Choosing a Flight School in Canada

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GAPILOT
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Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by GAPILOT »

Hello everyone. Hope you all are doing great. I have to choose a flight academy in Canada, so I would really appreciate some help everyone!

I currently hold an Australian Private Pilot Licence with 125 Hours of Total Aeronautical Experience (excluding simulator hours). I wish to continue my flight training in Canada, and my main goal is to get some work experience (flight experience) in Canada after training. After speaking to multiple academies I have narrowed it down to
1) Canadian Flight Centre in Boundary Bay and Kamloops for their 3 years program which includes work experience
2) Select Aviation they have something similar but minusing the work experience
3) Pacific Flying Club )I have no idea about them yet, LOL)
4) Pacific Rim Academy

Any help is highly appreciated!
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GAPILOT
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by GAPILOT »

Any help anyone?
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LifeAt90Kts
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by LifeAt90Kts »

Are you only looking at schools in BC? There's lots of schools Canada-wide with better weather.

With the way the industry is moving in Canada I can't recommend doing a 3 year program right now. Settle in somewhere and finish your commercial, multi, IFR as quickly and safely as possible. If you already have 125 hours, depending on your aptitude, you could be finished in 6 months or less.

Pick a school that provides you with realistic expectations, get a student visa sorted out, and get studying.

The easiest way to get work experience on a visa is to instruct. If you're good, the school you study with will sponsor you to work for them after completing your instructor rating. The school I work at does this quite regularly. There is a dire shortage of instructors in Canada. My school has a waitlist of students right now.
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keep_flyin
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by keep_flyin »

LifeAt90Kts wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 7:35 pm Are you only looking at schools in BC? There's lots of schools Canada-wide with better weather.

With the way the industry is moving in Canada I can't recommend doing a 3 year program right now. Settle in somewhere and finish your commercial, multi, IFR as quickly and safely as possible. If you already have 125 hours, depending on your aptitude, you could be finished in 6 months or less.

Pick a school that provides you with realistic expectations, get a student visa sorted out, and get studying.

The easiest way to get work experience on a visa is to instruct. If you're good, the school you study with will sponsor you to work for them after completing your instructor rating. The school I work at does this quite regularly. There is a dire shortage of instructors in Canada. My school has a waitlist of students right now.
Hey, if you don’t mind can I know the name of your school? I am actually looking for options where I can get my instructor rating and possibly instruct there.
Appreciate your help.
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mike123
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by mike123 »

Having some knowledge of the flight schools in BC I highly recommend Island Coastal Aviation Inc. and I don't recommend Canadian Flight Centre.
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GAPILOT
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by GAPILOT »

May I ask why please? @mike123 . Also kindly send me your mail ID so I can send you their student resource handbook and cost breakdown. Thank you!
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Cp.amir.mohamadi
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by Cp.amir.mohamadi »

Hello everyone.
I have the same problem. I don't care about the area bc or anywhere else.
Also I like to prepare my self for conversation exam. Where can I get the study materials?
I hold Aeroplane commercial and instruments and also helicopter commercial and instrument with 450 hours.
Thanks in advance.
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Kazzoo
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by Kazzoo »

The Pacific Flying Club or The Victoria Flying Club. Both good schools.
Check their web sites.
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Vico56
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by Vico56 »

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Last edited by Vico56 on Thu Mar 01, 2018 6:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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dpm
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by dpm »

I'm coming late to the party, but I'd like to add that when I was looking at schools around Ottawa in 2002, I decided that I wanted to learn at the big airport (CYOW), even though it might add a bit to the total cost.

I've never regretted that decision. By first solo, you're already handling radio communications (ATIS-Clearance-Ground-Tower-Terminal-Practice area-ATIS-Terminal-Tower-Ground almost every lesson), taxi crossing restrictions, complex ATC instructions, wake-turbulence separation, etc like a pro. Lots of experienced private pilots get so scared of busy airspace that they'll fly an extra half hour to get around Montreal, Ottawa, or Toronto terminal; because of my early training, I was entirely confortable dealing with even NY approach on my own just a few months after getting my PPL.
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455tt
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by 455tt »

Well said DPM!

Exactly - training at a busier controlled airport with a good mix of IFR and VFR traffic is really good a for a student pilot - it will work wonders for radio work, traffic awareness and overall speed up one's piloting abilities.

And once you fly from some really busy airports worldwide you will look back at the so called "busy" airports in Canada and they will seem slow!
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GAPILOT
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by GAPILOT »

I have decided to join Harvs Air. Is that academy any good?
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455tt
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by 455tt »

GAPILOT wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:08 am I have decided to join Harvs Air. Is that academy any good?
Of course they are.

In fact pretty much all flying schools in Canada will be just fine - some will have different features in terms of available aircraft and training programs and fees but essentially dual is dual which means it all comes down to liking your instructor. And the vast majority of flying instructors are just fine. You really can't go wrong. In rare circumstances there will be a "bad apple" school here in Canada but they soon get into regulatory trouble and typically close shop.
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Thales Coelho
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by Thales Coelho »

What about flight schools in or near GTA? Any school that regularly hires Flight Instructors in that area?
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LifeAt90Kts
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by LifeAt90Kts »

Thales Coelho wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:52 pm What about flight schools in or near GTA? Any school that regularly hires Flight Instructors in that area?
All of them. There's a pretty severe instructor shortage at the moment. As long as you can effectively deal with people, and are a halfway-decent pilot (and always willing to learn), you won't have any issue finding an instructing job.
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Thales Coelho
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by Thales Coelho »

LifeAt90Kts wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 2:01 pm
Thales Coelho wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:52 pm What about flight schools in or near GTA? Any school that regularly hires Flight Instructors in that area?
All of them. There's a pretty severe instructor shortage at the moment. As long as you can effectively deal with people, and are a halfway-decent pilot (and always willing to learn), you won't have any issue finding an instructing job.
Thank you for your info! I`m a flight instructor here in Brazil with previous (but almost none) experience in MEDEVAC Piper Cheyenne.

Here in Brazil is pretty commom (almost a "rule") that you can only find a Flight Instructor job with the school you did your training. It`s the same there in Canada? What are they paying for the FI hour?

Thx again!
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LifeAt90Kts
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Re: Choosing a Flight School in Canada

Post by LifeAt90Kts »

It used to be that way, but it's not as important at most places any more. As for pay, it is highly variable. Some places have base pay + flight hours, some are just flight hours. I've seen anything from $25-$35 an hour for a class 3 instructor. You'd really have to ask whatever school you're interested in. Typically the father away you get from a big city the more you'll make BUT you may not fly as much.
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