The purpose of these notes is to provide information on Canadian
regulatory requirements for foreign pilots and aircraft. Complying
with these requirements is straightforward. Should you have
any questions or encounter difficulties, you can contact the
office of the Soaring Association of Canada for information
or assistance.
Requirements for Pilots
Flying your own (foreign registered) aircraft:
You can fly on the strength of your foreign pilot licence,
or permit, and supporting documents (medical certificate),
provided that they are from an International Civil Aviation
organization (ICAO) member state (most countries are). There
are no special Canadian requirements in addition to those
of the foreign country.
Flying Canadian registered aircraft:
There are no requirements to hold a Canadian Aviation Document
unless you wish to act as pilot-in-command of a Canadian registered
aircraft. To fly as pilot-in-command of a Canadian registered
air-craft, there are four ways to satisfy the pilot licensing
requirements.
Limited Term Glider Pilot Licence & Medical Certificate
(LTP/MC): The LTP/MC is issued on the basis of the applicant
holding a valid foreign pilot licence and medical certificate
from an ICAO member state. The LTPL is valid for a period
of 90 days and you may only apply once in any 12 month period.
Unlike the Foreign License Validation Certificate, the LTP/MC
permits foreign pilots to act as pilot-in-command for purposes
of flight training and testing (for example to obtain an
instructor or acrobatics rating). A LTP/MC may be obtained
from a Regional or District Personnel Licensing Office of
Transport Canada; relevant addresses, telephone and fax
numbers appear in Annex 1. Arrangements may be made on site,
or in advance, by sending copies of the relevant documents
(foreign licence and medical certificate) to a regional
or district office listed in the annex. There is neither
a flight nor a written examination. At time of writing (April,
1 997 there was no fee.
Foreign License Validation Certificate (FLVC):
The Foreign Licence Validation Certificate is issued on
the strength of your foreign licence and is valid for one
year from the date of issue. It is not a Canadian licence
'per se', so it cannot be used to upgrade your rating. For
example, you could not obtain a Canadian instructor rating
on the basis of a FLVC. A FLVC can be obtained from a Regional
or District Personnel Licensing Office of Transport Canada.
At the time of writing (April, 1997) here was a $45 fee.
Student Permit: This would typically apply if you do not
hold a foreign glider pilot license and wish to take glider
pilot training in Canada. You may obtain a Student Pilot
Permit through a club or commercial gliding operation, providing
they have an Authorized Person who had been delegated the
authority to issue Student Pilot Permits. Alternatively
you may apply at a Regional or District Personnel Licensing
Office of Transport Canada. The regulatory requirements
for this permit are:
a) Successfully complete a pre-solo examination (administered
at the club)
b) Sign a Civil Aviation Medical Certificate (self-declaration
of fitness to fly), thereby meeting Category IV medical
standards, or hold a Canadian Category 1, 3, or 4 Medical
Certificate; and
c) Have a Canadian Glider Flight Instructor certify in your
log book that you are safe for solo flight. A Student Pilot
Permit is not needed until the solo stage and there Is no
fee for a Student Pilot Permit.
Canadian Glider Pilot Licence: Obtaining a Canadian Glider
Pilot Licence mainly would be attractive to a foreign pilot
who is a frequent visitor to Canada and intends to fly Canadian
registered aircraft while here. Assuming that you have a
valid foreign licence from an ICAO contracting state, you
can obtain a Canadian licence, providing you:
a) Obtain a grade of 90%, or better, on the PSTAR written
examination. This is an examination on Canadian air regulations;
b) Provide evidence (from your log book) that you have sufficient
experience to obtain a Canadian Glider Pilot Licence; and
c) Sign a medical declaration, thereby meeting Category
4 medical standards, or hold a Canadian Category 1, 3, or
4 medical certificate.
Requirements for Foreign Registered Aircraft
If the aircraft is registered and has a standard Certificate
of Airworthiness from an ICAO contracting state, or a country
which has entered into a bilateral agreement with Canada,
there are no special Canadian document requirements for operating
in Canada. If an aircraft is operating under a Flight Authorization,
other than a standard Certificate of Airworthiness, it is
necessary to obtain a validation of the foreign flight authorization
prior to operating in Canada. The process is straightforward
and involves providing evidence that the aircraft has a special
Certificate of Airworthiness - or equivalent document in the
home country. Validations are not unreasonably withheld and
may be obtained from a Transport Canada Regional or District
Aircraft Licensing Office. Validations may also be obtained
from the Aircraft Maintenance and Manufacturing Branch or
the Special Flight Operations Branch at Transport Canada's
head office in Ottawa. In order to avoid delays, it is advisable
to make arrangements in advance of your trip. It is expected
that, effective July 1, 1997, there will be a $100 charge
by Transport Canada for a foreign Flight Authorization validation.
Canadian Gliding Operations
For the most part, gliding in Canada is organized on a club
basis, with a few commercial operations like the Invermere
Soaring Centre. As in your own country, clubs and commercial
operations have their own requirements in terms of checkflights,
competency levels, etc. before you will be allowed to fly
on your own. These requirements are geared to safety considerations;
they are probably not much different from those that would
apply in your own club and country. The gliding clubs range
from large well-equipped organizations, to operations with
only a handful of members. The small- and medium-sized operations
tend to only fly on weekends and holidays; while the larger
operations fly whenever weather permits. Some clubs will waive
club membership fees if you are a member of a club in your
own country and if you only intend to be at the club a short
time; some others have special rates for short stays of one
or two weeks. Insofar as membership in the Soaring Association
of Canada (SAC) is concerned, membership in a counterpart
Organization in your home country (for example, the SSA in
the US, the FFW in France, the BGA in the United Kingdom,
etc.) is taken as the equivalent of SAC membership while you
are in Canada.
