Ratings and Other Courses

Once you have your Private Pilot License, Vital Aviation can help you to add other ratings to your licence, or provide other specialized training that you might want


Night Rating

The Night Rating on a Private Pilot Licence allows the holder to fly during the hours of darkness in visual meteorological conditions under Visual Flight Rules. There is no flight test or written exam. The minimum requirements for this rating are:

  • 10 hours dual instrument time,
  • 5 hours dual at night (including a 2 hour night cross country trip),
  • 5 hours solo at night

VFR Over the Top Rating

A VFR Over The Top Rating allows a licenced pilot to fly in Visual Flight Rules over a broken or overcast layer of cloud. There is no flight test or written exam.


*Instrument Rating

The minimum requirements for the rating are 40 hours of instrument time and 50 hours of cross-country pilot-in-command time. Of the 40 hours instrument time, a minimum of 5 hours must be on the category of aircraft you wish the rating to cover; e.g., single engine, multi engine or helicopter. The cost of the rating will vary depending on the experience of the student and the aircraft type chosen for the rating.

* Vital Aviation does not currently offer this rating. Please contact our Chief Flight Instructor for more information


*Multi-Engine Rating

Students are not required to have a set number of hours to obtain the multi-engine rating. However, a flight test is required and you will be recommended for the flight test based on your demonstrated level of proficiency.

* Vital Aviation does not currently offer this rating. Please contact our Chief Flight Instructor for more information.


Mountain Flying Course

Mountain flying can be some of the most enjoyable flying you will ever experience.  The beautiful scenery and unforgettable experiences provided by flying in mountainous areas are second to none!   However, mountain flying also involves some unique hazards that the uninitiated are unprepared to deal with.

The Mountain Flying Course will introduce you to mountain flying and provide you with the level of knowledge and skill required to fly safely in the mountainous terrain prevalent in British

Ground instruction for the Mountain Flying Course is a 4-hour multi-media classroom session where you will learn the basics of how to fly in mountainous terrain.  You will learn the fundamentals of high density altitude performance considerations, mountain weather, flight planning, navigation, strategies for flying in high / rugged terrain, and Go-No-Go decision making.  

Your flight instruction will be tailored to enhance and develop basic flying skills necessary for safe mountain flying and will culminate in the completion of a mountain cross country flight


Winter Operations Course

The Winter Operations Course with provide a licensed pilot with a level of knowledge to operated safely during the winter months and when contending with freezing temperatures and winter weather that can be encountered when flying in mountainous areas or the BC interior. The course consists of one full day or two evenings of classroom instruction comprising a total of 6 hours of multi-media lessons


Flight Instructor Rating

Candidates who have successfully completed their Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) or hold an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) may undertake training towards a Flight Instructor Rating. This rating will allow you to work as a Flight Instructor, within the constraints set by the Canadian Aviation Regulations. 

The training you will receive follows a Transport Canada approved syllabus and will provide you with all the essential knowledge and skills to earn your Flight Instructor Rating.  On successful completion of the course and passing both the Transport Canada written examination and flight test, you will be qualified to hold a Class 4 Flight Instructor Rating.

All of your training (ground and flight) will be provided by one of our Class 1 Flight Instructors