Canada medical certificate, Category 4

[brown bear]

I see that Canada has a "category 4" medical that is like our new up comeing " BasicMed" "So could a U.S. pilot get a Canada Category 4 medical certificate from Canada and then be legal to fly in Canada
with out a 3ed class med ?

Category 4 Certification
Several years ago when ultralights and other recreational aircraft were starting to become quite popular, Canada decided to create a non-ICAO compliant medical certificate, Category 4. The only requirement needed to obtain this level of medical certification is a form of self-declaration similar to that of a driver’s licence. To that end, a screening medical questionnaire was created and the need to see a Civil Aviation Medical Examiner (CAME) eliminated. However, you need to have your family physician countersign the questionnaire if you want to carry a passenger on your aircraft. That’s right: no physical examination, unless of course you have or have had one of the conditions that we are concerned about, in which case you may need to see a CAME.
So what can you do with a Category 4 medical certificate? It is the medical document required to validate a Student Pilot Permit, a RPP, a U/L and a GPL. With an RPP you can fly day VFR, on a non-high-performance, four-seat or less single engine aircraft with a single passenger. In other words, virtually all of the aircraft most recreational pilots fly. So, if you are a light aircraft driver who doesn’t need or want to fly to the U.S. or IFR, you don’t need to visit your CAME. Unlike the Sport Pilot Permit in the U.S., it is possible to receive a Category 4 medical certificate if you have previously been denied a Category 1, 2 or 3 certificate, assuming of course the medical condition has been dealt with and does not pose a flight safety hazard. You don’t need to have a driver’s licence and any decision made by Transport Canada (TC) can be appealed. The certificate can also be issued with a restriction as well, unlike the U.S. where you get it or you don’t, such as “no passenger” if your medical condition warrants.

In TC’s experience, over 90 percent of Category 4 applicants get the certificate, no questions asked. The other 10 percent may need to supply Civil Aviation Medicine with more information and less than 1 percent are denied. The standards are very close to those of a Class 5 driver’s licence in Canada, although TC is more stringent on issues such as respiratory disease requiring oxygen and seizure disorders.
So if you don’t like visiting your friendly neighbourhood CAME, take a look at the Category 4 Medical Certificate and the RPP and see if it meets your flying needs. Over 7 000 of your fellow pilots can’t be wrong!

 

[qsmx440]

So could a US citizen get that license (permit, medical?) and fly in Canada "only" even after having lost their medical here? Sounds like a growth vacation business for Canada a bit like prescription drugs.

 

[NunavutPA-12]

For Canadians: If you have, and want to keep, the privileges of a Private Pilot Licence, then a Cat 4 medical will not be sufficient. If, on the other hand, you have a Canadian Recreational Pilot Permit (similar to your Sport Pilot licence) the Cat 4 is all you need.

For Americans though, I think the answer to your question is; whatever medical certification you need with your US licence is what would be required if you're flying in Canada.

 

[NunavutPA-12]

So could a US citizen get that license (permit, medical?) and fly in Canada "only" even after having lost their medical here? Sounds like a growth vacation business for Canada a bit like prescription drugs.

Hmm ... I think that might be possible!

 

[irishfield]

Most Doctors are now refusing to sign Cat IV's for Rec pilot holders. They don't want the liability for doing so and since they are not recognized as "Aviation examiners" they are not covered under the Transport Canada "Umbrella".

There is also a self declared Cat IV, it's only for "Ultralight" licence holders that can't carry a passenger (unless they also hold a licence). The UL licence allows them to fly anything up to 1320 lbs Gross though and is how my wife flies. My J3 was legal territory for her! ;-)

 

[Roddy]

Most Doctors are now refusing to sign Cat IV's for Rec pilot holders. They don't want the liability for doing so and since they are not recognized as "Aviation examiners" they are not covered under the Transport Canada "Umbrella".

