International Student Training

Why Train at Cooking Lake?

As the world of aviation continues to expand the need for more pilots is becoming an important issue in every country. To meet the demands of training it is necessary in many cases to seek training for your pilot licences abroad. Canada is an excellent place to take your training, the training available in Canada is rated as one of the best available in the World, Canadian Licences meet the ICAO standard of licensing and within Canada these licences are controlled and issued by Transport Canada.

At Cooking Lake we offer Transport Canada licences, permit and ratings to our candidates that will allow the candidate to fly and work in ICAO licensed states. Training at Cooking Lake will be a very rewarding experience for persons wishing to make a career in aviation because of our local training facilities available to all of our students. The Cooking Lake area is located in Class G Airspace (Un-Controlled Airspace) allowing for our students to start their training immediately after takeoff. Our practice area is a mere 10 minutes away where we can climb up to as high as 9500 feet in uncontrolled airspace and conduct our upper level practice manoeuvres as required. Once the candidate has progressed passed the upper level air work requirements (stalls, spins, spiral dives, etc.) and is ready to start practicing in controlled airspace the Edmonton (Class C) Airspace is a mere one minute flight time from Cooking Lake. Once in the controlled environment you can explore three different controlled airports including the Edmonton International Airport (used for advanced student practice of ILS, Localizer, GPS and NDP approaches), Edmonton Municipal Airport (used for advanced practice including GPS, NDB approaches and for general controlled airspace practice including circuits), Villeneuve Airport (used for initial controlled airspace circuit practice). Nearby we have airports with NDB approaches, GPS approaches and for IFR cross country operations we are within one and a half hour flight to a VOR approach facility.

Cooking Lake Airport is a considered a short length field for large aircraft, the experiences gained by all of our students including proficiency with cross wind landings, short field operations, winter and summer operations on short fields will give any student training at our airport the experience needed to handle challenges in their native country.

Cooking Lake has the most modern fleet of aircraft in Western Canada; all Cooking Lake aircraft are a vintage of the year 2000 or newer. We offer the most advanced glass cockpit aircraft for flight training and maintain our aircraft to Transport Canada Commercial Standards.

The Cooking Lake Airport is approximately 1 hr flight time to the Rocky Mountains where we can conduct the most amazing part of any flight program, a mountain check. The Rockies are incredible to see from the ground, but once airborne the sights are breathtaking.

Do I need to speak and understand the English language well?

Yes. In order to be licensed, candidates must complete a Transport Canada English Language Proficiency Examination prior to the issuance of a Student Pilot Permit or for the actual licence.

Before acceptance into any CLAA program all students are required to complete the English Language Proficiency Examination and pass the examination.

For complete details click here.

Please keep in mind help is available for students struggling with the language, sometimes tutoring or accent reduction therapy can make a big difference. CLAA can help arrange courses for students with English as a second language (ESL). Please let us know how we can help you. For more information please contact Grant MacEwan Community College or speak to our admissions department for more details.

Do I need a medical before I start training in Canada?

Yes all students are required to obtain a Transport Canada Licence Validation Certificate (Medical) before they solo an aircraft in Canada. CLAA recommends that students aspiring to become a Commercial Pilot obtain a Class 1 medical before any training begins to ensure that you will be medically fit and able to act as a pilot in Canada. It is better to know before you start training and spend thousands of dollars doing so that you cannot fly for some medical reason. For more information concerning Transport Canada medicals and approved aviation doctors around the world, please consult the following web page to find a aviation medical doctor near you:
http://www.tc.gc.ca.

Medical validation certificates are only valid for a specific period. Please ensure you have a valid medical certificate before you start training or before solo.

For students that already have ICAO licences

Some students might already hold foreign licences in their own county, in order to convert these licences to a Canadian ICAO licence it will be necessary to contact Transport Canada General Aviation at:
http://www.tc.gc.ca.

Students wishing to convert a licence must contact Transport Canada directly before applying to train at Cooking Lake Aviation Academy.

