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scalair
22nd Sep 2008, 15:30
I have an ordinary ppl and would like to go to Canada for a months holiday and learn bush flying.
What requirements are there for licence conversion and a visa and any other paperwork?
Would anyone reccomend a destination?
I think that it would make sense to obtain a floats rating here (GB) first.

cj3pilot
22nd Sep 2008, 23:59
Sudbury .Go to Sudbury aviation ,lots of lakes close to the city and 4 hours north of Toronto

Pilot DAR
23rd Sep 2008, 03:39
Very good float training is available at Orillia, only an hour and a half north of Toronto, and lots to do. Spectacular colours this time of year. By the mid to end of October, float training is mostly over in this part of the word. It's just miserable taking off from the water, in air which is below freezing, and finding very quicly that a splashed airplane (whidshield) is now an iced over windshield. The farther north you are, the sooner float training ends.

Contact Jeff here: Lake Country Airways: floatplane training, endorsements, float charters and rentals (http://www.lakecountryairways.ca/) He's a great guy with a wealth of experience...

This link of the Transport Canada website, will get you close to the information you're looking for: Flight Crew Licensing (http://www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/general/personnel/menu.htm) Have fun, it really is!

Pilot DAR

sec 3
23rd Sep 2008, 04:49
Yup scalair, you should be able to learn all there is to know about bush flying in one month:ugh:

er340790
24th Sep 2008, 19:52
Beware - flying floats is DEEPLY addictive!

Spent the whole Summer of 2003 flying floats (J3) in NW Ontario, returned to Europe, sold up and moved here permanently in 2004! You have been warned, it really can be life-changing.

Back then, Transport Canada would issue a temporary (1 year) licence for a small fee to allow accredited foreign pilots to pilot C-registered aircraft. In my case (FAA PPL at the time) I got the FAA ASES rating and check-flight in the States then did the Canadian training on top - in Canada it took the form of an instructor log-book endorsement. I found the FAA training to be the bare minimum (5 hours) and only enough for basic puddle-jumping, whereas the Canadian training (8 hours) had more emphasis on bush-flying in more remote areas.

The easiest way would be to get the seaplane rating on your UK licence, as I understand ratings cannot be added to the Canadian 1-year licence per se.

For training providers, a/c rentals and general seaplane info, take out a sub to the Seaplane Pilots Association (SPA). Best $50 you will ever spend.

Have fun!

North Shore
2nd Oct 2008, 07:27
As the fall goes on, anything east of the Rockies becomes increasingly hostile to liquid water. Thus, the West Coast becomes a better choice for float flying- several operators in and around Vancouver and Vancouver Island who can show you the ropes. Also, a float rating is probably about 50% cheaper here than in Europe..