The Commercial Aviation Diploma (CAD) program is for individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in commercial aviation. The program provides students with university level business competencies as well as Transport Canada commercial aviation licensing requirements. Graduates are qualified to be employed as pilots with charter companies, regional carriers and private corporations, and upon attaining sufficient flying hours, will also have job opportunities with major airline companies. Graduates may also find employment in other aviation-related careers.

The Commercial Aviation diploma program consists of two distinct and separate areas of study - aviation and flight training courses, and university-level academic courses. The flight training is taught at the Southern Interior Flight Centre facility located at the Kelowna International Airport and consists of Transport Canada-prescribed flight training, simulator training, aviation theory and exams. The academic portion of the program is completed at Okanagan College and consists of eight 3-credit courses taken as part of this program.

The Commercial Aviation program is made available through a co-operative partnership between Okanagan College and the Southern Interior Flight Centre (1993) Ltd. The academic portion offered by Okanagan College is subject to normal Okanagan College regulations and tuition fees. The aviation and flight training portion is offered by Southern Interior Flight Centre and is not subject to Okanagan College control and regulations, although all tuition fees for academic courses and flight training are paid to Okanagan College. Okanagan College will maintain records of the student's flight training achievements as provided by Southern Interior Flight Centre on the official Okanagan College transcript.

Career Opportunities: include pilots with charter companies, regional carriers and private corporations as well as additional job opportunities with major airline companies.

Please note, students entering the September intake must have their Private Pilot’s License. Those entering the program in January do not require their Private Pilot’s License until September. This admission requirement can be satisfied by taking the required private pilot’s training courses and labs (AVIA 104, 105, 106, l07).

Program Outline

Students must complete the program as prescribed below:

Semester 1

• AVIA 104 Introduction to Aviation Theory
• AVIA 105 Aviation Language Proficiency
• AVIA 106 Pilot Skills Lab I
• AVIA 107 Pilot Skills Lab II
• AVIA 112 Navigation and Air Regulations I
• AVIA 113 Meteorology I
• AVIA 114 Flight and Aircraft Systems I
• AVIA 115 Flight Lab I

Semester 2

• AVIA 122 Navigation and Air Regulations II
• AVIA 123 Meteorology II
• AVIA 124 Flight and Aircraft Systems II
• AVIA 125 Flight Lab II

Semester 3

• AVIA 212 Advanced Flight Operations I
• AVIA 213 Instrument Procedures
• AVIA 214 Advanced Avionics
• AVIA 215 Flight Lab III

Semester 4

• AVIA 222 Advanced Flight Operations II
• AVIA 225 Flight Lab IV
• AVIA 226 Human Factors
• AVIA 227 Aviation Skills