Registration
Taxation
For Canadian citizens and foreign residents with a valid work visa, the cost of Commercial Pilot License training is non-taxable and is deductible from income tax. This credit is calculated based on your Federal and Provincial income tax brackets.
License recognition
Pilot licenses for helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft that are recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) are also recognized in Canada. However, holders of these licenses must take the steps required by Transport Canada to convert them to Canadian Licenses. This conversion may be subject to the holder completing a training course at a Canadian Certified Flight Training Unit. Licenses not recognized by ICAO are not valid in Canada.
Canadian Helicopter Pilot Licenses are recognized by ICAO and in all countries member of that organization. However, most of these countries will require Canadian license holders to follow a training program or pass a flight and a written exam before converting their Canadian license into a local license.
Please note that in Canada you do not need to hold a Private Pilot License (PPL) in order to obtain a Commercial Pilot License (CPL).
Flight hour recognition
Flight hours done in a foreign country will be recognized in Canada if they were recorded in a pilot log book of an organization (private business, public or semi-public body, army or other) that is certified in the country in which they were flown. To have these hours recognized, you must visit Transport Canada with your pilot log book as soon as possible after arriving in Canada.