Types of Training at CLAA:
Recreational Pilot Rating
Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)
Multi-Engine Rating
Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (Multi IFR)
Instrument Rating (Single Engine)
Flight Instructor Rating
Night Ratings
Check on Types (Cessna 172, Piper Arrow, Piper Seminole)
Mountain Checks
Grass Field Checkouts
Short Field Checkouts
Instrument Rating Currency and Re-Currency Training

Directions to CLAA/Cooking Lake Airport
Cooking Lake is nearby to Sherwood Park Sherwood Park is located on the southeast side of Edmonton, approximately 3km (1.7mi) from the city limits, making it a popular place to settle for people who work in Edmonton but wish to get away from the urban sprawl. Although it is Alberta's seventh largest municipality, Sherwood Park is technically considered a hamlet, a distinction which has earned the region a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world's largest hamlet. Primarily a residential community, Sherwood Park offers all the amenities that would be found in a typical suburb of a large city, including shops, restaurants, fitness and recreation facilities, a movie theatre, a large shopping mall and more. To enjoy the beauty of Sherwood Park, visitors can head to Centre in the Park, a multi-use outdoor recreational spot that offers a scenic walkway lined with fragments of the prairie landscape. Sherwood Park is also home to Festival Place, an entertainment facility that hosts many concerts, events and performances throughout the year.

Map of Canada

View Larger Map

What is the weather like in Cooking Lake, AB?
The Cooking Lake Airport area is located in Strathcona County near Sherwood Park which is near Edmonton. Temperatures in the area vary throughout the year:

During the summer months flying at CLAA can be stopped due to thunderstorm activity nearby.

Please remember, it can be become very hot in the summer (+ 30 to + 40 deg C) and very cold (-5 to -35 deg C). In our climate it is always necessary to dress for the weather conditions. Operations in the winter require all students and staff to wear gloves, toque (hat), long pants, warm flying boots and a warm jacket.

CLAA operates year around but our prime concern is safety, based on our company SMS program (Safety Management Systems) we do not fly past the following limits:

International Student Training

Why Train at Cooking Lake?

As the world of aviation continues to expand the need for more pilots is becoming an important issue in every country. To meet the demands of training it is necessary in many cases to seek training for your pilot licences abroad. Canada is an excellent place to take your training, the training available in Canada is rated as one of the best available in the World, Canadian Licences meet the ICAO standard of licensing and within Canada these licences are controlled and issued by Transport Canada.

At Cooking Lake we offer Transport Canada licences, permit and ratings to our candidates that will allow the candidate to fly and work in ICAO licensed states. Training at Cooking Lake will be a very rewarding experience for persons wishing to make a career in aviation because of our local training facilities available to all of our students. The Cooking Lake area is located in Class G Airspace (Un-Controlled Airspace) allowing for our students to start their training immediately after takeoff. Our practice area is a mere 10 minutes away where we can climb up to as high as 9500 feet in uncontrolled airspace and conduct our upper level practice manoeuvres as required. Once the candidate has progressed passed the upper level air work requirements (stalls, spins, spiral dives, etc.) and is ready to start practicing in controlled airspace the Edmonton (Class C) Airspace is a mere one minute flight time from Cooking Lake. Once in the controlled environment you can explore three different controlled airports including the Edmonton International Airport (used for advanced student practice of ILS, Localizer, GPS and NDP approaches), Edmonton Municipal Airport (used for advanced practice including GPS, NDB approaches and for general controlled airspace practice including circuits), Villeneuve Airport (used for initial controlled airspace circuit practice). Nearby we have airports with NDB approaches, GPS approaches and for IFR cross country operations we are within one and a half hour flight to a VOR approach facility.

Cooking Lake Airport is a considered a short length field for large aircraft, the experiences gained by all of our students including proficiency with cross wind landings, short field operations, winter and summer operations on short fields will give any student training at our airport the experience needed to handle challenges in their native country.

