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North America · Authority: Transport Canada

Flight training in 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

110 programs

Country: Canada Reset all

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.

About training in Canada

How pilot training is regulated

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.

Relevant aviation authorities

  • Transport Canada Civil AviationFederal regulator that issues pilot permits, licences, ratings and aviation medical certificates under the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) and the personnel licensing standards, including Standard 421.

Listing here does not imply affiliation. Flight School Atlas is independent of every aviation authority.

Training pathways

  • Recreational pilot permit

    A lower-minimum entry permit with its own age and training requirement in Standard 421.

    Source

  • Private pilot licence

    Licence for non-commercial flying with a minimum of private pilot flight training hours, including dual and solo time.

    Source

  • Commercial pilot licence

    Licence for professional flying, with a higher flight-time minimum and age minimum.

    Source

Qualification terminology

Names and privileges are local to Canada. Similar names in other countries are not interchangeable.

CodeOfficial nameMinimum ageRegulatory minimum flight timeSource
RPP(A)Recreational Pilot Permit - AeroplaneRecreational permit for aeroplanes with lower training minimums than the private pilot licence.1625 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.1745 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.1745 hMinimum private pilot flight training in helicopters under Standard 421.27(4).official
CPL(A)Commercial Pilot Licence - AeroplaneLicence for professional flying of aeroplanes.18200 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.18100 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.211500 hTotal hours under Standard 421.34(4), including 900 hours in aeroplanes.official
MEMulti-engine Class RatingRating to fly multi-engine aeroplanes, obtained by passing a flight test.n/pn/pStandard 421.38(3) sets no minimum hours for a standard applicant; the flight test under Standard 428 is required.official
IR-G1Group 1 Instrument RatingInstrument rating covering multi-engine aeroplanes where the flight test is conducted in such an aircraft.n/p40 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-4Flight Instructor Rating - Class 4 (Aeroplane)Entry-level instructor rating; prerequisites include a commercial or ATPL licence.n/p200 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.

Terms you will meet

CARs
Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433), the federal regulations governing civil aviation in Canada.
Standard 421
Transport Canada standard setting the requirements for flight crew permits, licences and ratings.

Medical, language and instruction

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.

International students

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.

Foreign licences and conversion

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.