Ahh, the allure of flying. Taking to the sky, slipping the surly bonds of earth. For many, this is a fantasy that has been growing inside since a young age. Before looking for a flight school and beginning flight training one often asks themselves, what can I even do with a private pilot licence? This is a great question to ask, especially if you have specific goals you are trying to achieve in your aviation journey. Are you looking for a career or a really cool recreational activity?
Just like your driver's licence, a pilots licence comes with various restrictions. If you have a regular class 5 driver's licence you can not just jump into an 18 wheeler and start your trucking career. You can consider a private pilot licence to be similar to that class five drivers licence… it’s for recreational purposes or personal purposes only. Let's explore the privileges of a private pilot licence and what we can do if we want to expand those privileges.
How Do I Get a Private Pilot Licence?
Before talking about what you can do with a private pilot licence we should quickly review what you need to do to obtain it in the first place.
Medical Certificate - The first thing you will want to do is go visit your nearest Aviation Medical Examiner and obtain your medical certificate. Doing so early in the process allows you to see if there are any medical restrictions that might get in the way of you obtaining your licence.
Ground School - Part of a two-part training process, ground school is where you will learn the theory and knowledge behind taking flight. You can choose the traditional method of in-class ground school or you can choose to take online ground school. This choice is becoming more and more popular as technology advances and balancing life with training becomes more difficult.
Flight Training - The other part of the process, flight training, is where you learn the hands and feet of flying; or the stick and rudder skills. Putting into practice the concepts learned in ground school with the procedures learned from your flight instructor you will develop into a fully competent and safe pilot.
Exams - Throughout the process, you will complete a series of exams. The smaller ones include:
- ROC-A (Radio Licence);
- PSTAR (To obtain your student pilot permit), and if required;
- English Language Proficiency exam
The two large exams include:
- PPAER - essentially the final exam for the ground school course;
- Flight Test - The final test to ensure your flying skills meet the required standards
The Privileges
Becoming a private pilot is the first step no matter where you want to take your flying. Even if you are working toward becoming an airline pilot you must start here. If you are choosing to fly recreationally this can be your first and final stop. Here’s what you can do with a private pilot licence:
- Fly a small single-engine airplane with friends or family as your passengers.
- There is no limit to the number of passengers you can carry.
- Fly a Canadian Registered airplane all over the world.
- Fly during the day and in nice weather, sorry no cloud surfing.
Expanded privileges
Of course with anything as your experience grows, or your curiosity and sense of adventure expands, you will want to do more with your private pilot licence. The good news is that you can! By taking additional training and adding new ratings to your licence you can gain new privileges and responsibilities. Typically these require additional flight training hours but do not require ground school. Available ratings include:
- Night rating - Allows you to fly at night.
- Instrument rating - Allows you to fly in the clouds or in bad weather conditions.
- Multi-Engine rating - Allows you to fly an airplane with more than one engine.
- VFR Over the Top - Allows you to fly above the clouds under certain conditions.
- Type Ratings - Allows you to fly more advanced aircraft that require specific aircraft training.
If you are advancing to a career in aviation you will naturally add these ratings to your licence as you progress through your flight training. Your flight school and the team at Level Flight will help you in choosing the right path forward to achieve your goals.
Your Canadian Ground School Professionals
Seeing the world from above and being in control of an aircraft is a feeling like no other. Whether you are learning to sail, or ski, or play golf, you will take small steps to achieve your goals. A private pilot licence is the first of many steps in becoming a commercial pilot but it can be your first major stop in what is an adventure that will last a lifetime.
Learning to fly can be a wonderful experience when you have the right people guiding you through the process. Whether it be choosing the right flight school, or helping you succeed at ground school it's important not to go at it alone. The team of professional aviators at Level Flight is here to not just get you started in online ground school but to help coach you through the flight training process. Through our partnerships with industry experts, we can ensure your path is one to success. Call us today at (403) 483-2880 or fill out the online contact form below!
FAQs
No, we specialize in online ground school and aviation e-learning. We deliver high-quality e-learning which allows you to learn where and when you want. Many flight schools don’t run ground school courses that fit into your life but would be a great school to train with. By separating your ground school and flight training provider you can find the flexibility you need.
If you follow a structured routine that will allow you about 6-8 hours of activity within the course per week you should be able to finish within a few months. Be sure to choose an online ground school that will give you access beyond that time so you can use the ground school as a study resource when preparing for your Transport Canada written exam.
This is a great question, I wouldn’t want to do that either. Taking some time to research and find a ground school that offers more than just a read the slide experience is important. Look for one that uses videos, audio presentations, graphics, and interactive digital training methods to deliver their content.
Take Flight Now
Level Flight is Canada’s best online ground school. It is our mandate to provide higher quality, more engaging training for Canadian Student Pilots. If you are seeking the exhilarating freedom of flight for a hobby or with aspirations of a career in the skies, Level Flight offers the best ground school experience available. Sign up for our online learning platform now and discover the adventure that awaits you at Level Flight.
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