It is a common knowledge in aviation community all around the world that Canada is a good place for flight training. Maybe, among the best. Training here is recognized for its high quality and availability. Also, there’s a thing that strongly appeals to international students: hourly rates for flight instruction - they are fairly decent compared to those in many other countries, especially, in Europe.
I remember when I was doing my flying for instrument rating in Calgary,
there were a few international student from Europe at a training outlet too, and everyone pointed out that it was less expensive for them - to travel across Atlantic, pay for accommodation, fly necessary amount of hours for course or endorsement here, in Canada, then go back to home country, pay due fee for endorsements conversions, - and still, you’ve got some money leftover for celebrating your next accomplishment with friends. As for hourly rates specifically, they would go: “Same numbers, but ‘Euros’ in Europe, and ‘$$ Canadian’ - here” 
For most young, aspiring Canadians there’s no need to travel too far away from his, or her native city, or even small town: you can find a place to get your wings virtually everywhere. Well, perhaps, there’s some latitudes, above which flight schools are rather ’scarcely settled’, and eventually - nonexistent, but as for that part of Canadian territory ‘where most people live’ - there’s no complaints about ‘insufficient numbers’ of them.
For those who ‘believe in the value of post-secondary education’ there is an option to consider one of colleges with aviation programs offering a degree along with a commercial pilot license. In Calgary we have the Mount Royal College that does it for many years.
And with respect to activity of these colleges I want to say the following.
Lately an aviation community in Canada observed with interest a new trend regarding the type of training that is oriented ‘from scratch’ on preparing pilot cadre for airline environment in the ‘ab-initio’ colleges.
And it was Air Canada Jazz that expressed a willingness to take a number of graduates from specified colleges to put them - after due ‘final in-house honing’ - into right seats of Jazz’ Dash-8s and CRJs.
I put them together for a picture: a ‘Globe’ newspaper clipping with an article on the subject, and my ‘Mac’s screen showing a blog post ‘Knowledge is Power’, where I made a couple remarks reflecting on history of aviation training and education in the Soviet Union. If you want, you can find some parallels. Maybe, some say that it is a point of ‘academic interest’, no more than that. However, the Soviet Union was among the countries, the contracting states of ICAO, - namely - that pioneered in creating a new type of aviation institutions oriented on the airline industry.
I allow myself to cite one paragraph from the ‘Globe’ article:
“The line pilots at Jazz are in an uproar, even to the point of having unofficial petitions posted on pilot bulletin boards,” said an employee who did not want to be identified. “Not only does the average pilot think that this hiring scheme is ludicrous, many line captains feel they are ill-prepared and ill-trained to monitor and manage.. these inexperienced co-pilots.”
It’s funny, as I recall about us, the Aqtyubinsk Flight College graduates in early 80s, who just got their job positions fly turbines right after leaving the ’school bench’. And we had heard literally the same ‘apprehensions’ with regard to ourselves, and the ‘new fashion to train the pilots in the Soviet country’!
On October, 29, my college mates celebrated our 25th anniversary of graduation. Unfortunately, I didn’t go to enjoy a reunion, which they had twice - first time they got together at ‘alma mater‘ in Aqtyubinsk, Kazakhstan, and then they had a three-day event (!) in Moscow.
Anyway, I also appreciate a lot a conversation with ‘new generation’ of college graduates: there’s a couple of boys who attend college programs here in Canada, there’s a guy who successfully graduated aviation college in Europe, and works now for ‘Tyrolean’ (Austria) on Dash-8, and here’s Alexey, a 737 pilot from Russia - hopefully, they’ll find a spare minute, and come over here to share their exciting experiences in business we are all - college graduates, or not, regardless - so passionate about
November 13th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Hm, a college, or, may I say - ‘high aviation school’, - one of the best time in my present life. Reading this post made me think about having another look through my photo-albums. Huh, there were a plenty of photos that had been taken during our flying. Unfortunately, this photos can’t be retrieved and posted here now, but I suppose in nearest future they will. Indeed, how many cheerful moments were experienced there, at lectures, during ground and flight training respectively.
Sometimes I really envy Canadian aviation students because you’ve got such a good base knowledge, comprehend instructors, training facilities, you’re supposed to log more time upon graduating from college, and, besides, - you’ve got your ‘free life’!
But I suspect this may be a little bit too boring. ‘Correct life’:) Also, we’ve had as much positive as negative in our flight universities too. So I look back and through what we’ve had. There are two high schools in the country, and couple of colleges. They’re all strongly resembling ‘military type’ establishments, even though they’re CIVILIAN. At the beginning I’ll try to explain some routine and then describe flying part of our being at this school. I hope it’ll be interesting for readers.
