The St. Catharines Flying Club is registered as a Private Career College under the Private Career Colleges Act and approved as a vocational program to provide Instructor Rating and Commercial Pilot training.
The private pilot licence permits you to act as pilot-in-command of a class and type of aeroplane authorized on the licence. Additional privileges may be exercised provided the licence is endorsed with the appropriate ratings, such as night, VFR OTT, multi and instrument.
REQUIREMENTS
You must be a minimum of seventeen years of age and hold a category 3 medical certificate.
KNOWLEDGE
You must complete a minimum of 40 hours of private pilot ground school covering the following subjects:
1. Canadian Aviation Regulations
2. Aerodynamics and Theory of flight
3. Meteorology
4. Airframes, engines and systems
5. Flight Instruments
6. Radio and electronic theory
7. Navigation
8. Flight operations
9. Licensing requirements
10. Human factors and Pilot Decision making
The Transport Canada exam has 100 multiple choice questions. You must obtain a minimum of 60% on the overall exam, as well as each of the four sections listed below within the exam.
- Airlaw – regulations, rules and orders, air traffic services, practices and procedures, and licensing requirements relevant to the licence.
- Navigation – navigation, radio aids and electronic theory.
- Meteorology
- Aeronautics – general knowledge- airframes, engines and systems, theory of flight, flight instruments, flight operations and human factors.
EXPERIENCE
You must complete a minimum of 45 hours of private pilot flight training with a flight instructor. Flight training shall include a minimum of:
a) 17 hours dual instruction, including 3 hours cross-country flight time and 5 hours instrument time of which 3 hours may be on a certified simulator
b) 12 hours solo flight time, including 5 hours cross-country flight time, including a flight of 150 nautical miles with 2 full stop landings at points other than the airport of departure. You are also required to successfully complete a flight test for the private pilot licence. This can be done with the Designated Flight Test Examiner on staff at the St. Catharines Flying Club.
PRIVATE PILOT GROUND SCHOOL
The St. Catharines Flying Club offers a 45 hour private ground school continuously throughout the year. Our course exceeds Transport Canada standards and provides you with the information and knowledge needed to pass the private pilot exam. You can start ground school at any time throughout the course. You may also take these ground school classes online providing that you successfully complete the associated tests that are also found online which confirm your participation in watching each online class.
Once you’ve paid the initial fee, you are welcome to retake the course as often as you want at no additional cost.
The course is normally run in the evenings on Tuesday and Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm. The Online Ground School course is available 24/7 from anywhere in the world providing that you have a device and internet access.
Private Pilot Course outline:
1. Course introduction/Theory of Flight.
2. Engines and Airframes.
3. Aircraft Instruments.
4. General Air Law and Airspace.
5. Flight Operations #1
6. Flight Operations #2
7. Human Factors.
8. Air Traffic Services and Airport Procedures.
9. Meteorology #1
10 Meteorology #2
11. Meteorology #3
12. Navigation #1
13. Navigation #2
14. Navigation #3
15. Radio Navigation Aids.
ESTIMATED TOTAL COSTS
20 hours dual flight time @ $210.00/hour $4200.00*
25 hours solo flight time @ $165.00/hour $4125.00*
8 hours instructor brief @ $55.00/hour $440.00*
3 hours simulator training @ $100.00/hour $300.00*
Private Pilot Ground School $450.00*
Recommended study materials $375.00*
Medical Examiner Fee $120.00*
Transport Canada fees (medical, exam, application) $210.00*
Designated Flight Test Examiner fee $350.00*
Approx. minimum total costs $10,570.00*
*Not including taxes/ estimates only, subject to change without notice. A fuel surcharge may be in effect depending on fuel market conditions.