Hello everyone

I am 17 years old high school student, currently on the PPL stage. I am coming here to share with you what I have already seen, and to get somes advices on my project.

My plan is to start my training right after my graduation from high school, when I’ll be 18. I would love to fly big airplanes like the Dash 8 or the CRJ, that’s why I am looking for a school that will help me reach that as fast as possible. But I’m realistic, I now that I will have to fly light planes before, and to be honest I think It can be interesting too.

For now I looked at Exact’Air, Cargair, Grondair in Quebec, and Harv’s Air in Manitoba. Doing my training in Quebec would not be a problem as I speak french too.

I also looked at schools that would give me a diploma, with the flight training:

- Mount Royal University : http://www.mtroyal.ca/Programs...../index.htm
- University of the Fraser Valley : https://www.ufv.ca/programs/aviation-di ... .en.961125
- Okanagan College : http://webapps-5.okanagan.bc.c.....ionDiploma
- British Columbia Institute of Technology : http://www.bcit.ca/study/programs/1005dipts
- Mount Allison University : http://www.mta.ca/programs/aviation/
- Algonquin college : http://www.algonquincollege.co.....d-science/
- Canadore College : http://www.canadorecollege.ca/.....ot-program
- Conestoga : http://www.conestogac.on.ca/fu.....nd-science
- Confederation College : http://www.confederationcolleg.....management
- Sault College : http://www.saultcollege.ca/Pro.....upcode=AVI
- Western Social Science : http://dan.uwo.ca/undergraduate/cam/index.html
- Cégep de Chicoutimi : http://www.cegep-chicoutimi.qc.....daeronefs/
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic : http://saskpolytech.ca/program.....Pilot.aspx

Do have any advice about all the schools I talked about ? What to think about the schools that offer a diploma with the flight training ? Will a diploma of that kind allow me to do something else in case I loose my medical ? Is a diploma like that an advantage on a resume ?

Thanks a lot by advance for your answers guys

Check out the search function, and trawl through the 'Flight Training' forum - you'll find a lot of similar questions and answers.

Getting a degree/diploma now can be a useful qualification, but you're probably 30 years away from losing your medical, by which time anything that you learned in school will be long forgotten or out-of-date...

Good Luck!

My advice?...

If you want to join the industry quickly at the best it's been in a long time, go private. Pound through your training faster than any college program and go find a job up north. I'd suggest Harv's.

If you want a Diploma, when you have your ATPL (or 1000 hours and a MIFR) apply for the PLAR program at Sask Polytech and you can have an Aviation Diploma in your hand for under $3000 and a few challenged courses. The ATPL qualifies for a number of credits towards the Diploma.

You don't need a Diploma to fly -8's and RJ's. But if you ever want to make the jump to the big metal, that's when it would help. But by then it will be 5 years down the road at minimum and you'll have had plenty of time from now until then to tick the boxes on the PLAR Diploma program or any other.

If you want a degree, Momcton Flight College, BSc , you'll graduate with a frozen ATPL
If you want to plot through it real quick, Harv's Air, or a good flying club that have lots of airplanes, like Calgary Flying Club

Im 23 and I have a couple bits of education under my belt including my second year in welding and aicraft maintenance engineering diploma (I like school) I strongly believe that education and knowledge is power. I have seen some job ads on AvCanada recently explain that they prefer candidates that have been to a diploma program. As I have been trying to organize my thoughts and get peoples feedback for the best way to finish my training (I have my PPL with some hours built) I came across many different avenues I could pursue.

With my age and amount of hours and my location it is not economical for me to go to Sault, Confed, or Seneca. I wish I could tell my 18 year old self to pursue a program with one the mentioned schools. MRU in Calgary will cost you $100,000. I live in Calgary, also my instructor here in Calgary went there and he confirmed this, furthermore I made an appointment with the career counsellor and she gave me a value in that ball park.

Sault, Confed, and Seneca are subsidized schools, meaning they are hella cheaper than going to a private flight school. Seneca would be my top recommendation. They say from PPL to multi/ifr is 55,000-65,000. Those schools will cost you half of that. Seneca might be the more expensive one out of the three. I wouldn't recommend Confederation because you will not receive your Group I Instrument rating.

Good luck

Don't forget living expenses while in any of those programs. Basically all of them you can not work. So while it may be cheaper, supporting yourself for 4 years while going to Seneca or 3 at Sault is a lot of money.

Hi , i hope you all doing well. I have a question which is confusing me and i will be very appreciate you all, the question is to become an airline pilot such as air canada or west jet, is it necessary to have a diploma or degree to get a job?

Yes and no. Regionals, no. Mainline, it's asked for but not a requirement. If you go through a program like Encore you'll be mainline WestJet eventually. With Jazz it's not guaranteed but you have a very good chance to be hired by AC without a degree if you have come from an express carrier. But not %100.

Id been keen for a little holiday whilst training but would it be cheaper after the CASA conversion?