JAR - Canadian Floatplane licence

[scalair]

I intend to go to B.C. (Kelowna) to train on floats.
I have a JAR PPL, and understand that I can:
1. get a 3 month temporary canadian licence, issued within the hour, just show my UK licence, UK medical, and log book.
2. get a candian licence as a conversion from my UK one, but need to do a canadian medical, and sit a canadian written exam (PSTAR).

No point in adding a floats rating to a temp licence so No2 seems best option. I can do medical here in UK, can I do PSTAR too? (Dont want any delays when in Canada awaiting licence issue)

Then, how do I add a Floats rating to JAR licence? OK, I can sit a UK floats/seaplane exam here, but the training will have been done in a C reg a/c.

Can anyone help please? Marc

[clunckdriver]

The folks runing Loch Lomand floatplanes should have the answer methinks, but Im sure the Brit CAA have managed to make it very involved! I think their motto is "We are not happy till you are not happy!"

[doo]

I think the UK CAA is not happy till you are broke.

[North Shore]

Scalair, the PSTAR shouldn't cause you any delay - IIRC it's about 20 questions of really basic stuff (remember, it's designed for PPL candidates before they are allowed to go solo, so the knowledge base is pretty slim..) and it can be graded at the FTU where you write it..

As for the rest, I have no idea.

HAve fun! Float flying is a blast!

[custardpsc]

The temporary licence is as easy as it sounds. I have had two issued now and both took about an hour and a half. The PSTAR is easy enough but the pass rate is 90% so its worth looking at it before you go. There is a great resource here - PSTAR Table of Contents (http://www.principalair.ca/pstar_table_of_contents.htm#pstar) . Its worth scanning in and mailing the relevant pages of your logbook if you want the 'issued on the basis of' canadian license as it gives Transport Canada a chance to check it before you arrive at the desk. If you have a uk/jar ppl you won't have a problem. The only issue i had was for night rating as the rules differ and canada needs min 2 hrs dual night x-country. Even though i had plenty of solo night x-country i had to fly one hour dual to top up to the 2hrs required to get the night rating included. The temporary licence doesnt need a photo, but the 'issued on the basis of' does,and you have to get it done in a local drug store as it needs a stamp on the back. Don't be tempted by the one year 'foreign licence validation' as you can't add ratings to that.

The canadian medical is in theory to the same standards as ICAO generally but in practice administered in a more conservative manner. Expect qustions about family medical history and or your drinking habits !

It is worth putting the float rating on the temporary licence - I did that in 2008 and when I came back this year I got another temporary licence with that rating automatically put on it. I am just doing the PSTAR to get the 'issued on the basis of' canadian licence on the back of my uk ppl so the canadian licence will then carry that rating. I was going to do the PPL aeroplane written exam and flight test which then gives a full canadian licence but have run out of time. The full canadian licence is a peach. You can trade it for a full FAA ppl apparently (not a 61.75) and there is no separate taildragger/VP prop/complex differences training required for those aircraft types. I never bothered getting the float rating transferred to my uk licence, didn't see the point since there is so little uk float aviation.

If you are wanting to fly floats in BC I can recommend Pacific Rim Aviation, Pitt Meadows (near Vancouver) - I did my rating there in 2008 and liked it enough to go back there to do more training this year, great place. Nice 172 on floats, fleet of clean 152/172's and well run.

Hope this helps.

[ilsglider]

Hi i have a spanish jaa atpl (frozen) with me/ir rating and would like to convert it to candadian cpl.do you know what are the procedures of conversion?what i need to do?

Regards

[Asty Taylor]

hello scalair,
I converted from JAR (UK) PPL to Canadian PPL a few years back. (2002).
I remember having to do some extra dual instrument time in order to meet the requirements for Canadian PPL. (5 hours vs 1 hour for the UK).
Now, this may have changed in the meanwhile, but could be worth looking into to avoid surprises.
Good luck. You'll enjoy the flying out of Kelowna.