Japanese looking for flight school in BC

[Tendon Pilot]

Hey guys.
So I have been researching between Australia, Canada and USA and I figured Canada had the cheapest cost of all with some opportunity to work during or after training.
I was looking into BC area and came up with these two schools.

1)The Professional Flight Centre in Boundary Bay Airport ---Program looks good but thinking about transportation cost, living cost and accommodation... yikes...
2)Langley Flying School in Langley Regional Airport.---apparently looking at different threads, the previous owner of the school was better than the current one?

I should be visiting these schools and get the feel before I commit but with cost of traveling to Canada from Tokyo and cost of staying in Canada it is bit tough for me to do.
I was also looking into Victoria Flying School (VFC) but when I called them up, they told me it is a 5 month waiting list...
I know BC area gets quite expensive when it comes to living but I think found some decent place.

Japanese but I'm more comfortable speaking in English (despite the fact that my grammar sucks) and I was in American school in Tokyo since 1st grade all the way to high school and graduated university from usa with aerospace engineering...
Thinking of starting my training from end of January - beginning of February.

[Takira101]

Hi,

I have done most of my flying out of Boundry Bay airport and worked with most of the schools there.

DO NOT choose professional Flight Center! The owner is on par with a used car salesman. He is in the business of making money. Period. They will try to get every cent out of you by having you fly as much as they can even when it is not necessary. Once you are there flying, they don't care about you at all. Pure money grab. STAY AWAY!

At Boundary Bay I would recommend Pacific Flying Club or Canadian Flight Center. Pacific Flying Club is a non profit organization, so they are not trying to milk you for every dollar.

My number one recommendation is Pitt Meadows. Try one of the small schools there. The owners actually care about providing quality flight instruction. The airport is closer to the practice are which means shorter flight times which saves you money. The cost of living in Pitt Meadows is also much cheaper.

I live in Osaka and did all of my flight training in Canada. Feel free to drop me a line anytime to ask any questions.

[Tendon Pilot]

Hey Takira101!
Man, thank you so much for your input. I actually did read somewhere that professional Flight center's owner was like a car salesman or sth... it was definitely from the thread here...

I decided to go with Langley Flying School in Langley simply their website seemed to have lot of info (checked thoroughly through their website and read some reviews) and simply cheaper than Boundary Bay Airport area flight school...

Did hear about Pitt Meadows but did not look into it too much....

Are you working in the airlines now?

[Takira101]

Glad you hear that you could make a decision.
Yes, Langley is another one I should have mentioned.
The location is great because it right near the practice area which will save you a good 20 minutes on each flight. That will add up to hundreds of dollars over the course of your training. The cost of living will be more reasonable as well. I actually did my ppl written exam there. Not sure about the quality of their operation. Maybe you can let me know once you start flying there.

I never went the airline route.
I did my ppl and cpl back in 2006 and then ended up getting into aircraft design at Mitsubishi Aircraft. I usually do 1 nice cross country flight every year as a private pilot. Flew from Vanacouver to New York in a 172 in 2016. Good times. I have recently decided to go back to Canada next year to do an instructor rating.

So are you planning to do your ppl and cpl?

Send me a message on Line if you want to talk shop.
It looks like we will be flying in the same area next year.
My ID is nyc.101

[Tendon Pilot]

Hey Takira101, thanks again for another information.
That is really great to hear. I guess I can keep you updated on what the flight school look like.

Oh I see I see.
Yes, planning on doing PPL, CPL, Multi-Engine, IFR, and instructor rating.

Just sent you line message.

[Tendon Pilot]

Hey evansb

Oh.... I see. Also thank you for suggesting flight school in Calgary/Springbank and Lethbridge Alberta but I might stick with Langley now.

But now that you said about Japanese Gardens and restaurants in Lethbridge, I am so tempted now....

[Danioo]

Hi Tendon Pilot and Takira101!
I'm also a Japanese guy in Tokyo raised in the US (first language is English), looking to convert my FAA CPL and IFR to Canadian licenses in the BC area. I plan on also doing my instructor rating after that and hopefully doing some good for the future of aviation..
I was also looking at the long list of flight schools in the area and collecting info on forums including your posts, and also came across Langley. Looks decent!
Just wanted to say hi, and maybe we can connect as we pursue the dream!

[Vio]

Very good points from anyone, but may I recommend you stay away from BC? It's expensive and worst of all, the weather is not ideal for flight training. Lots of rain, low ceilings, etc. I'd recommend Calgary area or the Prairies (Winnipeg). They have great schools there and you'll be able to find cheaper accommodations. Just my two cents.

[Takira101]

Good point, but you MUST mention the cold! Ohhhhhh the cold................

