Introduction & First Steps

Getting Started

If you are ready to make the commitment, we have provided the recommended steps below and have more specific details starting with operational hours. *Please note that while Transport Canada requires a minimum of 45 hours of flight time to obtain the Private Pilot Licence, the Canadian average is about 90 hours of flight time to meet the required standard.*

1. FIRST STEP – Book your Aviation Medical. Complete Aviation Medical. You will need a Category 3 medical for your Private Pilot Licence training or a Category 1 for your Commercial Pilot Licence. If you wish to obtain your Recreational Pilot Permit see point 1a. *Please note that Transport Canada is experiencing delays when issuing the medical certificate. Please note that you will need to have your Canadian Medical Certificate in your possession when you are going to fly solo (flight without instructor). Due to issuance delays it is our recommendation that you conduct your Aviation Medical as soon as possible. In addition we also highly recommend that you consider obtaining your Category 4 medical by filling out a declaration form with your family doctor. The average processing time for a Cat 4 is 40 days if you do not have any medical concerns. Please speak with your flight instructor for more details.
   1a) If you wish to obtain your Recreational Pilot Permit, then you will need a Category 4 medical. This declaration form can be completed by you and your family doctor. The original form will need to be emailed to Transport Canada and you will have to wait to receive the medical certificate in the mail before you can fly solo.
2. Register as an associate. You can register at the Front Desk during our operational hours. We will request that you use a valid passport for the photo ID required. Cost $210 plus HST.
   – We will also need a credit card to be left on file or for a credit of $300 to be left on your account after paying for the required fees.
3. Purchase ePTR (approx. $10.95 plus tax). This will document your flight training in an electronic Pilot Training Record. Automatically done with registration unless otherwise specified.
4. Ask for access to our online booking system. You can start flying as soon as you would like however most of our students prefer to do a couple of ground school classes prior to commencing their flying.
5. Register for Ground School. Options available Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Instructor Rating.
6. Purchase ground school kit and headset which includes the necessary books and materials that you will need for your training. We have various options available at our Pilot Shop. They are located onsite just beside our Restaurant. For a list of recommended items and associated kit costs please download Ground-School-Kit-contents (see link below).
7. Choose a Flight Instructor.
8. Consider obtaining Renter Insurance.
9. Schedule flights at your convenience during daylight hours.
10. Have fun!

Operational Hours

In order to get started you will have to come in person to register as a Brampton Flying Club member. You will be able to register anytime during Club hours. From April 1st to October 31st our flight school is open 7 days a week from 07:00 am to midnight. From November 1st to March 31st our flight school is open 7 days a week from 08:00 am to 10:00 pm. Occasionally we may close early due to weather, for this reason, it is recommended that you call the front desk at ext 0 to confirm daily hours.

PPL Ground School Start Dates

If you prefer to start with the ground school, we offer a new start date at the beginning of each month. Please note that you may jump into a pre-existing class if you prefer. Ground School start dates are provided below:

Thursday April 6th, 2023
Saturday May 13th, 2023
Tuesday June 6th, 2023
Wednesday June 28th, 2023

Ground school for our Private Pilot Licence runs for 16 weeks, once a week for 3 hours per class. Ground school is offered in the evenings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7-10pm, and on Saturdays from 10am-1pm.

Active members are able to attend classes as many times as needed on any day, without additional cost as long as they have proof of purchase (receipt required) and an active associate status.

Ground school hours will help you to qualify for a tax receipt. For more details visit Tax Receipt Info.

PPL Ground School Tips:

– Private Pilot Ground School is optional for Recreational Pilot Permit students however it is a Transport Canada requirement for the Private Pilot Licence students.
– It is highly recommended that you take the ground school in order however once you pay at Brampton Flight Centre you have the ability to repeat the ground school as many times as you like as long as you have original proof of purchase and as long as you have an active associate status with the Brampton Flight Centre.
– If you choose to take the ground school classes out of order, it is highly recommended that you take PPL #1 first as it gives some oversight as to what to expect and how to proceed.
– It is also highly recommended that you take Navigation and Meteorology classes in order as they are split up into 3 separate classes for each topic and therefore they build up onto each other. For example, it is not recommended that you take Nav #2 before you take Nav #1.

Private Pilot Course Outline with Recommended Readings

Ground School Schedule

For information about our Commercial Ground School or Flight Instructor Rating Ground School please contact Julie Marzoli [email protected]

Flight Training

You are able to start at any time, and you are not required to complete the ground school before starting to fly. Instead, we recommend that you do the ground school and flight training simultaneously. You should be able to use the concepts you learn in flight to help you with the ground school and vice-versa.

The cost of the program is approximate as it is based on Transport Canada minimums. Please note that typically students take 70-90 hours to obtain their Private Pilot Licence on a part-time basis. Flight training costs will fluctuate based on individual learning needs. We accept all major credit cards, debit, cheques and cash. We have an online reservation system for customers to make bookings with aircraft and their Flight Instructor at their convenience. Flights are scheduled during daylight hours, seven days a week, based on your availability.

The Private Pilot Licence program is a flexible self paced program so you can decide how often you want to fly and how often you would like to attend ground school. For this reason, the length of the program and the cost will be highly dependent on your consistency of training, your availability, your ability to learn and weather. On average most students tend to take about a year to obtain their Private Pilot Licence if they are doing their training on a part time basis, however please keep in mind that we have had students finish in as little as a few months if they are committed to flying 4-5 times a week. The PPL allows you to carry up to 3 passengers and apply for upgrade ratings (i.e.: Night, Multi Engine, Seaplane, Instrument).

Renters Insurance

It is highly recommend that you obtain insurance for when you are pilot in command of the aircraft. Renters insurance, also called non-owned insurance, is an insurance policy that decrease the deductible that you are responsible for in the event that an aircraft which you do not own but are operating is damaged. For more information about this, please visit our Insurance FAQs page.

Choosing a Flight Instructor

All of our instructors have gone through the necessary training and are recognized and certified to Transport Canada standards. To help select an instructor that fits your needs, it is recommended that you consider your schedule with their availability. To get started:
– You are welcome to reach out to them directly. Our instructors have email addresses and you can email them by directing it to their [email protected] For a list of our instructors please visit Meet Our Flight Instructors page.
– Please note that some of our instructors are fully booked so it is best that you confirm they are available to take on students. If you need further assistance getting set up with an instructor please contact Rita at [email protected].
– Meeting Flight Instructors at ground school or around the flying club.
– It is recommended that you have one primary instructor and if you fly frequently, you may want to consider having a secondary instructor in the event that your primary instructor is not available. It is not recommended to have more than one secondary instructor.

Introductory Discovery Flight – optional

One option you may want to consider before registering is our Introductory Discovery Flight. The Introductory Discovery Flight is a great way for you to get a taste of what it is like to fly a small aircraft. The flight itself is typically 15 to 20 minutes over the surrounding Niagara Escarpment, and a pre-flight briefing are also provided. This flight will allow the participant to experience the sensation of flying, and the Flight Instructor will be able to answer any questions during and after the flight. The amount of time the participant will actually be able to fly will be their choice, and dependent on their comfort level. This flight can be scheduled during daylight hours, any day of the week. Please contact the main reception at 905-838-1400 ext. 0 to book your flight.