I hadn’t ever laid emphasis word ‘freedom’ before I got there.
You never feel this ‘flavour of freedom’ when you’re going to run away like a spy from prison because the only way to run away is to ‘go spare’, nobody gives you sign out. Some of my friends had been staying there for months before they could officially go home, there always was a row of reasons limiting their travel, such as, for example, ‘expensive tickets’ to go over the large country to their homes in Far East.
It’s interesting to know that this High school is situated in Ulyanovsk, the native land of ‘Lenin’.Lenin was the chief of revolutionary crowds in 1917, he commenced ‘The great Soviet period’,he deposed emperor Nikolas the II-nd. This period includes/describes World War I,II,’Great armaments drive’ with the USA and so on.I think you’d find it interesting because…..
…to be continued…
November 14th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Alexey,
thank you very much for this post. Now it is my turn to look back, and through all the experiences I’ve had in the Soviet/Russian aviation. And you know what? - first and foremost it’s stricken me with great surprise how little has changed since the time I was a student (a ‘cadet’) in my flight college! It makes me think there’s been a lot inherited from the ‘Soviet aviation culture’, and it is obvious that a great deal of its ‘essentials’ still prevails and hang on in the modern Russian aviation. It means Russians are ’stubborn die-hards’!
But there’s a lot of new stuff has emerged in the last decade that now influence and stimulate a great ‘cultural shift’, and many and many in the Russia’s aviation community feel a need to perpetuate the inevitable change.
I’m not saying the Russian aviation needs a ‘revolution’, but definitely, a lot of things shall be revised, reorganized, and set up as a standard.
I’m glad to be a part of this dialog too, and share my knowledge and experience with the new generation of Russian pilots. And what I see as a most important thing, - there’s a line of ‘generational communication’ is possibly establishing through a chat like this one. Moreover, it is a line of communication between the two worlds!
So, if you paraphrase a famous Marx’s rhetoric, you may find a new appeal in a statement: ‘Aviators all around the world - unite!’
November 17th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Hello.
Great discussion and I enjoyed the posts. Very informative!
I am myself a student in a such aviation college - Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto. I am in the final year and will be graduating in May.
I am not exactly sure what people want to know about the program at Seneca but I will describe it to the best of my abilities.
It is a 4 year degree program which lasts all year long - we have three semesters - Fall/Winter, Winter/Spring and Summer.
First two semesters are purely academic where students cover various disciplines such as Statics, Dynamics, Calculus, Electronics and so on. Ground school is also taught during this time and it spans both semesters.
In the end of first two semesters the class shrinks to approximately half its original size and the flying begins. Recently Seneca introduced a simulator indoctrination training. We have a great full cockpit simulator of Cessna 172 and before students even touch the real plane, best effort is made to ensure that they know all the procedures, normal and abnormal, as well as they practice almost all exercises that are on PPL flight test. After that the students proceed to the real plane, we have 8 C172, and accomplish their PPL training. The flying in the summer is very intense - up to three lifts a day and it is possible to get your PPL in 6-8 weeks.
After summer ends school year begins and now students do both flying and academics. Towards the end of the program the courses are more and more aviation-related.
After getting the first license students get introduced to F33A known as Bonanza and they build their PIC time on it flying all over southern Ontario as well as to Us, Timming and New Brunswick.
Night rating is received in second or third winter.
Multi-engine rating is done in the B58 Baron and by the time students are finished with that they proceed back to the Cessna to get their commercial license.
Last phase of flying is IFR and MIFr where students fly F33 and B58.
The school also has great LOFT phases with about 6-7 flight in each, where students get some operational experience of operating a light twin commercially.
In 4th year training is also done on Level 6 CRJ-200 simulator, where students go through 40 hours of scenario based training. Almost all the training on a CRJ is scenario based.
4th year student also write IATRA ATLP exams.
In the end graduate student gets about 200 hours TT with a IATPL which is activated once the candidate reaches appropriate qualifications as outlined by TC.
I cannot say that things in my school are perfect and shiny, however it is work in progress just liek anywhere. Over my 4 years I have seen it get better.
As far as graduates going into right seat of a regional airline - I really do not see anything bad about that. First of all they are treated no differently than anyone else - they go through the same selection process and training as everyone. The flying experience that they have might not be the one that a person with 1000 hours on floats has, but how will float time help me fly a commercial jet or a turboprop? It is interesting to go back in history and remmember how Air Canada used to hire 200 hour pilots rather than former military pilots. The reason was - it is easier to train that low time pilot, they are very teachable and do not have any bad habits yet. So I am not too sure what is the lesser evil here.
