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The following is information pertaining to the requirements and contents of the private pilot licence and the recreational pilot permit courses, general Club policies and our philosophy.
The minimum requirement for a private licence is 45 hours but we have found from experience that the average is about 55 hours for students who fly three times weekly. Included in these requirements are 5 hours of dual instrument flying, 3 hours of dual cross country and 5 hours of solo cross country. One of the solo cross country flights will have to be at least 150 nautical miles long and include at least 2 full stop landings at airports other than your point of departure.
You will require a minimum of 40 hours of groundschool instruction for the Private Pilot Licence and it is recommended that the groundschool be taken at the same time as the air instruction. There are a number of options to fulfill the groundschool requirement. Private groundschool is held every Monday and Wednesday evening from 19:00 to 21:30 on an ongoing basis; it runs year round and you may attend as many times as you wish. Alternatively, you can attend Saturday mornings from 8:30 am to 11 am. For these groundschools, once you pay, you may attend as many times as you wish and there are no additional charges for attending PPL groundschool once you are licenced for upgrading or refreshers. PFC also offers an online option for those students who prefer to self study online (online access is limited to nine months only).
Students pursuing a PPL will be required to obtain a Category 3 Medical. The Club has a list of approved Transport Canada Civil Aviation Medical Examiners. This cost is not covered by BC Medical so be sure and ask the price as the cost can vary from doctor to doctor. We recommend students have their medical completed as soon as possible after commencing their flying.
You must possess a student pilot permit before your first solo flight. This document is processed by the Club’s Transport Canada Authorized Person after the medical certificate is received from Transport Canada. The dual flying time required before the first solo varies from student to student depending on factors such as the related background and experience, the number of hours you are able to commit each week to flying as well as your obligations to other responsibilities such as work, school and family. The average seems to fall somewhere between 12 and 18 hours, but it is not unusual for a student to go somewhat higher.
Before you solo, you must successfully complete a presolo exam which deals with Air Regulations, pilot responsibilities and aircraft rights of way, etc. You will be provided with study and reference guides and practice questions to help you study for this exam. You will also receive the Flight Test Standards and Guide to help you prepare for the flight test and a study guide to help you prepare for the 100 question examination you will need to write to qualify for the private pilot licence. The final Transport Canada examination can be written after 10 hours of flight time. The pass mark on this exam is 60%; the flight test can be taken after 35 hours of flight time. The Club has 3 Transport Canada Pilot Examiners as well as two Transport Canada Authorized Examination Invigilators. You must be licenced within two years of doing your written examination. As well, the licence must be issued in the year following the flight test. To be recommended to write the Transport Canada written examination, you must do a practice written examination at the Club and obtain 80%. There are three practice written examinations for the Private and Recreational written examination and there is no charge for the first examination. The second and third examinations cost $25 if required.
Before you are booked for a flight test, you will complete a pre-flight test with an instructor. Transport Canada requires a letter of recommendation from the school to be admitted to a flight test and the student must demonstrate consistent proficiency in all air exercises and ground work prior to the flight test. Recommendations for admittance to a written examination or flight test are based on meeting a competency standard, not simply completion of hours.
Upon completion of your private pilot licence, you should consider this only the first stage in becoming a proficient pilot. You might consider a Night Rating and a Mountain Checkout to fully enjoy your private licence or as a first step towards a commercial licence. A checkride to the US to be comfortable with customs clearance procedures for small aircraft is highly recommended.
5 hours of simulator time can be used towards a Private Licence and up to 10 hours can be used towards the Commercial Licence requirements. The Club’s syllabus of training requires some hours be completed in the Club’s 2007 Al Sim to take advantage of advanced simulation.
The recreational pilot permit was introduced August 1, 1995 by Transport Canada. Its' purpose is to make general aviation more affordable and more attractive to a wider range of aviation enthusiasts. The requirements are a minimum of 25 hours flight training. While groundschool is not a legal requirement, it is highly recommended. Of the 25 hours of flight training, 15 must be dual and 5 must be solo. The requirements stipulate that the student will complete 2 hours dual cross country flying. The RPP allows a pilot to fly day VFR in Canadian airspace with one passenger only. Time accumulated under this permit can be applied to the private pilot licence training. The Club has found most people who initially choose the RPP to eventually work towards a Private Pilot Licence in order to expand their knowledge and skill level and enjoy the full privileges of a licence.
We know you will find the quality facilities and personnel at the Pacific Flying Club allow you to soar to new heights.
HOW DO YOU GET STARTED
We strongly recommend you take an introductory flying lesson; these flights are $50 plus GST for a Cessna 152 and are a great way to met the staff and check out our facilities as well as get any questions you may have answered. To book, call the Club at 604-946-0011. Students who make the decision to pursue their licence through PFC will have the cost of this flight credited to their groundschool.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
The Club is a not for profit organization that was incorporated in 1965. It is an accredited post secondary institution under the Private Career Training Institutions Agency of British Columbia and is held to a higher standard than other schools that are not accredited. Our mission is to maintain our status as one of the premiere flight training organizations in Western Canada and provide a quality, safe flight training environment at an affordable cost. Our graduates range from private pilots who fly for pleasure to airline captains flying for large airlines world wide.
Monthly pilot sessions are held September through April on the last Saturday of the month and cover a range of pilot briefings that are available at no charge. The Club’s members include all students and rental pilots who utilize the Club and can call the Club their own.
SAFETY
The Club is committed to ensuring your safety and the safety of everyone in aviation. Staff and members are expected to adhere to a rigorous set of standards that exceed minimum requirements. Clark Duimel, our Director Flight Operations, is a past recipient of the David Charles Abramson Flight Instructor Safety Award. The Club’s insurance policy far exceeds the minimum regulatory requirements and we do our maintenance in house with a staff of 5 maintenance personnel. The Ben Hoben Aviation Safety Seminar is held yearly at the Club at no charge to all members and general aviation enthusiasts with active participation by Transport Canada, Nav Canada and other safety specialists.
ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM
The Club was the first school in Vancouver to use an online booking system for the convenience of students and members. When you register to commence flying, we will provide you with access to this system to allow you to book, cancel and change bookings at your convenience.
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