Cooking Lake has the most modern fleet of aircraft in Western Canada; all Cooking Lake aircraft are a vintage of the year 2000 or newer. We offer the most advanced glass cockpit aircraft for flight training and maintain our aircraft to Transport Canada Commercial Standards.

The Cooking Lake Airport is approximately 1 hr flight time to the Rocky Mountains where we can conduct the most amazing part of any flight program, a mountain check. The Rockies are incredible to see from the ground, but once airborne the sights are breathtaking.

Do I need to speak and understand the English language well?

Yes. In order to be licensed, candidates must complete a Transport Canada English Language Proficiency Examination prior to the issuance of a Student Pilot Permit or for the actual licence.

Before acceptance into any CLAA program all students are required to complete the English Language Proficiency Examination and pass the examination.

For complete details click here.

Please keep in mind help is available for students struggling with the language, sometimes tutoring or accent reduction therapy can make a big difference. CLAA can help arrange courses for students with English as a second language (ESL). Please let us know how we can help you. For more information please contact Grant MacEwan Community College or speak to our admissions department for more details.

Do I need a medical before I start training in Canada?

Yes all students are required to obtain a Transport Canada Licence Validation Certificate (Medical) before they solo an aircraft in Canada. CLAA recommends that students aspiring to become a Commercial Pilot obtain a Class 1 medical before any training begins to ensure that you will be medically fit and able to act as a pilot in Canada. It is better to know before you start training and spend thousands of dollars doing so that you cannot fly for some medical reason. For more information concerning Transport Canada medicals and approved aviation doctors around the world, please consult the following web page to find a aviation medical doctor near you:
http://www.tc.gc.ca.

Medical validation certificates are only valid for a specific period. Please ensure you have a valid medical certificate before you start training or before solo.

For students that already have ICAO licences

Some students might already hold foreign licences in their own county, in order to convert these licences to a Canadian ICAO licence it will be necessary to contact Transport Canada General Aviation at:
http://www.tc.gc.ca.

Students wishing to convert a licence must contact Transport Canada directly before applying to train at Cooking Lake Aviation Academy.

Types of Training at CLAA:
Recreational Pilot Rating
Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)
Multi-Engine Rating
Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (Multi IFR)
Instrument Rating (Single Engine)
Flight Instructor Rating
Night Ratings
Check on Types (Cessna 172, Piper Arrow, Piper Seminole)
Mountain Checks
Grass Field Checkouts
Short Field Checkouts
Instrument Rating Currency and Re-Currency Training

Directions to CLAA/Cooking Lake Airport
Cooking Lake is nearby to Sherwood Park Sherwood Park is located on the southeast side of Edmonton, approximately 3km (1.7mi) from the city limits, making it a popular place to settle for people who work in Edmonton but wish to get away from the urban sprawl. Although it is Alberta's seventh largest municipality, Sherwood Park is technically considered a hamlet, a distinction which has earned the region a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world's largest hamlet. Primarily a residential community, Sherwood Park offers all the amenities that would be found in a typical suburb of a large city, including shops, restaurants, fitness and recreation facilities, a movie theatre, a large shopping mall and more. To enjoy the beauty of Sherwood Park, visitors can head to Centre in the Park, a multi-use outdoor recreational spot that offers a scenic walkway lined with fragments of the prairie landscape. Sherwood Park is also home to Festival Place, an entertainment facility that hosts many concerts, events and performances throughout the year.

Map of Canada

View Larger Map

What is the weather like in Cooking Lake, AB?
The Cooking Lake Airport area is located in Strathcona County near Sherwood Park which is near Edmonton. Temperatures in the area vary throughout the year:

During the summer months flying at CLAA can be stopped due to thunderstorm activity nearby.

Please remember, it can be become very hot in the summer (+ 30 to + 40 deg C) and very cold (-5 to -35 deg C). In our climate it is always necessary to dress for the weather conditions. Operations in the winter require all students and staff to wear gloves, toque (hat), long pants, warm flying boots and a warm jacket.

CLAA operates year around but our prime concern is safety, based on our company SMS program (Safety Management Systems) we do not fly past the following limits: