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Flying careers in Canada

What each kind of flying is like, how many hours it takes to get hired, and which jobs lead to which.

All figures are approximate ranges from typical Canadian postings. They vary by operator, region and how strong hiring is.

How the jobs connect

Read left to right. Point at a job to see where it comes from and where it leads.

1 · First jobsAbout 200 to 500 hrs2 · Building timeAbout 500 to 1,500 hrs3 · Turbine and two-crewAbout 1,000 to 3,000 hrs4 · Long-term careersAbout 2,000 hrs and upCPLCommercial licenceFlight instructor200–300 hrs to get hiredAir taxi and bush (703)200–700 hrs to get hiredCommuter (704)500–1,500 hrs to get hiredAerial survey500–1,500 hrs to get hiredMedevac1,000–3,000 hrs to get hiredCorporate and charter jets1,500–3,000 hrs to get hiredRegional airline1,000–2,500 hrs to get hiredMajor airline2,000–5,000 hrs to get hiredCargo500–4,000 hrs to get hired

Step by step

  1. 1

    First jobs

    About 200 to 500 hrs

    Flight instructor

    Flight training unit (CAR 406)

    Teach at a flight school and log PIC time while you are home every night.

    200–300hrs to get hired
    400–800hrs flown a year

    Home daily, seasonal

    Next →Air taxi and bush (703)Commuter (704)Regional airline
    What it’s like

    Most new commercial pilots in Canada start here. You need a CPL and an instructor rating (Class 4 to start). Many schools have hiring agreements with regional airlines, so instructing can be a direct route to a first officer seat after roughly 1,000 to 1,500 hours.

    Schedule: Days, evenings and weekends around students. Busiest from spring to fall and slower in winter. Home every night.

    Typical aircraft: Cessna 172, Piper PA-28, Diamond DA20 / DA40 / DA42

    What it builds
    • Lots of PIC time and landings
    • Deep knowledge of procedures and rules
    • School-to-airline pathway programs
    Trade-offs
    • Lower pay, often paid per flight hour
    • Little multi-engine or IFR time at most schools
    • Income drops with bad weather and slow winters
    See open jobs · 11 →

    Air taxi and bush (703)

    Air taxi (CAR 703)

    Single-pilot charter on floats, wheels and skis, often in the north.

    200–700hrs to get hired
    300–700hrs flown a year

    Seasonal, rotations

    Next →Commuter (704)Aerial surveyMedevacRegional airline
    What it’s like

    The classic first commercial job outside a school. Many operators hire low-time pilots onto the dock or ramp for a season first, then move them into the left seat. You make real weather and loading decisions on your own from day one.

    Schedule: Seasonal and on call. Float season can mean 10 to 14 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week. Northern bases often run rotations like 2 to 3 weeks on and 1 to 2 off.

    Typical aircraft: Cessna 185 / 206 / 208, Beaver, Otter, Navajo, Islander

    What it builds
    • PIC time and real decision making
    • Float, ski and short-strip experience
    • A foot in the door with operators that also run 704 and medevac
    Trade-offs
    • Seasonal layoffs are common
    • Mostly VFR, which airlines weigh less than multi-engine IFR
    • Remote bases and long days
    See open jobs · 27 →
  2. 2

    Building time

    About 500 to 1,500 hrs

    Commuter (704)

    Commuter (CAR 704)

    Scheduled and charter routes on twin turboprops, usually as a crew of two.

    500–1,500hrs to get hired
    400–800hrs flown a year

    Rotations or daily

    Next →MedevacRegional airlineCargoCorporate and charter jets
    What it’s like

    The usual bridge from light aircraft to airlines. First officer jobs often ask for about 500 to 1,500 hours with a multi-engine IFR rating; captain upgrades come once you have multi-engine PIC and meet the company minimums.

    Schedule: Northern bases often work rotations such as 2 weeks on and 2 off. Southern scheduled routes can mean home most nights.

