Flying in Canada

[Aerobatic Flyer]

I'm going to Canada in mid-August, and would like to do some flying there. I'll be staying close to Calgary.

Can one fly using a UK licence, and if so what needs to be done to validate it?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations on rental in the Calgary area, or tips on places to fly to?

Thanks in advance. :)

[Circuit Basher]

Afraid all my GA flying was done in Nova Scotia when I was in Canada, but did plenty of travelling to Calgary (as commercial SLF). Recommend the place highly as somewhere good to go - I had a great time there! Obviously, even better if you head towards Banff (approx 2 hr drive) / Jasper in winter!!

In terms of sightseeing, obviously Rockies must be great, but would also suggest Drumheller (which is around 90 miles East of Calgary), which has a Dinosaur Museum (http://www.dinosaurvalley.com/tourism.html) and some pretty interesting rock formations around the valley. I haven't specifically seen them from the air, but I should think they're quite good.

Enjoy your trip! :D

[Hen Ddraig]

Try

www.copanational.org/non-members/Learntofly

for good selection of FBO's across Canada

The local Transport Canada office will issue a Foreign Licence Validation Certificate on production of a UK or JAA licence and valid medical certificate. The process is almost painless, costs about $50 CDN and is valid for 12 months, also permits you to fly Canadian registered aircraft in USA and Bahamas.

Don't forget Calgary is 3500ft amsl

good luck. Enjoy

Time to spare. Go by air.

HD

[India Four Two]

Since you are coming to my hometown, I thought I should respond.

Here’s the information you need about licence validation (from http://www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/general/personnel/fore.htm):

Recreational Flying in Canada: Foreign Licence Validation Certificate (FLVC)

A foreign pilot licence of a visitor whose residence is outside Canada may be validated for private recreational purposes. The foreign pilot licence must be valid under the law of the issuing state and valid for the privileges appropriate to the specific purpose.

An applicant may apply for a Foreign licence Validation Certificate (FLVC) before arriving in Canada. The FLVC will be issued for a period of one year at which time the applicant may choose to renew it, or apply for a permanent Canadian Pilot Licence.

The applicant may fax a copy of their pilot licence and their valid Medical Certificate to one of Transport Canada’s Regional offices.

Transport Canada Safety and Security, General Aviation, Personnel Licensing AARRB), Place de Ville, Tower C, 6th Floor, Area D, 330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N8.

There is a licensing fee of $45 Cdn. applicable that may be paid by a certified cheque, money order or credit card number, (the cheque should be made payable to ("The Receiver General for Canada").
I suggest you deal with the Calgary office (+1 403 292-5227, fax +1 403 292-5030)


Checkout and Rentals
The following list is taken from the ads in the Calgary Yellow Pages – it’s a sign of the times that nearly everyone has a web site. All phone numbers are Area Code 403.

Springbank http://www.calgaryairport.com/Springbank%20Website/html/index.html
Avpro Flight 286-5101
Calgary Flying Club 288-8831 www.calgaryflyingclub.com
Fly Right 288-5118 www.flyright.ca
Red Aero Aviation 247-4933 www.cadvision.com/redaero
Springbank Air Training College 228-7700 www.springbankair.com

Calgary International http://www.calgaryairport.com/home.html
Calgary Flight Training Centre 291-9393 www.aviation.ca
Canadian Flight Training Centre 247-2799 www.aviation.ca
Morgan Air 291-3644 www.morganairservices.com
West Point 250-3321 www.flywestpoint.com

Okotoks
Sky Wings 938-5252 www.skywings.com

High River
High River Flight Centre 652-3444

Springbank is the main GA airport just west of town on the Trans Canada Highway. It is one of the busiest airports in Canada in terms of movements.

Calgary International is a great learning experience if you’ve never flown in a busy airport with jet traffic. The drawback is long taxi times and occasional delays due to traffic. Landing on a 12,700’ x 200’ runway for the first time gives quite a different perspective. I did my Night and Instrument ratings at Morgan Air and that's where I go when I need to rent a 172.

Okotoks and High River are small single runway airports south of town. Not busy, which can be a plus, but only one operator at each. If you are staying south of town, they would be convenient. Okotoks has a north-south runway which makes for lots of cross-wind practice, given our prevailing westerly winds.

Mountain flying is a must but a mountain checkout is highly recommended if you haven’t flown in mountains before. I expect all the rental organizations would require this check before allowing you to fly solo in the mountains. Read up on density altitude - Calgary is at 3550' (higher than the top of Snowdon!). Leaning the mixture before takeoff is something that takes getting used to if you are a sea level flyer.

I can second the recommendation about the Tyrell Museum in Drumheller - a world class dinosaur exhibit. Flying there is not really convenient - the airport is a long way from the museum.

Send me a PM if you need any further information.

[Aerobatic Flyer]

Thanks very much for the replies - greatly appreciated! Can't believe how cheap it is!

