FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Who do I talk to if I want to arrange a Familiarization Flight?

A. Call the dispatch desk at 905.684.9447. They will be happy to give you all the information you need.

Q. Is the St. Catharines Flying Club certified?

A. In short, yes! 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. Essentially, this means you can use Registered Educational Plan funds for your flight training.

Also, we are a certified Flight Training Unit as regulated by Transport Canada.

Q. Why would I choose to learn to fly at the St. Catharines Flying Club?

A. The Top Four Reasons:
1. We are registered as a Private Career College: under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005, and approved as a vocational program under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 to provide Instructor Rating and Commercial Pilot training.

2. We offer our own Online Ground School which is compliant with Transport Canada: This permits you to take your ground school from any location; whether from home, or while on vacation, or literally anywhere in the world from any computer or smartphone. We are one of the only flight schools in Canada to offer our own online ground school courses.

3. Multiple Locations in the Niagara Region: With 2 locations in the Niagara Region, our focus is on flight training. At busy international airports, you’ll be paying to sit in your airplane while you wait for the commercial airline traffic to come and go. Although you will see various jets and helicopters at our locations in Niagara, the primary focus is on flight training; so you get more focused training for your time and money.

4. Our Flight Instructors are some of the best in Canada:

– Class 1 Flight Instructors =1
– Class 2 Flight Instructor = 2
– Class 3 Flight Instructor =1
– Class 4 Flight Instructor = 2

In most flight schools, your only option is to fly with less experienced Class 4 Flight Instructors. At our club, you are free to rotate with various Flight Instructors, and learn from the best, as our club is able to offer some of the most experienced full-time Flight Instructors found at any flying club in Canada. When you train with our Flight Instructors, you’ll know that you’re learning from highly skilled and vastly experienced pilots.

Q. What’s the difference between a Recreational Pilot Permit and a Private Pilot Licence?

A. At a basic level, a Recreational Pilot cannot fly into the United States, and can only carry one passenger during daylight hours in Visual Flight Rules. A Private Pilot can carry more passengers, and can fly into the U.S.

Q.When I enrol for pilot training, do I have to pay club dues?

A. No, you are automatically a non-voting club member when taking pilot training, however when you have obtained a permit or licence, you will be expected to pay club dues if you wish to obtain voting privileges and use club facilities or equipment.

Q. How long will it take me to get a Recreational Pilot Permit or a Private Pilot licence?

A. This varies somewhat depending on how aggressively you want to approach the training. A Recreational Permit requires 25 hours of flight time, 15 hours of which are dual and 10 hours of solo. Ground school is recommended, but not mandatory. A Private Pilot Licence requires 45 hours of flight time, 20 hours of which are dual and 25 hours of solo. A Private Pilot Licence also requires 45 hours of Ground School. Some people take as little as a few months to obtain the Permit or Licence while others who are not in a hurry, could take up to 3 years or more. The student sets his or her own pace.

Q. After I obtain my permit or licence, can I rent the club airplane?

A. Yes, with proper advance notice and depending on availability, you may rent the club airplane. You will be charged Flight Time based on the hour meter readings taken from the time you turn on the airplane master switch during startup, until you turn the switch off again at the end of the trip.

Q. How do I pay for my instructor or airplane rental?

A. You can pay with debit, credit or cash after each session or you can buy”Block Time” which is a 20 hour minimum at a reduced rate, to save about 12% of the hourly rate. Check the rates section under the “learn to fly” tab from the top menu for more rate information.

Q. Can the flying club help me obtain a career in flying?

A. The Club can provide complete instruction up to and including a commercial pilot licence. Currently the job prospects for a commercial pilot, as well as for instructors, are excellent with a general worldwide shortage of commercial pilots. For someone thinking of a career in flying, this is a good time and the St.Catharines Flying Club is a good place to start your training.