Recreational Pilot Permit

Welcome to the wonderful world of flying! You are about to embark on some of the most exciting and challenging training you will ever experience, all of which is focused towards earning a Recreational Pilot Permit.

The training you will receive is structured in a Transport Canada approved syllabus that will provide you with all the knowledge and skills you require to ensure a future of safe and enjoyable recreational flying.

This information package is intended to provide you with a basic understanding of the training you will receive and how it will be conducted. Included in this package are:

  1. Transport Canada Requirements for Recreational Pilot Permits
  2. Outline of Ground Training Instruction
  3. Outline of Flight Instruction
  4. Typical Costs to Obtain a Recreational Pilot Permit

When you enroll in the RPP Course you will be provided the following information:

  1. Ground Training Schedule
  2. Company Standard Safety Precautions
  3. Transport Canada PSTAR Exam Study and Reference Guide
  4. Transport Canada RPP Study and Reference Guide
  5. Transport Canada RPP Flight Test Standard
  6. Other Study and Reference Materials as required

Should you have any questions regarding this, or any other course offered by Sealand Flight, please feel free to ask any of our staff or instructors. We would be most pleased to help you.

RPP – Permit Requirements

Student Pilot Permit

The Student Pilot Permit is the document that allows persons undertaking flight instruction to conduct flight training under solo conditions (ie: without a flight instructor in the aircraft). A licenced flight instructor must first authorize all flights conducted under a Student Pilot Permit.

Transport Canada requirements for the issuance of a Student Pilot Permit are as follows:

CATEGORYREQUIREMENT
Age Must be at least 14 years of age
Medical Valid Category 1, 3, or 4 Medical Certificate
Knowledge Pass PSTAR Examination (90%)
Skill At Flight Instructor’s Discretion
Experience At Flight Instructor’s Discretion

Recreational Pilot Permit (RPP)

The RPP is not a licence, but a pilot permit. The holder of an RPP may fly a single engine, non-high performance aircraft with a seating capacity of not more than four (including flight crew) under day VFR conditions, and may carry not more than one passenger. The RPP is valid only in Canada, cannot be used for trans-border flights, and cannot be endorsed for any ratings (ie: night, instrument, VFR over the top, multi-engine, etc).

Transport Canada requirements for the issuance of a Recreational Pilot Permit are as follows:

Age: Must be at least 16 years of age
Medical: Valid Category 1, 3, or 4 Medical Certificate
Knowledge: Pass Written Exam (RPPAER)
Skill:  Pass Transport Canada Flight Test (RPPFT)
Minimum Experience:

  1. Total Flight Time = 25 Hours
  2. Dual Flight Time = 15 Hours
  3. Solo Flight Time = 5 Hours
  4. Dual Cross-Country Requirement = 2 Hours

Recreational Pilot Permit (RPP) – Ground Training Instruction

While completion of a formal Ground Training is not a mandatory requirement for the Recreational Pilot Permit, most candidates for the RPP find the Private Pilot Ground Training is an essential element in successful preparation for the Transport Canada Written Examination (RPPAER). It is highly recommended that students wishing to pursue the RPP take the Private Pilot Ground Training Course.

The Private Pilot Ground Training offered by Sealand Flight is taught by experienced Transport Canada licenced instructors and provides at least 40 hours of multimedia classroom instruction covering all required subject areas. Key subject areas that will be covered during the Ground Training include the following:

  • Air Regulations
  • Aerodynamics
  • Theory of Flight
  • Meteorology
  • Airframes, Engines and Systems
  • Flight Instruments
  • Radio and Electronic Theory
  • Navigation
  • Flight Operations
  • Aero-Medicine and Human Factors
  • Pilot Decision Making

Recreational Pilot Permit – Flight Instruction

A Licenced Flight Instructor will provide all of your flight instruction, which will follow a Transport Canada approved syllabus broken into 6 Phases and 30 Lesson Plans. The structure of these lesson plans is designed on a “building block” approach and will provide you with basic flight instruction, moving on to more advanced elements as your skills and abilities develop.

There will be three key milestones in your flight instruction:

First Solo Flight: Under the guidance of your Flight Instructor, you will learn the basic skills of controlling the aircraft in a safe manner. Starting with basic aircraft handling, you will progress on to more advanced maneuvers, developing the skills and knowledge required to safely complete a local flight without the assistance of your Flight Instructor.

Cross-Country Flights: After completing your first solo, you will learn other skills required to complete a cross-country flight. Your cross-country flight will be a dual flight under the supervision of a Flight Instructor. This will be your first opportunity to exercise your navigation skills and to fly into unfamiliar aerodromes.

Test and Licensing:  After completion of your cross-country flight, your Flight Instructor will program a series of instructional flights to ‘fine tune’ your skills in preparation for the Flight Test.