[Takira101]

Hi Tendon Pilot and Takira101!
I'm also a Japanese guy in Tokyo raised in the US (first language is English), looking to convert my FAA CPL and IFR to Canadian licenses in the BC area. I plan on also doing my instructor rating after that and hopefully doing some good for the future of aviation..
I was also looking at the long list of flight schools in the area and collecting info on forums including your posts, and also came across Langley. Looks decent!
Just wanted to say hi, and maybe we can connect as we pursue the dream!


See you there!

[flyingcrankshaft]

Hey,

I am planning to visit BC and have a look at the schools. Have you guys (Tendon Pilot & Danioo) started your course? I have one question, are the schools accessible via public transport? Or is need necessary to own a vehicle?

[Takira101]

Boundary bay is accesible by bus. You will have to walk about 15 to 20 minutes from the bus stop on the main road down to the airport. However, it has been years since I have been there so it may be different now. Call the school to confirm. F.y.i, do not consider abbotsford for flight training. Pacific Coastal is a terrible school.

[Ilyushin76]

Hey,

I am planning to visit BC and have a look at the schools. Have you guys (Tendon Pilot & Danioo) started your course? I have one question, are the schools accessible via public transport? Or is need necessary to own a vehicle?

Looking for schools to convert my license currently. :D

[flyingcrankshaft]

Looking for schools to convert my license currently. :D

Hey,

I am also looking for schools to convert my FAA CPL to TC CPL. I researched and found out it's quite straight forward to convert from FAA to TC. I can even do it myself. But I feel it's better to engage a school with experience in this field. Even if yours is not an FAA license, most schools can help with the conversion process such as CFC, Proifr, etc. You can just drop them an email and see what they offer.

[flyingcrankshaft]

Langley, Boundary Bay and Pitt Meadows are much easier to access by car. Rent one. With a GPS of course. You may want to drive to Abbotsford airport as well. Chilliwack airport too.

If you live in Langley, access to the airport is easy.

Boundary Bay? Public transit hubs from Ladner.

link to public transit maps and schedules: https://www.translink.ca/Schedules-and-Maps/Transit-System-Maps.aspx

Thanks for the advice. Guess renting a car is the most convenient. Will be in Vancouver for just a couple of days and I am planning to visit all these schools in those three airport within a day.

[jacarandaa]

Hi OP!

I am currently looking into flight schools in BC area.. aside from schools at Boundary Bay Airport I figure Langley sounds good too.

I wonder have you started your training yet? Would appreciate any feedback!

Thanks!!:)

[Female Capi]

Hello,
I am not from HK but came across this discussion with interest. I have a PPL and interested to finalize in Canada I did the same research and Langley is the most favorable for the requirements I was interested in, however the con is that the school does not provide in-house/campus accommodation as a student that is your responsibility.
Be prepared to live in neighboring towns like Surrey, and Burnaby (among others) for proximity (public bus lines, train etc) and affordability (housing) as Langley can be pricey.

Also as much as it's indicated on their website that they organize airport transfer that is not completely accurate so do be prepared to organize your own transfers as well as accommodation in a hotel ($100) if you haven't secured one prior to arriving.

Other than that it seems to be a promising school, and looking forward to the experience and flying. Any one who has received a different experience kindly share this will aid in research.

Happy Landings

[Ilyushin76]

Hello,
I am not from HK but came across this discussion with interest. I have a PPL and interested to finalize in Canada I did the same research and Langley is the most favorable for the requirements I was interested in, however the con is that the school does not provide in-house/campus accommodation as a student that is your responsibility.
Be prepared to live in neighboring towns like Surrey, and Burnaby (among others) for proximity (public bus lines, train etc) and affordability (housing) as Langley can be pricey.

Also as much as it's indicated on their website that they organize airport transfer that is not completely accurate so do be prepared to organize your own transfers as well as accommodation in a hotel ($100) if you haven't secured one prior to arriving.

Other than that it seems to be a promising school, and looking forward to the experience and flying. Any one who has received a different experience kindly share this will aid in research.

Happy Landings


Can you recommend a good school with affordable accommodations in its vicinity (access by public transport is okay) as I know it can be quite expensive to live and commute in Canada.

[jacarandaa]

Hello,
I am not from HK but came across this discussion with interest. I have a PPL and interested to finalize in Canada I did the same research and Langley is the most favorable for the requirements I was interested in, however the con is that the school does not provide in-house/campus accommodation as a student that is your responsibility.
Be prepared to live in neighboring towns like Surrey, and Burnaby (among others) for proximity (public bus lines, train etc) and affordability (housing) as Langley can be pricey.

Also as much as it's indicated on their website that they organize airport transfer that is not completely accurate so do be prepared to organize your own transfers as well as accommodation in a hotel ($100) if you haven't secured one prior to arriving.

