Canadian Air Force Pilot Requirements

Pilots in the Canadian Air Force train to fly at two Canadian air bases.

The two Canadian Air Force pilot training facilities are located at the Moose Jaw, 15 Wing Flying Training school and the 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at the Cold Lake Military Base. The Flying Training School trains undergraduates in phases I through III, and the Tactical Fighter Training Squadron trains phases IV postgraduates. Both Canadian military installations are given the task of training Canadian Air Force pilots in both academics and airborne instruction.

Phase IIA: Basic Flying Training

Phases IIA of the Canadian Air Force pilot training includes instructions in basic military pilot skills, procedures and the development of awareness in flight situations. Students are required to complete 217 hours of academic training, 36 hours of flight training strategy, including 60 hours on mission briefing and debriefing. Students of phase IIA must also have 95.1 hours of in-flight training including 164 hours of preparation and airborne training briefing and debriefing. Upon completion the airborne training students will have 18 dual hours and one solo hour of general handling training, 26 dual hours of instrument training, two hours of night training, ten dual hours and one solo hour of navigation training and six hours of formation training.

Phase IIB; Phases III: Advanced Flying Training

Phase IIB is a continuation of the development pilot skills, and introduces the student to advance formation flying and basic fighter exercises. In phase IIB, students will complete 3.6 hours on a flight simulator, and six hours on mission briefing and debriefing. Airborne training consists of 46 hours and 61 hours of in-flight mission preparation, briefing and debriefing. In phase IIB of the airborne training, students will have completed six dual hours and one solo hour of general handling training, seven hours of instrument training, seven dual hours and two solo hours of formation training, and six hours of composite training.

Phases III is to further develop the student's tactical, mission, navigational and "double-attack" formation skills, using the Hawk 115 jet trainer. During phase III, student participate in 89.8 hours of academics, 31.2 hours on a flight simulator, 52 hours of mission preparation, briefing and debriefing, 6.7 hours on the Part Task Trainer (PTT), 71.6 hours of airborne training and 148 of airborne mission preparation, briefing and debriefing.

Phase IV; Fighter: Flight Lead-In Training (FLIT)

Phase IV of the Canadian Air Force pilot training program is reserved for postgraduates of the previous phases. This phase consists of 68 hours of academic, 18 hours on flight simulators, 42 hours of mission readiness, briefing and debriefing, 48.9 hours of flight training and 141 hours of airborne mission preparation, briefing and debriefing.

In phase IV, students will have completed two dual hours of general handling training, nine dual hours of basic fighter maneuvers with two solo hours, five hours air combat maneuver training, two hours of air intercept training, four dual and two solo hours of academic weapons, and nine dual and two solo hours of air to surface tactics.

References

• The Flying Training in Canada: Facilities
• The Flying Training in Canada: Military flying Training Program
• Canadian Department of National Defense: Undergraduate Pilot Training System

Resources

• Canada's Air Force: Canadian Forces Flying Training School - General Information