VFR Night Rating

A night rating may be applied to a Private Pilot License and allows a VFR pilot to fly at night with visual reference to the earth’s surface.

Minimum Training Requirements:

  • The student must hold a private pilot license.
  • A minimum 20 hours of training including,
  • 5 hours dual night flying
  • 5 hour solo night flying
  • 10 hours of dual instrument training.

Any dual instrument time that you have previously acquired, such as 5 hours from the Private Pilot course, can be credited towards the 10 instrument hour requirement. The night rating endorsement does not involve a written test or flight test. Recommendation for the rating is made by a qualified flight instructor.

VFR Over the Top Rating

A VFR Over the TOP (OTT) rating may be applied to a Private Pilot License and allows a VFR pilot to fly with visual reference to a layer of cloud instead of the earth’s surface.

Minimum Training Requirements:

  • The student must hold a private pilot license.
  • A minimum of 15 hours of dual instruction of which 5 hours may be taken in a simulator
  • A recommendation for an OTT rating is made by a qualified flight instructor. No flight or written test is required.

Instrument (IFR) Rating

An IFR rating applied to a Private Pilot License permits the pilot to fly with reference to instruments.

Minimum Training Requirements:

  • A minimum of 50 hours of cross country flight as a Pilot in Command
  • A minimum of 40* hours of instrument time including,
  • 5 hours dual instrument time
  • 15 hours instrument time with an instructor or an experience pilot with an instrument rating
  • one dual cross country instrument flight of at least 100 nm with approaches to minimums at two different locations

The applicant must obtain not less than 70% in the Transport Canada IFR written examination.

*A maximum of 20 hours of instrument time may be in a Transport Canada certified training simulator. The Smiths Falls Training Unit has an Elite PRO simulator certified by Transport Canada. See Training “Intro & Info” for current rates.

Instructor Rating

Apart from completing the appropriate training for the instructor rating candidates must have:

  • a minimum of 200 hours total time
  • 20 hours instrument time
  • commercial flying licence

Contact Smiths Falls Flying Club

Smiths Falls Flying Club

102 Van Exan Drive
PO Box 4, Smiths Falls
Ontario, Canada, K7A 4S9

Flight training information

(613) 283-1148

cfi@smithsfallsflyingclub.com