Commercial Pilot Licence – Program Requirements

(1) Age
An applicant shall be a minimum of eighteen years of age.

(2) Medical Fitness
(a) An applicant shall hold a Category 1 Medical Certificate valid for a Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane.
(b) The licence holder may exercise Private Pilot Licence – Aeroplane privileges until the end of the medical period specified for the Private Pilot Licence.
(c) The licence is maintained by a valid Category 1 Medical Certificate.

(3) Knowledge

Ground School Instruction

(a) An applicant shall have completed a minimum of 80 hours commercial pilot aeroplane ground school instruction including at least the following subjects:
(i) Canadian Aviation Regulations,
(ii) aerodynamics and theory of flight,
(iii) meteorology,
(iv) airframes, engines and systems,
(v) flight instruments,
(v) flight instruments,
(vi) radio and electronic theory,
(vii) navigation,
(viii) flight operations,
(ix) licensing requirements, and
(x) human factors including pilot decision-making.
(b) An applicant who is a graduate from an approved integrated course shall have completed the applicable course requirements in section 426.75 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

Written Examination

(c) All applicants shall have obtained a minimum of 60% in each of the following four mandatory subjects areas as well as in the overall written examination Commercial Pilot Licence — Aeroplane (CPAER):
(i) Air Law – regulations, rules and orders, air traffic services, practices and procedures, and licensing requirements relevant to the licence,
(ii) Navigation – navigation, radio aids and electronic theory,
(iii) Meteorology, and
(iv) Aeronautics – General Knowledge – airframes, engines and systems, theory of flight, flight instruments and flight operations.
(d) An applicant who is a graduate from an approved integrated course shall have completed the applicable course requirements in section 426.75 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

(4) Experience

(a) An applicant for a commercial pilot licence — aeroplane shall:
(i) have completed, subject to paragraph (b), a minimum of 200 hours flight time in aeroplanes, of which a minimum of 100 hours shall be pilot-in-command time including 20 hours cross-country pilot-in-command flight time, and
(ii) following the issuance of a private pilot licence — aeroplane by Canada or another contracting state, have completed 65 hours of commercial pilot flight training in aeroplanes consisting of a minimum of:
(A) 35 hours dual instruction flight time, under the direction and supervision of the holder of a Flight Instructor Rating — Aeroplane, including:
(I) 5 hours night, including a minimum of 2 hours of cross-country flight time;
(II) 5 hours cross-country, which may include the cross-country experience stated in subclause (I); and
(III) 20 hours of instrument flight time in addition to the experience stated in subclauses (I) and (II). A maximum 10 hours of the 20 hours may be conducted on an approved aeroplane simulator or synthetic flight training device.
(B) 30 hours solo flight time including:
(I) 25 hours solo flight time emphasizing the improvement of general flying skills of the applicant which shall include a cross-country flight to a point of a minimum of 300 nautical mile radius from the point of departure and shall include a minimum of 3 landings at points other than that of departure; and
(II) 5 hours solo flight time by night during which a minimum of 10 takeoffs, circuits and landings were completed.
(b) An applicant who is a graduate from an approved integrated course shall have completed the applicable experience requirements in section 426.75 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

(5) Skill

Within the 12 months preceding the date of application for the licence, an applicant for a commercial pilot licence — aeroplane shall successfully complete a flight test as pilot-in-command of an aeroplane, in accordance with “Flight Test for the Issuance of a Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane” of Standard 428 — Conduct of Flight Tests.