SPECIFICS OF ATTAINING THE QUALIFICATION OF A PILOT IN CANADA

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to give an overview of the qualification requirements for future pilots in Canada and to discuss trends in such professionals training modernization. The methodological framework of the research is comprised of general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization – to study the works of foreign scientists, official and legal documents); specific-scientific methods (categorial analysis – to reveal the essence and clarify the definitions of the basic concepts of the study), and the structural and functional analysis – to determine the organizational, content and procedural features of pilot training in Canada. The analysis of the normative and legislative documents showed that the most professionally important licenses giving a pilot a professional right to work in the aviation industry and civil aviation are the Commercial Pilot’s License – CPL and the Airline Transport Pilot’s License – ATPL. The paper concentrates on the analysis of the requirements for knowledge and skills that a pilot has to possess and develop as well as a number of important steps to be completed to get the CPL and ATPL as specified in the corresponding sections of the Canadian Aviation Regulations. In order to obtain a license, a future pilot has to comply with the requirements for age, health status, a number of written examinations and flight training – flight hours, flight conditions and the level of skills. The qualification of a pilot can be attained at Flight Training Units or following the completion of university and college programs. The paper describes the specifics of integrated courses offered by the former – the Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane (CPL(A)) integrated course, Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane/Instrument Rating (CPL(A)/IR) Integrated Course, and Airline Transport Pilot Licence – ATP(A) Integrated Course. The conclusion is made that the types of flights and pilot activities in terms of CPL (A), CPL (A) / IR and ATP (A) licenses are largely the same. The difference lies in the number of hours provided for certain activity types and several specific requirements such as flying in difficult weather conditions or interaction between crew members. Among pilots’ training modernization trends we single out the following: its organization based on the competence approach, a reduction in the cost of training a new generation of pilots and increasing its efficiency through the introduction of new technologies in the training process.