Our Quality

We measure quality through the capabilities and confidence of the pilots who graduate from our courses.  Nothing demonstrates this as well as the success of our graduates in the industry.  We are proud to have students flying in major airlines around the world.  We are proud to have students win prestigious awards for their skill.  Our students have won positions with Air Canada Jazz in competition with students from aviation colleges across Canada.  They have won or been finalists for the Webster trophy awarded to the top amateur pilot in Canada.  Above all, we are proud of the enthusiasm and enjoyment our students experience in aviation.

It is our mission to prepare people for professional careers and to support serious aviation enthusiasts.  Students can count on our training as providing real value.  Here is why:

• We provide Comprehensive Training and Job Preparedness instead of training to minimum standards
• Our Training Program meets ICAO standards that are recognized around the world
• Our instructors are well trained and closely supervised to ensure quality training
• We follow detailed lesson plans and a flight training syllabus to ensure effective and efficient training
• Flight Tests and Examinations are preformed by experienced Transport Canada Pilot Examiners.
  

Comprehensive Training and Job Preparedness

The Ottawa Flight College provides comprehensive training so that, on graduation, students are job-ready and competent.  Unlike other schools which train to minimum standards, we ensure that the training encompasses a wider variety of experiences and competencies so that the graduating student is a safer pilot, better prepared to face real-life conditions.  Our Instrument Flight Rules training, for example, encompasses a wide variety of procedures and techniques.  Our graduates will have trained and flown in actual Instrument Meterological Conditions and will have filed IFR flights many times.  We find it surprising that other schools will "graduate" an IFR pilot who has never flown in actual IMC.  Yes, their training only took two weeks and they trained only for the flight test.  However, they graduate scared to fly in real conditions.  Their first trip in IMC conditions is challenging because they were never prepared for it.  During training, when it came time to look up and see the runway, it was always there in beautiful sunlight.  In an actual aircraft, not a simulator, in turbulence at minimums on approach, the reality of IMC can be quite different.  We want our students to be ready for reality.  We them to feel confident when they graduate.  This is the key measure of the quality of our training.

To make this a reality, we design our programs to include scenario-based training that goes above and beyond the Transport Canada minimum standards.  Students will study elements of flying that are beyond what is expected in the flight test but that will help them be better pilots.

ICAO Standards for Flight Training

The ICAO Convention establishes standards for the competencies, skills and training of pilots that are consistent internationally.  Canada, as a signatory to the ICAO convention, meets these standards.  The training provided by the Ottawa Flight College and the Transport Canada licenses and ratings will be recognized by other signatory nations to the ICAO standards around the world.

Ottawa Flight College Instructors 

No Flight Training Institution can succeed without a cadre of top-notch instructors.  At the Ottawa Flight College, we have a great team with a wealth of experience, some of whom have been teaching with us for the past 30 years.   Each instructor is fully qualified at their level and we routinely ensure they are current in their training.  Junior instructors are closely supervised and guided to keep the student training on track.  As students advance through their training, a senior instructor will either ride along or act as the instructor for a lesson to ensure that the student is progressing in their training and to ensure the quality of the instruction they have received. 

Lesson Planning and Syllabus Based Training

Each program offered by the Ottawa Flight College has a syllabus and lesson plan that details the progress of the course from the first lesson through to graduation.  While individual students may require more or less time to learn a skill, the syllabus provides a detailed road-map through all the course requirements and a timeline for completion.  The syllabus ensures the instructors and students stay on track and accomplish all major components of the training in an efficient manner.

Transport Canada Pilot Examiners

Transport Canada ensures consistency in flight training and pilot performance by performing flight tests on student pilots.  A cadre of Transport Canada approved Pilot Examiners perform these for the licenses and ratings that require such a test.  The Pilot Examiners are trained by and frequently assessed by Transport Canada to ensure the consistency of their scores and the impartial nature of the tests.

The Ottawa Flight College is lucky to have an in-house Transport Canada Pilot Examiner which means that students are not required to travel or wait for extended periods for an available examiner.  Our in-house examiner provides valuable feedback on the quality of our programs and ensures that we continue to meet the highest standards.