Category Archives: Aviation

At one point I was in New Mexico and wanted to have a bit of flying there to see what it’s like. Of course, though, I couldn’t fly an American aircraft with just a Canadian PPL. Well I’ve done some research on the FAA website and come up with two options for getting my hands on an American PPL. One is a license and the other is a certificate, but you will have to decide which is better suited to your needs.  Read more... (532 words, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)

Breakdown of all my flight time into PIC, dual, instrument, cross-country + more. Also a list of licenses and ratings I hold.  Read more... (136 words, estimated 33 secs reading time)

The Diamond Katana DA20 A1 is a light trainer and comparable to the Cessna 150, but the similarities stop there. The Katana has a low-wing, tandem-seat, carbon-fiber/plastic composite airframe, and has numerous advantages including a constant speed prop, control sticks (think fighters), and a greater usable payload.

There are two trainer variants of this aircraft, the DA20 A1 and the DA20 C1. Diamond began producing the A1 in 1994 as an improvement to the DV20, which in turn was a development of the HK36R motorglider. Flight schools found the 80HP powerplant to be lacking, and Diamond responded with the C1 variant in 1998. The C1 crams a 125HP engine into the same frame as the A1, and gives the aircraft an extra 34 knots of cruise airspeed.  Read more... (387 words, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

Decided to go soaring last Saturday – haven’t been in a glider for about a year and a half, and the Rideau Valley Soaring Club offers intro flights in their German-made Grob 103, which is way more advanced than the Schweizer SGS-233A training glider I learned on.  Read more... (228 words, estimated 55 secs reading time)

A person wanting to begin flight training in Ottawa is prepared to spend in the neighbourhood of ten thousand dollars, and it only makes sense to get the best deal and the best experience. Choosing a flight school is something I did almost two years ago, and I believe I made the best choice at the time. That being said, has the situation changed now?  Read more... (542 words, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)

Students enrolled in Algonquin College’s Commercial Pilot and Aviation Management program will be interested in the distance between the college and the flying club (OFC).

By car, it is a short 10-15 minute drive on Woodroffe Avenue then Hunt Club Road. During rush hour this is not an enjoyable route, however.

If taking a bus, there is a direct link provided by the 116. It can be boarded near the college at Baseline Station Stop 1B. Stops near the flying club are limited to ones along the side of Hunt Club. They are only a three minute walk from the Club, though. At most times of the day, this route can be traveled in approximately half an hour.  Read more... (150 words, estimated 36 secs reading time)

Judging from the keywords visitors are searching for to find this site, I think many people are looking for information on a specific topic, rather than general info on Canadian PPLs. Unfortunately I realized that there is not much of that kind of material here, so I am offering this page as a happy medium until there is more.

Don’t waste time scrolling through dozens of webpages to find the one tiny thing you were looking for – just ask me. Write a comment below, and I’ll answer it as soon as I can, and wherever possible mention any references I use.  Read more... (125 words, estimated 30 secs reading time)

A couple weeks ago I filled out a bunch of forms and got a Transport Canada “Authorized Person” to sign the back of my license. That signature officially gave me my Private Pilot’s License.  Read more... (221 words, estimated 53 secs reading time)

Getting a private pilot’s license (PPL) can be described as

• showing you know the textbook
• showing you know how to fly.

The requirements for getting a PPL say that the two final exams a student must pass are, guess what:

• a written exam covering all ground school material
• a flight test covering all necessary flying skills

As of four days ago, I had only these two exams between me and my license. I scheduled a written exam slot for Wednesday morning, wrote it, and passed! I could just leave this post as it is now, but maybe I should share some details in case someone reads this while preparing for their exam.  Read more... (436 words, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Exams are over, and I am getting tired of having to tell people I still don’t have my PPL. There is going to be a lot of free time for the next couple weeks for me, and hopefully a lot of good weather too, so I’m making a push while I can.

I flew last week with Mark, and did a pre-flight test including two hours of ground material and two hours in the air covering everything I have learned so far. I did okay, but while he is on a trip for the next week or so I will make a couple solo flights to practice my weak areas.  Read more... (242 words, estimated 58 secs reading time)