    Typical aircraft: King Air 100 / 200, Beech 1900, Metro, Twin Otter, Dash 7

    What it builds
    • Multi-engine turbine and IFR time
    • Crew work and standard operating procedures
    • Multi-engine PIC once you upgrade
    Trade-offs
    • Northern bases mean time away from home
    • Older aircraft and demanding weather
    • Pay varies widely between operators
    See open jobs · 36 →

    Aerial survey

    Aerial work (CAR 702)

    Photo, LiDAR and geophysical survey lines, flown on projects across the country.

    500–1,500hrs to get hired
    300–700hrs flown a year

    Projects away from home

    Next →Commuter (704)MedevacCorporate and charter jets
    What it’s like

    Precise, repetitive flying along survey lines, often single pilot with an operator on board. Photo and LiDAR work usually asks for a multi-engine IFR rating; low-level geophysical work asks for more experience.

    Schedule: Project work: weeks to months away from home, living in hotels and flying whenever the weather and sun angle allow. Busiest from spring to fall.

    Typical aircraft: Cessna 206 / 208, Partenavia P68, Navajo, Cessna 404, King Air

    What it builds
    • Multi-engine PIC time, fast
    • Precise hand and autopilot flying
    • Independence and trip planning
    Trade-offs
    • Long stretches away from home
    • Hours depend on weather and contracts
    • Low-level work carries more risk
    See open jobs · 1 →
  3. 3

    Turbine and two-crew

    About 1,000 to 3,000 hrs

    Regional airline

    Airline (CAR 705), some 704

    Two-crew scheduled flying on Dash 8s, ATRs, CRJs and Embraers.

    1,000–2,500hrs to get hired
    600–850hrs flown a year

    Bid lines, 12 to 16 days off

    Next →Major airlineCargo
    What it’s like

    Direct-entry first officers are usually hired at about 1,000 to 2,500 hours, and school partnership or cadet programs can bring that much lower. You need an ATPL (1,500 hours total among other things) to upgrade to captain.

    Schedule: Monthly bid lines by seniority, usually about 12 to 16 days off a month. Multi-day pairings and reserve in your first years.

    Typical aircraft: Dash 8-100 / 300 / Q400, ATR 42 / 72, CRJ, Embraer E175

    What it builds
    • Two-crew turbine time in a big operation
    • ATPL and captain upgrade
    • Flow-through agreements with mainline carriers
    Trade-offs
    • Seniority decides base, schedule and upgrade
    • Reserve and commuting to base early on
    See open jobs · 37 →

    Medevac

    CAR 703 and 704, under provincial contracts

    Air ambulance flying on King Airs, PC-12s and jets, day or night.

    1,000–3,000hrs to get hired
    300–600hrs flown a year

    Shifts, on call

    Next →Regional airlineMajor airlineCorporate and charter jets
    What it’s like

    Flights carry patients and medical crews between communities and hospitals. First officers are often hired at about 1,000 to 1,500 hours; captains usually need about 2,000 to 3,000 hours with several hundred hours of multi-engine PIC.

    Schedule: Around the clock: 12-hour duty or on-call blocks, with rotations such as 7 on and 7 off or 2 weeks on and 2 off. Night flying is common.

    Typical aircraft: King Air 200 / 350, PC-12, Citation, Learjet 35 / 45

    What it builds
    • Turbine PIC time
    • Night and all-weather IFR
    • Meaningful work with stable contracts
    Trade-offs
    • Fewer hours a year than airline flying
    • On-call nights and fatigue
    See open jobs · 27 →

    Corporate and charter jets

    Private (CAR 604) or charter (703 / 704)

    Flying business jets for a company or charter clients, often worldwide.

    1,500–3,000hrs to get hired
    250–500hrs flown a year

    Irregular, on call

    Next →Major airline
    What it’s like

    A career on its own or a step toward the majors. Jet time and type ratings count for a lot, and employers often ask for about 1,500 to 3,000 hours. Service matters as much as flying: you may meet passengers, plan trips and look after the aircraft.

