi-engine, instrument and ATPL training and an international student programme.
University flight-training unit · Steinbach, Canada
Manitoba university college offering aviation degrees and a diploma in which flight training is delivered with Harv's Air in Steinbach.
Flying club · Regina, Canada
Registered not-for-profit flying club at Regina International Airport offering licence and rating training, a Professional Pilot Program and tailwheel checkouts; a training site for the Saskatchewan Polytechnic commercial pilot programme.
Flying club · Ottawa, Canada
Non-profit flying club at Ottawa Rockcliffe Airport offering instruction from recreational permit to commercial licence, plus simulator and aircraft rental.
University flight-training unit · Saskatoon, Canada
66-week diploma alternating ground school in Saskatoon with flight training at partner Saskatchewan flight schools, leading to a commercial pilot licence with instrument rating.
University flight-training unit · Sault Ste. Marie, Canada
Ontario College Advanced Diploma programme in Sault Ste. Marie combining academic courses and flight training toward a commercial pilot licence.
Independent flight school · Campbell River, Nanaimo, Canada
Vancouver Island flight school based in Campbell River with sub-bases in Powell River, Courtenay, Qualicum Beach and Nanaimo, offering landplane, seaplane and electric-aeroplane training and rentals.
Professional flight academy · Gatineau, Canada
Quebec aviation college at Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport with college-level pilot programmes for airplane and helicopter, modular licences and a fleet of over 30 aircraft and three simulators.
University flight-training unit · Peterborough, Canada
Ontario polytechnic offering a four-year honours aviation degree with integrated pilot training; classes start at Newnham Campus and flight training continues at Peterborough Campus.
Independent flight school · Kelowna, Canada
Flight school at Kelowna International Airport offering recreational, private and commercial licences and ratings, and the Commercial Aviation Diploma with Okanagan College.
Independent flight school · Burlington, Canada
Burlington, Ontario flight school offering recreational and private licence training, a continuous Advanced Commercial Pilot Licence programme with multi-engine and instrument ratings, instructor rating, ground school and a Conestoga College diploma pathway.
Flying club · Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada
Flying club (est. 1928) at Niagara District Airport offering recreational, private and commercial licence training, ratings, online ground school and sightseeing flights; registered as an Ontario career college.
Independent flight school · Medicine Hat, Canada
Medicine Hat flight training unit, charter operator and FBO offering private and commercial licences, an integrated airline transport pilot programme and aircraft rental.
Results are listed alphabetically; there is no price ranking because prices in different currencies, price types and bases are not comparable. Schools marked Sponsored are paid placements and never change approval status or order.
Pilot licensing in Canada is federal. The Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433) require a person acting as a flight crew member to hold the appropriate permit, licence or rating and a medical certificate, and Standard 421 sets the age, knowledge, flight training and testing requirements for each. Flight training is delivered by flight training units and instructors recognised under the same regulatory framework. Students should confirm directly with a school how its programme maps onto the Transport Canada licence requirements.
Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-96-433/section-401.
Recreational pilot permit
A lower-minimum entry permit with its own age and training requirement in Standard 421.
Private pilot licence
Licence for non-commercial flying with a minimum of private pilot flight training hours, including dual and solo time.
Commercial pilot licence
Licence for professional flying, with a higher flight-time minimum and age minimum.
Names and privileges are local to Canada. Similar names in other countries are not interchangeable.
| Code | Official name | Minimum age | Regulatory minimum flight time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RPP(A) | Recreational Pilot Permit - AeroplaneRecreational permit for aeroplanes with lower training minimums than the private pilot licence. | 16 | 25 hMinimum recreational pilot flight training under Standard 421.22(4). | official |
| PPL(A) | Private Pilot Licence - AeroplaneLicence allowing non-commercial flying of aeroplanes of the class or type endorsed. | 17 | 45 hMinimum private pilot flight training under Standard 421.26(4): includes 17 hours dual instruction and 12 hours solo; up to 5 hours may be in an approved simulator or flight training device. | official |
| PPL(H) | Private Pilot Licence - HelicopterLicence allowing non-commercial flying of helicopters. | 17 | 45 hMinimum private pilot flight training in helicopters under Standard 421.27(4). | official |
| CPL(A) | Commercial Pilot Licence - AeroplaneLicence for professional flying of aeroplanes. | 18 | 200 hFlight time in aeroplanes under Standard 421.30(4)(a), subject to paragraph (b), which provides for other routes (such as an approved integrated course); check the standard for details. | official |
| CPL(H) | Commercial Pilot Licence - HelicopterLicence for professional flying of helicopters. | 18 | 100 hPilot flight time in helicopters under Standard 421.31(4)(a), including a minimum of 35 hours as pilot-in-command and 10 hours cross-country pilot-in-command time. | official |
| ATPL(A) | Airline Transport Pilot Licence - AeroplaneHighest-level aeroplane pilot licence. | 21 | 1500 hTotal hours under Standard 421.34(4), including 900 hours in aeroplanes. | official |
| ME | Multi-engine Class RatingRating to fly multi-engine aeroplanes, obtained by passing a flight test. | n/p | n/pStandard 421.38(3) sets no minimum hours for a standard applicant; the flight test under Standard 428 is required. | official |
| IR-G1 | Group 1 Instrument RatingInstrument rating covering multi-engine aeroplanes where the flight test is conducted in such an aircraft. | n/p | 40 hStandard 421.46(2): 40 hours of instrument time (maximum 20 hours instrument ground time) and 50 hours pilot-in-command cross-country flight. | official |
| FI-4 | Flight Instructor Rating - Class 4 (Aeroplane)Entry-level instructor rating; prerequisites include a commercial or ATPL licence. | n/p | 200 hPrerequisite under Standard 421.69(1): 200 hours total time with 20 hours of instrument time (or an approved integrated CPL(A)/IR course), plus 30 hours of instructor-rating dual instruction under 421.69(3). | official |
A regulatory minimum is a legal floor for the qualification. It is not the number of hours most students need, and not a guarantee of cost or completion time.
Transport Canada issues aviation medical certificates under the Canadian Aviation Regulations and the personnel licensing standards. Official medical information
Languages of instruction among researched schools: English, French.
Foreign nationals planning to study flight training in Canada generally need to check immigration requirements with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), including whether the school is on the Designated Learning Institution list. This is not a guarantee of eligibility for any permit.
Training approval does not establish immigration permission or international-student eligibility. Verify current rules with the official sources above.
The Canadian Aviation Regulations include provisions for validation of foreign licences held by a licence holder from a contracting state (section 401.07) and for crediting foreign experience in the Standard 421 requirements. See the regulation text and Transport Canada for the procedure.
Country information last reviewed 16 October 2026. 3 official sources consulted.