I'll be staying with family in Canmore initially, but would like to explore the area a bit by air if I can. I'd especially like to fly in the mountains. Most of my flying these days is in the French Alps, so hopefully I'll be able to adapt to the Rockies.

[India Four Two]

AF

No, you've got it wrong;) Prices are normal here. I can't believe how expensive it is in the UK:ooh:

The last time I flew in the UK (Bulldog out of Old Sarum in 1998), I was paying 125 pounds an hour - you can rent a twin for that price here!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

you can rent a twin for that price hereOr a floatplane. I'm not expecting to find my Canadian flying particularly cheap next month.

(I did rent a landplane in Canada once, at about half the UK price.)

[Aerobatic Flyer]

The last time I flew in the UK (Bulldog out of Old Sarum in 1998), I was paying 125 pounds an hour - you can rent a twin for that price here!

Yes - I noticed that. For a fleeting moment I thought about learning to fly one...... But that would be silly!

But an AA5B for £45 an hour isn't bad!

[India Four Two]

GW

Yes, floatplanes are more expensive, but still cheaper than in the UK. I used to rent a Super Cub on floats for C$100 (about £50) an hour wet (in both senses of the word).

Admittedly this was a few years ago, but the owner told me he was charging double his normal rate for a wheeled Super Cub, because of the insurance premiums.

AF

I wouldn't like you to think I'm made of money! I had one trip in the Bulldog just to see how it compared with the Chipmunk. I'm an old time UAS pilot (pre-BEagle, which really dates me!). The Bulldog was nice, but the Chipmunk is still my all time favourite

[MLS-12D]

One thing that you should know is that the FLVC only authorizes you to operate a Canadian aircraft; it does not permit you to train for additional ratings. If you only wish to do some recreational flying during your stay, the FLVC should be just fine; but if you decide that, e.g., you'd like to learn to fly floatplanes while you're here, you should apply for the Limited Term Private Pilot Licence (LTPL or LTPL/MC). See further here (http://www.harvsair.com/training/conversions/) and here (http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/general/policyletters/ga9901.htm).

[Gertrude the Wombat]

but if you decide that, e.g., you'd like to learn to fly floatplanes while you're here, you should apply for I'm sort of hoping that my floatplane instructor, who says he's done it before lots of times, will guide me through doing the right paperwork ...

[Aerobatic Flyer]

MLS-12D

Thanks for the info. I'd love to do a floatplane rating, but Southern Alberta doesn't seem to be the place for it....

What I do hope to be able to do is take up an invitation to fly on a grizzly bear tracking flight in the Rockies. They use a Cessna 337, and try to locate the bears that have been tagged with radio collars. It sounds like fun flying.

[Radar]

AF,
I'm green with envy!! In September 2000 I did some (very limited) flying with Calgary Flying Club out of Springbank. Unfortunately the wx gods didn't simle on me and time was very limited. Having said that my experience was very positive. The guys there struck me as very professional (from what I saw), accommodating and friendly. Plus ..... the view from the club house has got to be among the best on the planet!

Undoubtedly you'll enjoy yourself wherever you decide to fly from but when I go back I'll be heading for CFC at Springbank.

Have fun :D :D

[MLS-12D]

I'd love to do a floatplane rating, but Southern Alberta doesn't seem to be the place for it.... If you can get up to Edmonton, these two places (apparently) teach floats at Cooking Lake (just east of the city):

ALLISON AIR SERVICE
Hangar #67, Cooking Lake Airport, 51401 Range Road 221, Sherwood Park, ABT8E 1H1
Telephone: 780-922-1083
Fax: 780-922-1085
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Brock Allison, Pres.
Piper Super Cub on straight floats, C$160/hr
Students allowed solo flight time: Yes
Aircraft rental: Yes (certain restrictions apply)

COOKING LAKE AVIATION ACADEMY INC.
25, 52063 RR#225, Sherwood Park, ABT8C 1C3
Telephone: 780-922-2802
Fax: 780-922-2872
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Orville Hewitt, CFI/DFTE
Cessna 182 on straight floats
Aircraft rental: Yes
website (www.aviationacademy.net)

[Aerobatic Flyer]

Thanks to everyone for the helpful advice.

Unfortunately things didn't work out quite as planned, and on the days that I was free to fly, smoke from the dozens of forest fires in the area made visibility so bad that there wasn't a lot of point in taking off.... :(

I managed one abortive bear-tracking flight. We gave up when we couldn't see the 10,000 ft mountain that we knew was 4 miles in front of us.

It's a beautiful area, and I hope to be able to do some flying there next year. By then, there'll probably be no forest left to burn, so the smoke conditions shouldn't be as bad as they are this year! It's pretty unforgiving terrain, though, and very empty by European standards. Just before I went, a British PPL rented a C172 from Springbank, and went flying in the mountains with two passengers. The weather was stormy, and they crashed close to the top of a mountain. The wreckage wasn't found for several weeks.... Very sad indeed.