Questions re: becomming commercial pilot in Canada?

Question

a few questions:

are all flight schools the same quality. ones to avoid/check out?

as far as health goes, I have 20/20 vision, good hearing and good reaction time. (if that would matter at all)

Although, I do suffer from depression, and have had my father pass away from neuroblastoma.

It took me a long time to really figure out what I want to do in life. After alot of thinking and definitely plenty of lessons.

I'm a completely clean 23 year old male with no criminal record or even any driving infractions. Although I do enjoy smoking cannabis.

I completely understand that it would be unreasonable to think about operating a plane/helicopter while high, but what is the ruling on cannabis and being a pilot?

I understand that its not really worth the risk, but I'm just trying to learn about the rules and regulations.

I find that cannabis really helps with depression and anxiety,

any info is greatly appreciated.

thanks

Answer 1

basically:

for flight schools, just go to one that seems to be well known and not in a slummy place.

look for FAA certificates and Canadian air safety certifications.

good schools will have quite a few certifications up on the reception room's wall.

as for your addiction to cannabis, the faster you get rid of that, the better. they will certainly not let you fly if they know you have a weed addictions.

maybe see a doctor for anti-depression medications?

Answer 2

Hi there,

Lots of good questions with regards to becoming a pilot in Canada. I'll try to answer them in order.

In Canada, Flight schools can be divided up into traditional local flight schools and flying clubs or College/University Aviation programs. Each have their pros and cons, but there are not many flight schools in Canada that must be avoided. Unless you're in a bigger city, your nearby choices will usually be pretty limited for local schools. However, if you're academically inclined, some of the Colleges in Ontario are subsidized which may make it easier to pay for flight training. Check out the Flight Training Section on AvCanada's Forums http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2 for more information on particular schools. Use the search function on the forums to find more information about individual schools.

I'm sorry to hear about your father passing away. Unfortunately, having serious depression may be a bar from getting your Category 1 medical (which you need to get your commercial licence). If there is just minor depression, you may be able to get your medical, but generally, a medical may not be granted for an applicant taking SSRIs. Here's a link to Transport Canada Civil Aviation Medicine's FAQ regarding that: http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Cam/ss...

That being said, it still may not hurt to see an Aviation Medical Examiner to discuss your situation. Links to them can be found on that site. As you'll see from the FAQ, pilots are required to wait 6 months after they've stopped taking SSRI's before they'll be granted a medical. Do not lie to an Aviation Medical Examiner. That being said, depending on how severe your depression is, it may make sense to discuss with your family physician your options, and then wait a bit before trying to get your medical.

As for the cannibis use, the rule in Canada is outlined in Canadian Aviation Regulation 602.03 http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Regser... which states that:

602.03 No person shall act as a crew member of an aircraft

(a) within eight hours after consuming an alcoholic beverage;

(b) while under the influence of alcohol; or

(c) while using any drug that impairs the person's faculties to the extent that the safety of the aircraft or of persons on board the aircraft is endangered in any way.

So, the question becomes what is the definition of 'using'. It is my understanding that the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, can remain in your system for a pretty long time even if it doesn't really have an effect anymore. While there might be an argument to be made that you're not under the influence of some pot that you smoked 4 days earlier, if heaven forbid something happened and you had an accident, there would be LOTS of trouble if a toxicology test came back showing that you had cannabis in your system. (Think criminal convictions, jail time and personal ruin).

The other thing to keep in mind is that although for most industries random drug tests are not allowed in Canada, there has been a bit of a grey area when it comes to jobs where safety is an issue - such as being a pilot. Therefore, you could be subject to random drug tests and I do know that some airlines will do drug tests with their initial company specific medical evaluations. Would you want to lose your job or not get hired for your dream airline job cause you had smoked cannabis a couple weeks earlier?

Realistically, a career as an airline pilot is not compatible in today's society with even recreational use of pot. I'm not trying to scare you with that, but sometimes it pays to look at the worst case scenario.

If you want to be a pilot, it is a very attainable goal. However, your two main hurdles will be the depression and cannabis use. I know that depression is not something that someone can just 'snap out of' (I've had a few g/f's who have had it) but you really need to be honest with yourself as to how serious it is and how you cope when you have dark days / weeks.

Hope this helps and Good Luck!

James Ball

Author of "So, You Want to be a Pilot, Eh? - A Guidebook for Canadian Pilot Training"

http://www.piloteh.com

http://www.piloteh.blogspot.com