You are preparing for an exciting career in aviation. At the end of this course, you will feel fully prepared and qualified to apply to Pilot Jobs. Through this program, you are training for something more than a License - you are training for a job as a Pilot.

When we looked at the traditional way of commercial flight training in Canada, we noticed a few disturbing facts:

• To earn a commercial license, one has to prove 200 hours of flight experience. There is no quality control that would assign a higher value to purposeful, task-oriented flight training versus just flying around the home base in circles for 200 hours. In fact, most graduates from flight schools have done very little cross country flying – the required 300 NM flight is for most the one outstanding cross country experience.
• For reasons of economy, most schools have a standardized fleet of one or two types of aircraft only. Students often earn a commercial license and have only experienced one aircraft type – often a Cessna 152 or 172. Since it is considered a higher insurance risk, very few schools offer training in tailwheel aircraft despite the fact that it helps train better pilots.
• Training in marginal weather conditions, flying into unimproved or short airstrips, landing on grass, gravel or beaches is often avoided to minimize any risk of damage to the propellers.
• Students are often trained inefficiently, leading to high flight hours. Requiring 80 hours and more for a Private Pilot License is excessive, and some schools graduate their students with more than 100 hours – in fact doubling the training cost from a normally anticipated budget.

At Canadian Flight Centre we realized that, in order to train students for their first job, we have to enable them to deal with the challenging flying environment that Canada stands for. Our students are exposed to a challenging curriculum that is rarely offered by other schools but fully equips the student for their flying career and journey. Our cross-country flights include ocean flying, mountainous terrain, desert climates and cold winters. Students experience the kind of landing strips that prepare them for flying in the Canadian wilderness. 

When it comes to advanced flight training, we use multi-engine aircraft like the Piper Seneca V and the King Air C90 – few schools in Canada or the US have similar equipment. And while most schools typically restrict their flying to a small local area, our aircraft are capable of holding training flights from Alaska to California, both in closely controlled airspaces and in the vast uncontrolled airspaces of Northern Canada and Alaska. Due to turbocharged engines, we have no altitude restrictions that would prevent us from going over the Rocky Mountains, and due to certification for “known ice conditions” we can train in extreme weather conditions.

With such cutting-edge training - How safe is Canadian Flight Centre?

Our record of 41+ years of injury-free operation proves that training that goes to such extremes can be done without sacrificing safety. Any training that involves increased risks is done as dual training with instructors only, students on solo flights enjoy the extra safety that modern avionics offer, e.g. superior situational awareness through the use of GPS.

Do you offer any Academic Training?

As a flying school, we do what we do best – providing flight training. However, we are aware of the major airlines’ preference for pilots with some academic background. After analyzing the various aviation diploma programs offered around the world, we concluded that the time and cost commitment of such programs will not benefit the pilot career. We believe in earning a true university degree through the flexibility of open learning – studying from home at your own pace without slowing down your career in aviation. We have a partnership with the Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, one of the leaders in Open Learning. Our students can register with the university and will receive academic credits for all their flying achievements towards a university degree.

Can you guarantee the cost?

For all our programs we ensure that the student does not pay more than necessary by using a strict curriculum and lesson plans to keep the training on track and on budget. For students that are committed to full-time attendance at the school, we provide a 12-month price guarantee under certain conditions. See details of financial policies in the CFC Student Handbook.

Program Admission Requirements

• 17+ years old

Program Cost

PROFESSIONAL PILOT PROGRAM – for those who want career training without compromises  

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +1 604 946 7744

Note: This program has been approved by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training. To learn more about PTIB and its regulations, click here.

Note: This program is also regulated by Transport Canada (TC), to learn more about Transport Canada, click here.