learning to glide in Canada

Going solo

The first step starts with flying together with an instructor until such time as the instructor judges that you are capable of safely flying solo. The length of this dual-instruction stage varies from one person to another. It may take 30 to 50 flights for new student pilots, depending on how frequently they fly, or 10 to 20 flights for licensed power pilots, depending on their level of experience.

You must have your student pilot’s license to be able to carry out solo training in a glider. During this period you must be under the supervision of a glider instructor and you cannot carry a passenger.

To fly solo, you must:

· be 14 years of age or more
· successfully complete the PSTAR theory exam with a score of 90% or better
· successfully pass a pre-solo flight test
· have a student pilot’s license

The holder of a valid power pilot’s license, private or commercial, has the privileges of a student glider pilot, and is subject to the same restrictions as a student glider pilot. To fly solo however, a power pilot is only required to pass the pre-solo flight test.
To obtain a student pilot’s permit, you must submit the following documents in triplicate to an authorized person of the MSC.

· Proof of citizenship and age (copy of passport, birth or baptismal certificate)
· Results of the PSTAR exam showing a result of 90% or better
· Medical permit, Class 4 or better
· Attestation, submitted by an authorized person.


Step 2 – The written GLIDE exam
The second step towards becoming a glider pilot consists of passing the GLIDE exam, which is set by Transport Canada. To write the exam, you must arrange a time with Transport Canada Dorval at 514-633-3863.

To write this exam you must:

· Have followed a theoretical course of at least 15 hours. This ground-school course is given by the club every fall
· Have successfully carried out at least 10 solo flights representing a minimum of one hour total solo time.
· The cost for the exam is $105, and the required pass level is 60%
· Present a letter of recommendation from the Chief Flying Instructor of the Club, authorizing you to write the GLIDE exam.


Step 3 – Obtaining a glider pilot’s license
Once these two first steps are complete (note that power pilots are exempt from steps 1 and 2), the next task is to pass a flight test to the satisfaction of a Class 1 instructor.
Requirements to obtain a glider pilot’s license

· Be 16 years of age or older.
· Have carried out more than 6 hours of flight (3 hours for a licensed power pilot) including 20 solo flights and 2 hours solo flying time.
· Have passed the flight test (see the procedure above).
· Have passed Transport Canada’s GLIDE exam.

All that’s left is the paperwork! To obtain your glider pilot’s license you must now submit the following documents in triplicate to the authorized MSC person:

· A letter showing that you have passed Transport Canada’s GLIDE exam (power pilots are exempt from this requirement).
· A photocopy of all the pages of your log book.
· An attestation in your log book by a Class 1 instructor of your having passed the required flight test, together with the Club’s stamp.
· Certification of the hours and flights in your log book by an instructor, together with the Club’s stamp
· A letter signed by the Chief Flying Instructor attesting that you have the required skill and competence for the license.
· A cheque or money order for $55 payable to the Receiver General of Canada
· Completed forms required to obtain the license, which are submitted by the authorized person of your Club.