Amendments to Aviation Licensing and Training

Summary#

The final rule Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Personnel Licensing and Training) was published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on December 17, 2025. It cleans up wording and definitions, codifies two recurring permissions (for certain test flights and simulator training), tightens instrument‑flight recency, and makes several practical changes for flight schools and pilots.

What it does#

• Clarifies wording and replaces inconsistent terms in the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) so rules read more consistently.
• Codifies two long‑standing permissions that were previously temporary exemptions:
  • Allows certain Transport Canada test pilots to fly aircraft for testing without holding the specific type rating.
  • Lets pilots use a Level C or D full‑flight simulator as an accepted way to meet some recent‑experience requirements.
• Changes instrument‑flight (IFR) recency:
  • Shortens the window for recency from 12 months to 6 months before an IFR flight.
  • Requires completion of six instrument approaches within the previous 6 months (the old separate six‑hour instrument time rule is removed).
• Adds or clarifies definitions and time limits:
  • Defines “cross‑country flight time” as a pre‑planned route to a destination at least 25 nautical miles away.
  • Defines who counts as a “family member” for certain training‑use exceptions.
  • Aligns expert language proficiency validity to 10 years and clarifies how medical certificate validity is calculated (starts the month after the exam).
• Reduces paperwork and streamlines flight‑school operations:
  • Lets flight training units send pilot training records electronically (trainees keep the paper copy).
  • Allows operation of a temporary satellite base for up to 240 days in a 12‑month period without repeated approvals.
• Strengthens enforceability of a maintenance quality requirement by making it subject to administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) with maximums of $5,000 for an individual and $25,000 for a corporation.
• Explicitly prohibits endorsing a recreational pilot permit with a multi‑engine class rating and makes several instructor‑rating wording/organizational edits.

Most changes take effect on publication (see Summary date above). Some parts (including changes affecting medical‑certificate timing and the IFR recency timing) come into force about six months later to give people time to adjust.

Who's affected#

• Private pilots who hold instrument ratings — Transport Canada estimates roughly 5% of them will need to increase their IFR activity to meet the new six‑month recency before they can legally fly IFR.
• Flight schools and flight training units — they benefit from electronic records and fewer satellite‑base approvals; about 90% of affected flight schools are small businesses.
• Transport Canada (the regulator) — will stop reissuing the codified exemptions and gain back administrative effort and storage space.
• Test pilots employed by Transport Canada who do engineering test flights.
• People training to become flight instructors, trainees, flight examiners and operators who rely on the CARs for rules and record keeping.

If it’s unclear whether a specific small group or particular provision applies to you (for example, outside workers doing outsourced test flights), the rule text or Transport Canada guidance should be checked.

Why it matters#

• Safety: shortening the IFR recency window and requiring six recent instrument approaches is intended to keep instrument skills fresher and respond to a recommendation from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) after past accidents.
• Practical benefit for flight schools: electronic records and clearer satellite‑base rules reduce paperwork, postage and repetitive applications.
• Predictability: codifying recurring permissions removes the uncertainty and administrative work of renewing temporary exemptions every few years.
• Cost and time: Transport Canada’s analysis estimates the regulatory package yields net monetized benefits (about $1.2 million in benefits vs $0.8 million in costs over 10 years, net $0.4 million). Some private pilots will face added time and cost to meet the new IFR recency; flight schools will save on administrative costs.
• Enforcement: one maintenance‑related record requirement becomes enforceable with AMPs up to $5,000 (individual) / $25,000 (corporation), which may increase compliance pressure on flight training units.

If you are a pilot, flight school owner, or trainee, you may want to review the amended CARs and note the coming‑into‑force timing so you can plan simulator sessions, medical exams, or record submissions.