PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE

Obtaining your Private Pilot’s License is a fun, challenging and rewarding endeavor. Whether you are planning on flying for fun or making a career out of it, the PPL is the first step towards your flying future!

The PPL is a time consuming and intensive process so show up ready to work. While there is a set syllabus, we will work to accommodate your schedule.

PPL REQUIREMENTS

AEROMEDICAL

Student must be:

At least 17 years of age,
Hold a Category 3 or higher Aviation Medical Certificate,
- Click here to find your nearest Certified Aviation Medical Examiner
Able to demonstrate English proficiency.

GROUND SCHOOL

40Hrs of ground school is required by Transport Canada, covering the following topics:

Canadian Aviation Regulations,
Aerodynamics & Theory of Flight,
Meteorology,
Airframes,
Engines and Systems,
Flight Instruments,
Radio & Electronic Theory,
Navigation,
Flight Operations,
Licensing Requirements, and
Human Factors & Pilot Decision Making.

A TC written examination must be passed, to a minimum of 60% to obtain a PPL.

Visit Hangaaar or PilotTraining.ca for more information regarding ground school! The sooner you can start, the better.

MINIMUM FLYING REQUIREMENTS

This license requires students to complete a minimum of 45H of flight training, including:

17H Dual,
12H Solo,
3H Dual Cross-Country,
5H Solo Cross-Country, and
5H Instrument Training (up to 3h can be completed in our simulators).

A Transport Canada Flight Test must be taken and passed to obtain a PPL.

TRAINING COST & TIMELINE

Transport Canada Minimums

TRAINING TIME

45 Hours C172 @ $182/hr
25 Hours Instructor Time @ $65/hr
3 Hours Simulator Time @ $85/hr

OTHER COSTS

Pilot Kit (Everything Needed for PPL & CPL)
Ground School
TC Written Exam Fee
TC English Proficiency Test (Not required if you attended high school in Canada)
TC Flight Test Fee + 2 Hours C172
License Sign-off Fee

TOTAL COST AT TC MINIMUMS

$8,190

$1,625

$255

$363

$475**

$110

$100

$764

$75

$11,957 + GST

SATC Student Averages

TRAINING TIME

82.6 Hours C172 @ $182/hr
101.1 Hours Instructor Time @ $65/hr
6 Hours Simulator Time @ $85/hr

OTHER COSTS

Pilot Kit (Everything Needed for PPL & CPL)
Ground School
Written Exam Fee
English Proficiency Test (Not required if you attended high school in Canada)
Flight Test Fee + 2 Hours C172
License Sign-off Fee

TOTAL AVERAGE INVESTMENT

** Online ground schools may be taken in lieu of an in-house course, see online provider for pricing

$15,033

$6,572

$510

$363

$475**

$110

$100

$764

$75

$24,002 + GST

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A PPL?

YOU CAN

Fly during the day while maintaining visual contact with the ground (VFR),
Fly as far as your airplane will take you,
Fly with as many passengers as your aircraft allows,
Operate single-engine, non-high performance aircraft,
Obtain ratings to expand your capabilities, such as:
Train towards a Commercial Pilot License.
Apply for our WestJet Flightpath Program

YOU CAN NOT

Fly for profit or reward,
Fly at night, without visual contact with the ground, or in multi-engine aircraft if you do not hold the rating to do so.

Apply Now

WHY THE DIFFERENCE?

Your cost and timeline are impacted by a number of factors

Springbank Airport

Springbank is one of the top 10 busiest airports in Canada. We have a state-of-the-art control tower allowing aircraft to fly IFR approaches. Flying in busy controlled airspace can add to flight times. That said, the experience you will gain flying in busy, complex airspace is invaluable to you as a pilot. If you can fly here, you can fly anywhere!

Above Minimum Standards

Aviation was a much different place when TC last updated the minimum hour requirements in 1998. The past 20+ years of progress have brought with them a significantly higher standard for safety and competency on the PPL flight test. As a result, the training time required to reach this standard is higher than the decades-old minimums.

Full Time vs

Part Time

Flying frequently = flying efficiently, simple as that. Flying full-time allows you to spend more time learning and less time remembering what you did on the last flight. This also gives you a buffer for when weather cancellations occur, so you don't go weeks without flying. We recommend 3 bookings per week minimum.

Dedication to Training

The more time you spent preparing on the ground, the less time it takes you to reach proficiency in the air! Showing up to lessons well-prepared, well rested and ready to learn ensures you are maximizing your training time and minimizing your costs. As well, everyone learns at different rates, your training path is 100% catered to your pace of learning