I think the process is fair as long as these new graduate pilots get treated the same as everyone.
I personally do not think of taking that route, the spirit of adventure calls))) I am planning to instruct, build my time until ATPL and then make my choice when more doors are open.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Thank you, Kirill,
for a post which is absolutely to the point of a dialog theme. I found this reading be interesting in a ‘comparative aspect’ too: amazing, a program pacing and structuring is fairly close to what we had in late 70-90s in the .. Soviet Union! First three semesters were more saturated with general disciplines: Physics, Math, Mechanics.. Although, they were intersecting with some ‘101’s of ‘aviation academia’ as well: beginnings of Aerodynamics, Navigation, Avionics, Aviation Fluids and Materials, Inner Combustion Engines theory, etc.. Conspicuously standing along was a ‘History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union’
First two years we studied some English too. For those who never studied this language before there was a ‘crash course of grammar and pronunciation’ at first. All the English we studied at college was mostly related to ‘air speaking - rules and phraseology of ground-air radio communications’, and technical aspects of aviation. An objective was, as I could recon it now, - to teach students functional English do some ‘trouble-shooting’ communication on the ground too.
Kirill, do you have at all a dedicated subject of ‘air speaking’ at your college?
After reading your comment I left with an impression that Alexey, my friend from Moscow, who commented here above, could confirm similarities existing in general course structure between the one he had at Ulyanovsk, and your course, Kirill. And most remarkable differences may lay in ‘cultural aspects’ and ‘life style’, I guess
I agree with you, the statement by some senior pilots today that ‘the scheme is ludicrous’ (cited from the ‘Globe’ newspaper in the post) is a bit of ’stretch’
Many countries in the world do it (train pilots ‘from scratch’ for airline environment in colleges) for decades. Why not Canada?
Keep in touch, update us on your progress, we’ll be glad to hear from you,
C
November 21st, 2008 at 3:43 am
I think the relevance of the training scheme is overshadowed by a candidate’s attitude and ethic towards work and learning. As our airline says, we hire for attitude and train for skill. The experience requirements for the pilot candidate and subsequent training requirements once hired are wholly dictated by Western supply and demand economics.
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:06 am
Eric,
appreciate your compact (’succinct’ - is that all right?
) comment.
It’s coming to five years since we moved here from Russia, and for me it’s been a never ending process of weighing things I knew from my ‘previous life’ against another ones experienced here, and especially, with regard to aviation.
When it comes to comparing ‘training schemes’, my observation promptly suggests an opinion that there’s a BIG difference between two countries
‘Canadian system’ appears to be way more ’seasoned’ by ‘market economy realities’ and looks quite adapted to its cyclic nature commanded by ’supply and demand’. And it is not burdened by a ’standard’ for pilots demanding of them to have higher education ‘under the belt’. For your information, pilot certification system in Russia regards diplomas and degrees as the ‘must-do’ elements for pilots to attain certain levels in their careers.
My rough assessment for Aeroflot, for example, could give you a number: over 90% of pilots in the company may have diplomas of higher education.
Anyway, it is a great conversation, and I’m very glad, Eric, that you have joined it. Some Russian ‘NG’-pilots (I mean, ‘representatives of NEW GENERATION of Russian pilots’
) read this forum, and I believe this exchange will do some good for them 
Everybody, let’s keep talking,
C
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:28 am
Hey!
Let’s continue our discussion,
Returning to the ’subject matter’.
UHAS (Ulyanovsk High Aviation school). The program goes for 5 years. We can divide this program into 3 parts. The first one is mostly covers subjects of general knowledge (first 2 years), the second - it is a term for studying special disciplines (other 3 years) and the final is an actual flying practice (in summer between 3-4 and 4-5 courses). Generally speaking, the first 2 years are about general knowledge such as high maths, materials, high geometry, English, engines, the history of aviation and so on. Subsequent years are for specials. The 3-rd course is devoted for getting knowledge about Yak-18T and obtaining PPL, the 4-th is for Yak-40 or An-26 and getting CPL with theory for ATPL (earlier ATPL) and multi-engined license. The 5-th course covers a ‘general aeronautical knowledge’ from Jeppesen, and learning all international rules.To sum up, by finishing UHAS our graduates have approx. 85 hours of flight time (30-35 on Yak-18T and 40 on Yak-40 or An-26). Today we hear a lot from ongoing discussions that the new program should be designed, and it has been pointed out, that the graduates shall have at least 150 hours, and a sufficient amount of hours on the FFS.