Other than that it seems to be a promising school, and looking forward to the experience and flying. Any one who has received a different experience kindly share this will aid in research.

Happy Landings

Hi there! Thanks for the reply!

I am not actually looking to do my full training in Canada. Probably just basic training. I was looking on their website and noticed the cost for RPP and PPL is only a $1000 difference, with RPP a few practice hours less.

I know the hours it takes to get either RPP / PPL depends on the student's progress but is it worth it to get a RPP? My budget is rather limited and the most I can pay for is RRP... (on top of accommodation/food, etc)

Also from my understanding, a regular flight school will only charge you by flight time, so you pay after every lesson, and not upfront?

Thank you again!!:)

[Female Capi]

Hello,
Thank you for your queries I will try to answer them to my best ability

Ilyushin76 Best approach is to contact your schools of interest directly. I did exactly that ((Langley) and they gave some affordable suggestions and a list of websites that aided in my search. Whichever school you choose, get as much info as you can. A good school will offer a variety of options if they don't have one in place already. As for commuting there public transit/regular bus routes in the Langley area, which I assume is affordable you can get more info from Wikitravel (there many links as well on Langley area):O

jacarandaa There some Pros and Cons for RPP license as compared to PPL license however this decision depends on you and what your plans are in the aviation industry. "By far the least popular of all of the pilot certificates is recreational. It is a less intense version of the private certificate". In my opinion PPL (with endorsed ratings) is a better approach, RPP is restrictive (cannot fly at night, permitted to fly ultra-light aircraft, cannot fly outside domestic airspace etc). If you plan is to relocate to Canada then it applies, if it's not a future plan after your training then it'll cost you more to convert to a license that will allow you to fly high performance A/C and outside of Canada. You can get more info online about RPP license before making a commitment.
You can speak to your school of choice about the different financial aid available to international students or explore the available scholarships online (despite them being competitive and limited) its worth a shot. Get the most you can from you training without having to increase your budget.

Happy Landings

[Ilyushin76]

Hello,
Thank you for your queries I will try to answer them to my best ability

Ilyushin76 Best approach is to contact your schools of interest directly. I did exactly that ((Langley) and they gave some affordable suggestions and a list of websites that aided in my search. Whichever school you choose, get as much info as you can. A good school will offer a variety of options if they don't have one in place already. As for commuting there public transit/regular bus routes in the Langley area, which I assume is affordable you can get more info from Wikitravel (there many links as well on Langley area):O

jacarandaa There some Pros and Cons for RPP license as compared to PPL license however this decision depends on you and what your plans are in the aviation industry. "By far the least popular of all of the pilot certificates is recreational. It is a less intense version of the private certificate". In my opinion PPL (with endorsed ratings) is a better approach, RPP is restrictive (cannot fly at night, permitted to fly ultra-light aircraft, cannot fly outside domestic airspace etc). If you plan is to relocate to Canada then it applies, if it's not a future plan after your training then it'll cost you more to convert to a license that will allow you to fly high performance A/C and outside of Canada. You can get more info online about RPP license before making a commitment.
You can speak to your school of choice about the different financial aid available to international students or explore the available scholarships online (despite them being competitive and limited) its worth a shot. Get the most you can from you training without having to increase your budget.

Happy Landings

Thank you for your reply. Will do as advised ! :)

[Tendon Pilot]

Hello,
Thank you for your queries I will try to answer them to my best ability

Ilyushin76 Best approach is to contact your schools of interest directly. I did exactly that ((Langley) and they gave some affordable suggestions and a list of websites that aided in my search. Whichever school you choose, get as much info as you can. A good school will offer a variety of options if they don't have one in place already. As for commuting there public transit/regular bus routes in the Langley area, which I assume is affordable you can get more info from Wikitravel (there many links as well on Langley area):O

jacarandaa There some Pros and Cons for RPP license as compared to PPL license however this decision depends on you and what your plans are in the aviation industry. "By far the least popular of all of the pilot certificates is recreational. It is a less intense version of the private certificate". In my opinion PPL (with endorsed ratings) is a better approach, RPP is restrictive (cannot fly at night, permitted to fly ultra-light aircraft, cannot fly outside domestic airspace etc). If you plan is to relocate to Canada then it applies, if it's not a future plan after your training then it'll cost you more to convert to a license that will allow you to fly high performance A/C and outside of Canada. You can get more info online about RPP license before making a commitment.
You can speak to your school of choice about the different financial aid available to international students or explore the available scholarships online (despite them being competitive and limited) its worth a shot. Get the most you can from you training without having to increase your budget.

Happy Landings

Hey all.
I apologize for not being able to reply.
I recently got into car accident and broke my leg bone so it will be awhile for me to get back on track.
As far as I see, like Female Capi says, definitely ask the school first. I did some research on accommodation and stuff and was planning to take the bus or probably buy a cheap car that can get me from A to B.