There is also a self declared Cat IV, it's only for "Ultralight" licence holders that can't carry a passenger (unless they also hold a licence). The UL licence allows them to fly anything up to 1320 lbs Gross though and is how my wife flies. My J3 was legal territory for her! ;-)

Your right that the self dec allows you to fly an "ultralight", however, those "ultralights" include Rans S-7S,
Just SS, Tecnam Seirra, and Evektor aircraft to name a few.
The Advanced ultralight category aircraft and the self dec medical allows pilots to fly by themselves or with another pilot anywhere in Canada in daylight hours. It's a heck of a good system for a lot of pilots and the "ultralights" available today are top shelf. Also, our freedom to fly here in Canada and very likely the U.S., is second to none world wide. Lucky is what we are!
Roddy

 

[Sikorsky]

I’m not sure about Canada but I went down a similar road to the South. I’m commercially certificated in the USA, but wanted to fly in Honduras. I could have flown there off of USA certificates but wanted a license there for the heck of it: got a medical, took the written in Spanish, and flight test. It was kind of fun learning the “process” in a third world country. Met some nice folks while doing it…


My understanding is I could theoretically fly off of my Honduran CPL here in the states, as the two countries recognize each other.


Back to Canada. (Theoretical question). Say you went up to Canada, got a medical, passed the tests. You came back to the USA, did something stupid and got your USA certification yanked. You still would have your Canada certificate. Canadians can fly down here right? See where I’m going with this?


I’m not suggesting devious behavior. But I am suggesting, for at minimum curiosity sake, looking at the space outside of the box.

 

[irishfield]

Your right that the self dec allows you to fly an "ultralight", however, those "ultralights" include Rans S-7S,
Just SS, Tecnam Seirra, and Evektor aircraft to name a few.
The Advanced ultralight category aircraft and the self dec medical allows pilots to fly by themselves or with another pilot anywhere in Canada in daylight hours. It's a heck of a good system for a lot of pilots and the "ultralights" available today are top shelf. Also, our freedom to fly here in Canada and very likely the U.S., is second to none world wide. Lucky is what we are!
Roddy

Ummm yah, of course. What I thought I clearly stated.. anything to 1320lbs, exactly what my own wife and father in law both do.

 

[Roddy]

Ummm yah, of course. What I thought I clearly stated.. anything to 1320lbs, exactly what my own wife and father in law both do.

The term ultralight conjures up visions of kites with lawn chairs. That's why I said what I said.
If it's 1320 in Canada now, that's news to me. It was for years 1232. Maybe I missed the memo.
Roddy

 

[skywagon8a]

I see that Canada has a "category 4" medical that is like our new up coming " BasicMed" "So could a U.S. pilot get a Canada Category 4 medical certificate from Canada and then be legal to fly in Canada with out a 3rd class med ?

A pilot who meets the license requirements from country "A" (pilot certificate and medical) can no longer maintain the medical (for whatever reason) decides to go to country "B" where they have medical requirements which the pilot from country "A" can meet. Your question is making the implication that having half of the requirements from country "A" combined with the other half of the requirements from country "B" make for a legal operation of piloting in either country. Without digging into any regulations, I would say I doubt it.​

 

[irishfield]

The term ultralight conjures up visions of kites with lawn chairs. That's why I said what I said.
If it's 1320 in Canada now, that's news to me. It was for years 1232. Maybe I missed the memo.
Roddy

No you're right.. had my fingers backwards. Max stall speed of 45 mph as well IIRC. My J3 was registered 1219 lbs gross and the wife could fly it legally.

 

[NunavutPA-12]

A pilot who meets the license requirements from country "A" (pilot certificate and medical) can no longer maintain the medical (for whatever reason) decides to go to country "B" where they have medical requirements which the pilot from country "A" can meet. Your question is making the implication that having half of the requirements from country "A" combined with the other half of the requirements from country "B" make for a legal operation of piloting in either country. Without digging into any regulations, I would say I doubt it.​

My answer to qsmx440's question assumed that the US pilot would get both a Canadian Rec Pilot Permit and the corresponding Cat 4 medical. I think that would work, but that pilot would be able to fly only in Canada.

Which brings up more questions: Can a US citizen with a PPL get a Canadian Rec Pilot Permit without further testing (seems logical)? If so, can that US citizen who now holds a Canadian Rec Pilot Permit choose, at some point in his life, to fly only in Canada with the restrictions (i.e.; day VFR only, no more than four seats, no more than one passenger) and a Cat 4 medical ?

Might be a good back-up plan for our friends from the US.