The Program

Train as a commercial pilot and prepare yourself to eventually fly for a major airline. This full-time, intensive program follows training standards prescribed by both Transport Canada and the aviation industry and prepares you for an exciting career in aviation.

Two of the largest flight training operations in Canada, Canadian Flight Academy (CFA) located at Oshawa Municipal Airport and Toronto Airways Limited (TAL) located at Buttonville Airport, are the flight training partners. They bring to the program over 40 years of quality flight training and a world-class, state-of-the art training facility.

This unique collaboration offers a one-of-a-kind training opportunity for men and women who wish to become professional pilots and airline managers. Your flight training will qualify you as a commercial pilot and include the multi-engine instrument rating (multi-IFR), the Flight Instructor rating, training in new technology glass cockpit, High Altitude training and Crew Resource Management (CRM).

We believe that this program gives you the skills, knowledge and experience that will allow you to assume positions of responsibility while you build up flight hours and to position yourself for important jobs in this exciting industry throughout all stages of your career. The aviation industry is looking for qualified young people to become its new leaders and this program will equip you with the professional skills needed of tomorrow's aviator.

Job Opportunities

The opportunities in the aviation industry for both professional pilots and knowledgeable aviation managers are now growing significantly and are poised for continuous growth over the next decade. Recent studies such as the 2001 Human Resource Study of Commercial Pilots in Canada conducted by the Air Transport Association of Canada indicate that both retirements and projected growth of the industry indicate a strong need for pilots with superior technical and business skills.

No training program can claim to directly open the doors to major airlines for young pilots. The opportunity to fly for major carriers comes only after years of experience and building up your flight hours. Most pilots follow a traditional path of instructing, piloting for small aviation operators or regional carriers, and performing airport related duties as they accumulate sufficient experience and flying hours to move to positions of greater responsibility. This career path is unlikely to change significantly in the next few years.

Therefore this program is designed to prepare you not only as a pilot but as an individual who has a wide range of knowledge and skills in the broader aviation industry, and who is a valuable employee to flight training companies and other local aviation companies upon graduation. We prepare you, not just for that airline job you might get a few years from now, but also for the complexities of the intervening years. We place a special emphasis on preparing you to work as a commercial pilot from the day you graduate. You will learn from leading aviation experts and have potential cooperative work assignments at airports to develop your skills. This program will help you build practical broad-based knowledge that will make you a valuable employee from day one for any aviation employer. By utilizing the skills taught in this program, you can manage your career so that you're the preferred candidate when the airlines call.

The Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) has identified the need for pilots to obtain broad-based skills in addition to their ability to operate an aircraft. According to ATAC, today's pilot needs to be a manager as well as a pilot - a manager of systems, information and people. We believe this program directly supports this need and gives you the broader education required to carve out a successful career in aviation.

Program Length

This is a full-time academic program and runs for 18 Months.

Academic Component

Academic classes may be scheduled anytime between 0800 to 1700 from Monday to Friday. Individual student schedules may vary from semester to semester. All classes will be located at the airport.

Flight Component

Students will complete a total of 240 hours flight instruction over the five semesters and must successfully complete all requirements and competencies set by Transport Canada for each license or rating before being allowed to proceed to the next term.

While Transport Canada sets a minimum of 45 hours of flight time to qualify for a Private Pilot license, the hours required by most trainees to achieve competency averages about 75 hours. The program allows for students to take up to 75 hours of training to qualify for the Private Pilot License but any student failing to qualify within that time allotment will be required to purchase additional flight time at their own expense.

Flying lessons are conducted at the Oshawa Municipal Airport and flight training times will normally be scheduled during standard business hours. However, weather and other program requirements may make it necessary for students to attend evenings and weekend classes in order to complete requirements in a timely manner. Students will be booked for each flight lesson by Canadian Flight Academy.

The Flying School

Canadian Flight Academy is a subsidiary of Toronto Airways Ltd. CFA/TAL is a world-class, state-of-the-art flight training facility that has been conducting training for over 40 years. Instructors are trained to very high standards and never compromise safety. CFA/TAL maintains one of the largest fleets of training aircraft in Canada.

Please visit the Canadian Flight Academy website at www.cfa.aero and the Toronto Airways Ltd. website at www.torontoairways.com for more details.

Entrance Requirements

1. OSSGD grade 12 diploma, or equivalent
2. English at a Grade 12 level, or equivalency
3. Mathematics at a Grade 12 level, or the successful completion of a alternative competency test
4. A Durham College pre-assessment test MAY be required, covering the following areas:
   1. English
   2. Math
   3. Abstract Reasoning
   4. Spatial Relationships (A testing fee will apply)
5. Category 1 Aviation medical exam
6. A security check

Note 1: Applicants 19 years of age or older, who have not graduated from high school and have been working for a number of years may be considered as mature students. All other entrance requirements specified for this program are required by applicants applying as mature students. Acceptance of mature students is at the discretion of the program selection committee.

Note 2: Students with prior flying experience may have up to 10 dual hours and no solo hours credited towards program completion

Note 3: Minimum age of 18 to hold a commercial pilot's license.

Industry Policies

Many of the following policies are standard in the aviation industry and students should be aware of them prior to entering this program:

• A security check may be required to work on or at airports. Some sectors of the aviation industry will regularly screen for drug and alcohol use.
• Most aviation companies require Grade 12 completion as a condition of employment and many airlines will give preference to those with post-secondary education.
• Major airlines have vision, height and weight restrictions and requirements that exceed Transport Canada requirements. Students should make themselves aware of any policies that may affect them by contacting the employer directly.

 

Note 4: Students should be aware that there are various equipment costs and 3rd party fees associated with flight training and licensing that are beyond the control of the College or CFA/TAL.