PART TWO

This article is part two of a two part series.

Commercial Pilot License 

(401.30 & 421.30) 

What is a CPL and who is it for?

Simply put, the commercial pilot license is for people who want to fly for money. However, you will not be able to fly for an airline with this license alone. You will need an instrument rating, a multi engine rating, and either the IATRA or ATPL exams written (discussed later). 

You must have a PPL before you can start training for your CPL. 

CPL Testing

The commercial pilot license pathway is somewhat identical to the PPL. The training and flight test is almost the same except that the error tolerances are much stricter. You will also need to complete another 80 hours of CPL ground school and pass the Transport Canada Commercial Pilot - Aeroplane written exam. Furthermore, you will need to provide a valid category 1 medical before you will be issued your commercial pilot license.

You can attempt the CPL written exam when you have accumulated 100+ total hours of flying experience. You can attempt the CPL flight test when you have accumulated 150+ total hours of  flying experience. You do not need to meet the dual and solo CPL training requirements to write the CPL exam or do the CPL flight test. You only need to meet the trailing requirements to apply to Transport Canada for your commercial pilot license. 

How much does it cost to get your CPL?

Transport Canada requires that you have a minimum 200 hours total flying experience. Therefore if you completed your PPL in 50 hours you would need 150 more hours of flying experience. After your PPL you will need to complete a minimum of 35 hours dual flight instruction (with an instructor) and 30 hours of solo training time supervised by a flight instructor. That leaves 85 hours. These hours can be spent doing whatever you want. It is known as ‘time building’. If your PPL took more that 50 hours you will have less ‘time building’ to do. 

The cost of your CPL will be the sum of the cost of your PPL plus about $15,000 to $25,000. This does not include multi engine or instrument ratings. However, the good news is that you can include your multi engine training and your instrument training in your 35 hours of dual flight instruction if your teacher is also a flight instructor which they often are. The cost of ‘time building’ is going to cost extra. You will need to rent a plane from your school, rent block time on a private airplane, or buy an airplane to accumulate this time.

There is no predetermined cost to a CPL. It is the sum of the cost of your PPL + the sum of the cost to meet the Transport Canada CPL requirements. Most people are able to get their CPL in roughly the minimum 200 hours if they plan accordingly. 

How long will it take to get a CPL?

Your CPL has similar constraints to the PPL with regard to how long it will take to get. Generally speaking it will take 6-9 months. Training will be governed by airplane availability, instructor availability, weather, ground school, and time building. 

Airline Transport License 

(CARs 401.34 & 421.34)

The ATPL is required to be the captain of an airplane requiring a minimum flight crew (MFC) of 2 or more pilots. You can also act as the co-pilot of a 2-crew airplane. Two crew airplanes are usually larger aircraft used in transporting 10 or more passengers at a time. An example of a two+ crew airplane would be the Beechcraft 1900 or a De Havilland Dash 8.  

This is not a license for which you train at a flight school. It is awarded mostly based on real world experience. However, you will need to write two Transport Canada exams; the SAMRA and the SARON. 

Some of the ATPL experience requirements include 250 hours pilot in command (PIC), 100 hours night flight time PIC, 100 hours of cross-country flight time PIC, and 75 hours of instrument flight time. The total time requirement is 1500 hours.

Ratings and Endorsements

What are ratings and endorsements? 

Ratings are extra qualifications you add to your license. They give you extra privileges. Most ratings can be added to PPL and CPL licenses. Some of the most common ratings pilots add are the multi engine rating, the instrument rating, the seaplane rating, the instructor rating. 

The Multi Engine Rating

This rating gives the pilot the privilege of flying an airplane with 2 or more engines. It can be added to a PPL or a CPL. It typically can be done in 5 - 10 hours of training time. There is no written exam. However, there is a flight test. It is often completed by CPL candidates during their CPL training. If you are flying with a flight instructor this time can count toward your 35 hour CPL dual time requirement. It will cost about $5000 for this rating. However, as mentioned you can do this rating concurrently with your CPL and count the time toward your CPL dual time requirement. If you want to fly for an airline you will need this rating.

The Instrument Rating 

(CARs 421.46)

The instrument rating gives you the privilege to fly by the instruments only. It can be added to a PPL or CPL license. This rating takes a lot of time and money. There are several different types of instrument ratings. The ones we are concerned with are the multi engine and the single engine instrument ratings. These are known as group 1 and group 3 instrument ratings, respectively. 

Group 1 Instrument Ratings

The group 1 instrument rating allows you to fly a multi engine aircraft by the instruments only. You will need to do an instrument flight test in a multi engine aircraft to get this rating. This means you must have a multi engine rating before you can do the group 1 instrument rating. If you want to fly for a major airline you will need to have a group 1 instrument rating. All flights above eighteen thousand feet are conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR). Having a group 1 rating allows you to exercise the privileges of a group 3 rating. 

Group 3 Instrument Rating

The group 3 instrument rating allows you to fly any single engine airplane by the instruments only. You will need to do an instrument flight test in a single engine airplane. A multi engine rating is not required. 

Other Instrument Ratings

There is also a group 2 multi engine instrument rating, however it is reserved for centerline (inline) thrust multi engine aircraft. This means the engines are not mounted on each wing, but rather ‘inline’. Usually one engine on the nose and the other behind the cabin. They are relatively uncommon, the rating and this type of airplane. If you are interested in learning more about centerline thrust airplanes you can search for the ‘Cessna Skymaster’.  

Instrument Written Exam (INRAT)

If you want to get an instrument rating you will need to pass the Transport Canada instrument written exam, known as the INRAT. You will need to pass this exam before you do the instrument flight test. 

The Seaplane Rating

This rating, like all ratings, is optional. However, it is a really fun rating to get. If you go to the right place it will be some of the most memorable flying you ever do. To get a seaplane rating you will need to do a minimum of 7 hours on floats. This rating is not required for airline jobs. The cost is about $4000. If you are interested in a career in seaplane flying you should consider a 50 hour seaplane course. 

The Instructor Rating 

(CARs 421.69)

This rating is also not a requirement for the airlines or any other flying job, except a flight instructor job. Many students who have just completed their CPL get flight instructor ratings as a means to enter the aviation industry as a pilot. You must have a CPL to train for this rating. You do not need to have a multi engine or instrument rating to get this rating. 

If you would like to get your instructor rating you will need to pass a Transport Canada written exam, complete 25 hours of ground school instruction, and complete 30 hours of dual instructor training. The cost is about $10,000 - $13,000.  

Post CPL - Become a Pilot!

Once you have completed your commercial pilot license you can now start looking for a job. Typical entry level pilot jobs in Canada are flight instructor and skydive pilot jobs. Quite often new pilots will also go to the northern regions of Canada to build experience. 

Transport Canada also offers CPL candidates the opportunity to work as co-pilot on airplanes with minimum two crew requirements. To qualify for an individual type rating on a 2-crew airplane you will need to write a Transport Canada exam called the IATRA. Passing this exam would make you eligible to fly as co-pilot on an airplane such as the De Havilland Dash 8. However, you would also need to have a group 1 instrument rating. More information about type ratings can be found in the CARs 421.40(3)(a)(i).

You will need to build some commercial experience before you will be hired by an airline. However, your country might have different requirements for entry into the airline industry. Some airlines might offer cruise relief jobs to qualified pilots who lack experience.