Worldcrime Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 How do I convert my private or commercial helo license for use in Canada?Also, does Canada have a "guest" license like Australia?Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfly Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 How do I convert my private or commercial helo license for use in Canada? Also, does Canada have a "guest" license like Australia?...Transport Canada - Personnel Licensing - Foreign Applicants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coaster Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 Got work lined up here in the North do ya Worldcrime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worldcrime Posted August 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Got work lined up here in the North do ya Worldcrime? No, My wife is from Vancouver, B.C. and we are going to move there when I retire. Researching requirements so I can fly there. Richard http://www.broadbandtvnow.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinrock Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 How do I convert my private or commercial helo license for use in Canada?Also, does Canada have a "guest" license like Australia?Richard See the reply with Transport Canada address and ask directly. I got my Canada license over 10 years ago and had to go through a good solid ground school for the written (it ain't a pussycat exam like the USA) and had to do at least five hours of flight training before I got signed off for the check ride. I had to do a canada physical as well which is how you keep your license valid there and its called a validation certificate! Have your logbooks handy to prove your claimed flying time. You'll find the license much more restrictive than the FAA license. If in helicopter, they are treated totally seperate from fixed wing and are in fact two seperate licenses. Depending on circumstances, and perhaps it has changed in the last 10 years, you will get rated if you show time in machines in the preceeding 12 months in addition to the one you take your flight check in. Otherwise you end up with a pretty basic and limited license. Check with Transport Canada for current info. BTW, I had nearly 20,000 hours when I went up there for the license and a lot of ratings.FlyinRock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coaster Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 I had to do a canada physical as well which is how you keep your license valid there and its called a validation certificate!Partly true. We also have yearly proficiency checks. You'll find the license much more restrictive than the FAA license. If in helicopter, they are treated totally seperate from fixed wing and are in fact two seperate licenses. So in the US, you have a license that rates you for both FW and rotary on the same slip of paper? Huh... funky. Yeah I guess here ya do need a different piece of paper for every license you have, including the radio operator's license. For what it's worth Worldcrime I hope you're buying your own machine, or know someone in the area with one you can steal time to time. Rates here are retarded and you'll blow your retirement fund in a hurry by renting machines. R-22s out on the coast go for $430/hour plus tax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldy Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 Rates here are retarded and you'll blow your retirement fund in a hurry by renting machines. R-22s out on the coast go for $430/hour plus tax. Westcoaster-- Why the difference in cost in Canada ? I rent an R22 out the door at $160, I know thats a steal...but the going rate in Los Angeles is still under $200/hour. Maybe I should buy a couple and lease them back to Canadian operators and retire ??? Goldy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coaster Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 The reason is two fold: Reason 1- Insurance for helicopters is thru the roof this side of the boarder. The industry is getting safer but the rates keep getting higher. Lame. Reason 2- The Canada/US boarder. The cost to maintain a helicopter built in the USA in monumental. Even if you buy parts thru a dealer in Canada you're still paying up the wazoo. Using the R-22 as an example again, try digging up the difference in costs for a 2200 hour O/H on a machine in America vs one in Canada. That boarder can sometimes bump the cost up tens of thousands of dollars. So never complain to a Canadian about high machine rates. We'll just laugh and pat ya on the back. You don't know how lucky you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfly Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 WC'r, I think reason #1 is oft touted by operators up north and though insurance rates have increased ridiculously (and continue to), I believe it is not as much of a contributor as claimed. Your reason #2 is a little more of a tangible reality, yet I think still doesn't quite add up, especially with the dramatically stronger Canadian dollar. I think the real reasons are #1 - flight instructors in Canada are remunerated at a scale that can only be dreamed of south of the border (outside of factory schools). Only way really to attract the higher-time experienced guys out of the bush to instruct, as is more common in Canada. #2 IMHO - each class (season) they continue to increase the prices, yet no fewer students come. As long as the demand is there they will charge what the market will bear. How high will it go until enrollments suffer? Who knows? As you rightly observe, the rates have gotten retarded! If you don't think those reasons are valid, why have fixed wing instruction rates in Canada remained below their counter-parts in the U.S.? They are subject to the same increasing-insurance, south-of-the-border-parts-sources costs as the piston helicopter market. Interesting too how turbine helicopter prices in Canada have remained more on par with their U.S. counter-parts? Over abundant supply of machines north of the border?? What I don't think many Canadian students realize yet is how much of a discount their stronger Canadian dollar (even after exchange) would get them at schools south of the border. That $160 - $200 USD range for an R22 is ~ $180 - $225 CDN after exchange at current rates. Still cheaper to get your license, even though you need 150 hrs for the Commercial license in the U.S. vs. 100 hrs in Canada. And you'd have 50 more hours! Spend the equivalent $$ that you'll spend in Canada down south and you'll have close to 200 hrs! YMMV Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldy Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 The reason is two fold: Reason 1- Insurance for helicopters is thru the roof this side of the boarder. The industry is getting safer but the rates keep getting higher. Lame. Reason 2- The Canada/US boarder. The cost to maintain a helicopter built in the USA in monumental. Even if you buy parts thru a dealer in Canada you're still paying up the wazoo. Using the R-22 as an example again, try digging up the difference in costs for a 2200 hour O/H on a machine in America vs one in Canada. That boarder can sometimes bump the cost up tens of thousands of dollars. So never complain to a Canadian about high machine rates. We'll just laugh and pat ya on the back. You don't know how lucky you are. WC-I dont see any luck in my wallet, just an empty void that used to contain $100 hundred dollar bills !! Ok, so why not turn the bird over to a pilot to fly down over the border and perform the O/H ? What would it take, 20-25 hours of flight to get to so cal ?? The cost down here for an R22 OH runs around 100K or so, depending on the blade AD..just curious, maybe theres a need for some fat helicopter pilots to fly that route...I qualify ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coaster Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 WC-I dont see any luck in my wallet, just an empty void that used to contain $100 hundred dollar bills !! WHAT!!! You can still afford a wallet... and pants to put it in?? Lucky bugger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 How do I convert my private or commercial helo license for use in Canada?Also, does Canada have a "guest" license like Australia?Richard Cant see if you got a reply. Im trying to find out how to fly in Canada and US from New Zealand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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