[Ilyushin76]

Hey all.
I apologize for not being able to reply.
I recently got into car accident and broke my leg bone so it will be awhile for me to get back on track.
As far as I see, like Female Capi says, definitely ask the school first. I did some research on accommodation and stuff and was planning to take the bus or probably buy a cheap car that can get me from A to B.

Looking forward to your speedy recovery !

[Tendon Pilot]

Looking forward to your speedy recovery !
Thank you!! :ok:

[flyingcrankshaft]

Hello,
I am not from HK but came across this discussion with interest. I have a PPL and interested to finalize in Canada I did the same research and Langley is the most favorable for the requirements I was interested in, however the con is that the school does not provide in-house/campus accommodation as a student that is your responsibility.
Be prepared to live in neighboring towns like Surrey, and Burnaby (among others) for proximity (public bus lines, train etc) and affordability (housing) as Langley can be pricey.

Also as much as it's indicated on their website that they organize airport transfer that is not completely accurate so do be prepared to organize your own transfers as well as accommodation in a hotel ($100) if you haven't secured one prior to arriving.

Other than that it seems to be a promising school, and looking forward to the experience and flying. Any one who has received a different experience kindly share this will aid in research.

Happy Landings

Hey Female Capi,

Are you currently at Langley Flying School or was a student there? Could you share more on their fleet size and the number of instructors? I read from somewhere their fleet size is quite small and on the older side(No glass cockpit). Information on their fleet is not obvious on their website. Also, are the number of instructors enough to cope with the number of students? Was any of this(fleet size and number of instructors) an issue for your training?

Cheers.

[studentpil0t]

Hey,

I am also looking for schools to convert my FAA CPL to TC CPL. I researched and found out it's quite straight forward to convert from FAA to TC. I can even do it myself. But I feel it's better to engage a school with experience in this field. Even if yours is not an FAA license, most schools can help with the conversion process such as CFC, Proifr, etc. You can just drop them an email and see what they offer.

Save yourself the time/money & self-study for the conversions exams. they're not hard at all. few weeks of preparation with a online course such as pilottraining.ca .Then you just take yourself to the local Transport Canada office and sit the exams. Upon completion submit your validation form there and then.

[Ilyushin76]

Save yourself the time/money & self-study for the conversions exams. they're not hard at all. few weeks of preparation with a online course such as pilottraining.ca .Then you just take yourself to the local Transport Canada office and sit the exams. Upon completion submit your validation form there and then.


Any suggestions on the textbooks?

[Hazelnut832]

I'm self-studying PPL & CPL groundschool before I step into the cockpit, too.

Right now, I'm using Harv's air online (pilottraining.ca) PPL & CPL (Keep in mind with PPL course you get a lot more than just the ppl theory such as radio op cert, air maneuvers, PSTAR - that's for your first solo). I've bought From the Ground up but not the question booklet (which I should), Sharper Edge PPL & CPL books for practice questions (although I think CPL would have sufficed), and the RCAF Weather CMD manual without the question book (I plan on buying later on).

[Ilyushin76]

I'm self-studying PPL & CPL groundschool before I step into the cockpit, too.

Right now, I'm using Harv's air online (pilottraining.ca) PPL & CPL (Keep in mind with PPL course you get a lot more than just the ppl theory such as radio op cert, air maneuvers, PSTAR - that's for your first solo). I've bought From the Ground up but not the question booklet (which I should), Sharper Edge PPL & CPL books for practice questions (although I think CPL would have sufficed), and the RCAF Weather CMD manual without the question book (I plan on buying later on).


This covers the CPAER and INRAT?

[Hazelnut832]

Nope, just CPAER.

[Female Capi]

Hello flyingcrankshaft,
No am not a student at Langley, however I've reached out to them with interest to join. About the fleet size am sure the school can share this with you just send them an email, they are open to sharing as much info suited for your training needs. In regard to glass cockpit equipment they did not mention any because I didn't ask. I was more interested in another equipment which they have in their fleet.

In regard to instructors am not sure how many instructors they have, but based on information I've received from a former student and what other students have posted online (Facebook) there was no mention of this as an issue.

I would advise you reach out to them directly they are best placed to share all the necessary info with you.

Happy Landings

[flyingcrankshaft]

Save yourself the time/money & self-study for the conversions exams. they're not hard at all. few weeks of preparation with a online course such as pilottraining.ca .Then you just take yourself to the local Transport Canada office and sit the exams. Upon completion submit your validation form there and then.

Hello studentpil0t,
Do you have an idea how long does the process take from the day I pass the conversion exams? Do you also have any idea how long does a TCCA Class 1 medical take from the day I do my check-up? I heard the medical alone will take 6-8 weeks.