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  5. Canada’s Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL)
  6. Canada's Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) - Frequently Asked Questions

Canada's Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) - Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Did the introduction of the Multi-crew Pilot Licence result from a need to deal with the projected shortage in qualified airline pilots in different parts of the world?

    • No, that would be an inaccurate assumption. Long before anyone foresaw the current shortages in qualified pilots, the aviation community recognized that the training and licensing standards in use at the time did not adequately account for the enormous advancements in technology and learning methodologies, along with the increased complexities of pilot work environments. It was for those reasons that ICAO commissioned a review, which led to the creation of a new licensing structure and improved standards that reflect today’s realities. Transport Canada endorses those changes and is taking action that will align our regulatory framework more closely with ICAO’s newly revised standards.

  2. What will be the privileges attached to the Canadian MPL?

    • The holder of a Canadian MPL will be able to carry out the duties and responsibilities of a co-pilot operating a multi-engine, turbine powered, transport category aeroplane, which is certificated to be operated by two or more pilots, under either VFR or IFR conditions. The privilege to do so is restricted to those aeroplanes for which that person holds a type rating on their licence.

  3. Under what circumstances will an MPL holder be permitted to operate as pilot-in-command?

    • The holder of an MPL will be unable to fly outside of the restrictions imposed on the MPL privileges, unless that person additionally holds one of the traditional pilot licences, ratings, or permit. In order to obtain a Recreational Pilot Permit-Aeroplane, a Private Pilot Licence, a Commercial Pilot Licence, or an Airline Transport Pilot Licence, an MPL holder will have to meet the “bridging” experience, knowledge, and skill requirements of that licence, rating or permit. These requirements have been identified through a gap/bridge analysis conducted in appreciation of the predetermined training requirements for an MPL program as expressed in the proposed new regulatory framework.

  4. Going through an MPL training program that may extend over a 15-month period must be extremely expensive. Who’s going to be paying for this?

    • MPL training is indeed an expensive proposition. ATOs offering MPL training are probably dependant upon acquiring client air carriers who enter into a pilot provisioning contract with the training provider. As such, it is anticipated that the client operator will then enter into some form of an employment agreement with the trainee to ensure the operator receives full value from their investment.

  5. How does Transport Canada intend to ensure that this new licensing structure is safe?

    • Transport Canada has a duty of care to ensure that any change is introduced safely. What’s important to realize is that the Canadian MPL implementation requirements are even more rigorous than anything we’ve ever introduced before. No other current training program, which is designed to satisfy the pre-requisites for the issuance of a pilot licence, comes even close to meeting the structured system-designed training requirements considered essential for an MPL program. Furthermore Transport Canada’s intended pre-certification standards for training institutions planning to offer such programs are going to be exacting and the oversight of the mandated proof-of-concept trial period will indeed be extremely thorough. Any attempt to simply meet minimum standards will represent a clear indication that the training entity does not possess a true outcomes-focused quality system and, as a consequence, does not meet the requirements of an ATO certificate holder.

Date modified:
2010-05-03