Now,UHAS is experiencing big problem with aircrafts. Because old airplanes (Yak-18T,Yak-40,An-26) can’t satisfy new requirements for that new program and they don’t have got enough ‘time recourse’. And nothing is being produced for substituting these aircraft up to date. Well,we’ll have 6-7-8th course in the nearest future.The students will have theory without practice.This is the reality!
Cheers
A
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
2 Eric Grossman&:
Good Afternoon (MSW time)!
Great,I suppose you are a ‘native’ Canadian pilot. I’m interested in Canadian aviation, people working there, customs, habits, - ‘ways Canadians are’ :), etc. I’m looking forward to seeing Canada soon during a short visit. Would you be so kind to tell me briefly about your ‘walk of life’, the company your work for. All kind of stuff like this holds my interest.
Thank you!
November 25th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Alexey (b737),
thank you very much for your posts,
I wonder what they say about the so-called ‘Yak-18T of 36th series’.. it is said to be an aircraft to replace those well-worn but proven trainers at Ulyanovsk, and other pilot training schools across Russia..
as for Eric.. you are right - his relation to aviation goes far beyond his membership in our ‘RA-85123 Fan Club’. In my opinion he should be a right person to ask questions about Canadian aviation too
Talk to you,
S
November 28th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Goodmorning!
Interesting stories, the Russian training program sounds a bit like the Singapore Airlines Abinitio ( zero hour guys) sponsorship. They start with flying on Cessna’s and later on the Baron and as the cream of the pie the Learjet 45! Etihad starts the same programme this year as I read in Flight International.
The “Europe” way like I did myself, is not that far from the “Canadian” way, you have to complete your secondary school and then you can apply to a flightschool which will put you in the selection procces. Here they want to test you in fort example mathematics, psychological testing and motivation. When you are lucky and pass them all you can start your flight training. The ATPL faces 14 subjects like Air law, Aerodynamics etc. All tests have to be pased with the famous 75%. Thereafter you can start your flight training. Starting with the VFR part on Cessna’s 152/172, then the IFR on the 172 and the Multi Engine on the Seneca. We all have to do our MCC course then which in my case was on the B737. Afterwards party! All the studie and effort has come to a right place: your CPL ME IR. Then comes the hard part: How to find a job?
In Europe it is common that they hire guys straight from the flightschool on to the rightseat. Just 180 hours and you can land on a A321 like a friend of mine did. I had the chance for the Dash 8 Q300/400 in Austria. The Airlines have a hard selection procces aswell. For my company we had to do a simcheck, aviation knowledge test, english test, then if all that was passed we had to go to a Avition pshychologist. Questions like you see a square and a triangle, how do you feel? We were with 25 guys and 2 of us got the job……
The new way it will go in Europe is the multi pilot license, they start with 80 hours on a Da 42 sim Diamond twinstar, and then 80 hours of actual flying on the DA42, then a check and your license is there… Of course with the normal Theory background.
Just a few questions regarding the Russian aviation college, was the yak 40 like jet oriented flying? And did you guys flew a multi engine before? And what About sim training? Must be pretty heavy to do a complete Yak 40 TR during your training?
Cheers,
Tom
November 29th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Hi, Tom,
We are so glad to see you here again.
Such a valuable addition to the ‘topic material’ you’ve provided us with - the whole column looks now as a comprehensive guide for an aspiring youngster - enough ‘thought food’ to think over, and to choose from after
I’m impressed with a level of competition existing in Europe, and with the results you’ve demonstrated while going through it. Great job! Oh, how many hours you’ve already logged on Dash-8?
Alexey (a Russian fellow flying 737 after graduation) is busy now, however, he’s going to visit us soon here, in Canada! - so, we are planning a lot of activity around here. On this project - too
I can give you a sketchy answer re: Yak-40. It is a jet plane, MTOW is 16.100 kg, certified to fly with a crew of three (two pilots, and a guy we call ‘on-board mechanic’). Certainly, as ourselves many years ago, they were trained to fly this plane as actual crew members, depending on a position - either F/O - from the right seat, or a Captain - from the left. They supposed to be introduced to real multi-crew flying while going through this part of training at the college. Alexey will update my answer, of course.
Stay in touch,
,
and we would love to have some pictures from your flying around beautiful Austria, and Europe
Take care,
S