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
Independent flight school · Tillsonburg, Canada
Flying school at Tillsonburg Regional Airport (CYTB) in southwestern Ontario offering introductory flights, recreational and private licence training, night, VFR over-the-top and instrument ratings and ground school.
Independent flight school · Peterborough, Canada
Flight school training at Peterborough Regional Airport, with a Markham office, offering private and commercial licences, ratings, introductory flights and the integrated airline pilot programme delivered with Centennial College.
Flying club · Sidney, Canada
Flying club at Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island offering discovery flights and licence and rating training from recreational to commercial level.
Flying club · Breslau, Canada
Flight school and flying club at the Region of Waterloo International Airport in Breslau, Ontario, offering private, commercial, instrument, multi-engine and instructor training plus ground school, and post-secondary partnerships.
Flying club · Windsor, Canada
Non-profit flying club at Windsor Airport offering recreational, private and commercial pilot training, night rating and aircraft rental; also registered as an Ontario private career college.
Independent flight school · St. Andrews, Canada
Flight school operating at St. Andrews Airport north of Winnipeg, offering recreational, private and commercial programmes and ratings, with a designated Transport Canada flight test examiner on staff and a programme for international students.
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.