    Schedule: Irregular and on call, built around the owner or the charter client. Trips can be several days away with short notice; some flight departments offer set days off.

    Typical aircraft: Citation, Learjet, Challenger, Global, Falcon, King Air 350

    What it builds
    • Jet time and type ratings
    • International and high-altitude flying
    Trade-offs
    • Unpredictable schedule
    • Low hours a year
    • Small departments with no seniority system
    See open jobs · 30 →
  4. 4

    Long-term careers

    About 2,000 hrs and up

    Cargo

    CAR 703 / 704 feeder and 705 jet

    Freight at night, from feeder Caravans and Metros to ATRs and 757s.

    500–4,000hrs to get hired
    500–850hrs flown a year

    Nights, weekends often off

    Next →Major airline
    What it’s like

    Two very different stages. Feeder cargo on light twins and turboprops hires at about 500 to 1,500 hours and is a well-known way to build multi-engine IFR time. Jet cargo usually asks for about 2,000 to 4,000 hours with turbine or airline time.

    Schedule: Mostly nights and the back side of the clock, built around overnight sorts. Often weeknights with weekends off, and often home during the day.

    Typical aircraft: Caravan, Navajo, Metro, ATR 72F, Boeing 757 / 767 / 777F

    What it builds
    • Multi-engine IFR time in all weather
    • Jet time without passengers or cabin crew
    Trade-offs
    • Night work and fatigue
    • Fewer employers and smaller pilot groups
    See open jobs · 8 →

    Major airline

    Airline (CAR 705)

    Narrowbody and widebody jets, domestic and international.

    2,000–5,000hrs to get hired
    650–900hrs flown a year

    Bid lines, 12 to 18 days off

    Next →A long-term career in itself
    What it’s like

    Most pilots arrive through a regional airline, flow-through program or turbine PIC elsewhere. Postings often ask for about 2,000 to 5,000 hours total with an ATPL and multi-crew or turbine PIC time, though minimums drop when hiring is strong.

    Schedule: Seniority bidding. Long-haul means fewer, longer trips with about 12 to 18 days off a month; narrowbody flying has more short pairings. Reserve is common for the first years.

    Typical aircraft: Airbus A220 / A320 family / A330, Boeing 737 / 787 / 777

    What it builds
    • Highest pay and the most predictable schedules over time
    • Widebody and international flying
    Trade-offs
    • Starting over at the bottom of the seniority list
    • Time-zone changes on long-haul
    See open jobs · 37 →

Common routes to an airline

The instructor routeHome every night while building time, then a school-to-airline program.
  1. Flight instructor
  2. Regional airline
  3. Major airline
The northern routePIC and multi-engine IFR time early, with time away from home.
  1. Air taxi and bush (703)
  2. Commuter (704)
  3. Regional airline
  4. Major airline
The turbine PIC routeCaptain time on turboprops or jets before an airline.
  1. Air taxi and bush (703)
  2. Commuter (704)
  3. Medevac
  4. Major airline
The freight routeNight feeder freight for IFR time, then jets.
  1. Commuter (704)
  2. Cargo
  3. Major airline

Airline or cargo?

Both lead to jets and good pay. The day-to-day life is what differs.

Airline

When you fly
Early mornings to late evenings
Week shape
Pairings any day, weekends included
On board
Passengers and cabin crew
Nights away
Hotel overnights on multi-day trips
Hiring
Large pilot groups, big hiring waves
The trade-off
More regular body clock, busier days

Cargo

When you fly
Mostly nights, around overnight sorts
Week shape
Often weeknights, weekends off
On board
Freight and the crew
Nights away
Often home in the day, short layovers at hubs
Hiring
Fewer employers, fewer openings
The trade-off
Quieter flying, harder on sleep