Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433)
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Regulations are current to 2024-10-30 and last amended on 2023-06-21. Previous Versions
Part VI — General Operating and Flight Rules (continued)
Subpart 2 — Operating and Flight Rules (continued)
Division III — Flight Preparation, Flight Plans and Flight Itineraries (continued)
Pre-flight Information
602.71 The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall, before commencing a flight, be familiar with the available information that is appropriate to the intended flight.
Weather Information
602.72 The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall, before commencing a flight, be familiar with the available weather information that is appropriate to the intended flight.
Requirement to File a Flight Plan or a Flight Itinerary
602.73 (1) Subject to subsection (3), no pilot-in-command shall operate an aircraft in IFR flight unless an IFR flight plan has been filed.
(2) No pilot-in-command shall operate an aircraft in VFR flight unless a VFR flight plan or a VFR flight itinerary has been filed, except where the flight is conducted within 25 nautical miles of the departure aerodrome.
(3) A pilot-in-command may file an IFR flight itinerary instead of an IFR flight plan where
(a) the flight is conducted in part or in whole outside controlled airspace; or
(b) facilities are inadequate to permit the communication of flight plan information to an air traffic control unit, a flight service station or a community aerodrome radio station.
(4) Despite anything in this Division, no pilot-in-command shall, unless a flight plan has been filed, operate an aircraft between Canada and a foreign state.
Contents of a Flight Plan or a Flight Itinerary
602.74 A flight plan or flight itinerary shall contain such information as is specified by the Minister in the Canada Flight Supplement.
Filing of a Flight Plan or a Flight Itinerary
602.75 (1) A flight plan shall be filed with an air traffic control unit, a flight service station or a community aerodrome radio station.
(2) A flight itinerary shall be filed with a responsible person, an air traffic control unit, a flight service station or a community aerodrome radio station.
(3) A flight plan or flight itinerary shall be filed by
(a) sending, delivering or otherwise communicating the flight plan or flight itinerary or the information contained therein; and
(b) receiving acknowledgement that the flight plan or flight itinerary or the information contained therein has been received.
Changes in the Flight Plan
602.76 (1) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft for which an IFR flight plan or an IFR flight itinerary has been filed shall follow the procedure set out in subsection (2) where the pilot-in-command intends to make any change in the plan or itinerary in respect of
(a) the cruising altitude or cruising flight level;
(b) the route of flight;
(c) the destination aerodrome;
(d) in the case of a flight plan, the true airspeed at the cruising altitude or cruising flight level, where the change intended is five per cent or more of the true airspeed specified in the IFR flight plan; or
(e) the Mach number, where the change intended is .01 or more of the Mach number that has been included in the air traffic control clearance.
(2) A pilot-in-command of an aircraft who intends to make any of the changes in the IFR flight plan or the IFR flight itinerary that are referred to in subsection (1) shall
(a) notify as soon as practicable an air traffic control unit or the responsible person, as the case may be, of the intended change; and
(b) where the flight is being conducted in controlled airspace, receive an air traffic control clearance before making the intended change.
(3) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft for which a VFR flight plan or a VFR flight itinerary has been filed shall follow the procedure set out in subsection (4) where the pilot-in-command intends to make a change in the plan or itinerary in respect of
(a) the route of flight;
(b) the duration of the flight; or
(c) the destination aerodrome.
(4) A pilot-in-command of an aircraft who intends to make any of the changes in the VFR flight plan or the VFR flight itinerary that are referred to in subsection (3) shall notify as soon as practicable an air traffic control unit, a flight service station, a community aerodrome radio station or the responsible person, of the intended change.
Requirement to File an Arrival Report
602.77 (1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a pilot-in-command of an aircraft who terminates a flight in respect of which a flight plan has been filed under subsection 602.75(1) shall ensure that an arrival report is filed with an air traffic control unit, a flight service station or a community aerodrome radio station as soon as practicable after landing but not later than
(a) the search and rescue action initiation time specified in the flight plan; or
(b) where no search and rescue action initiation time is specified in the flight plan, one hour after the last reported estimated time of arrival.
(2) Subject to subsection (4), a pilot-in-command of an aircraft who terminates a flight in respect of which a flight itinerary has been filed under subsection 602.75(2) shall ensure that an arrival report is filed with an air traffic control unit, a flight service station, a community aerodrome radio station or, if the flight itinerary was filed with a responsible person, the responsible person, as soon as practicable after landing but not later than
(a) the search and rescue action initiation time specified in the flight itinerary; or
(b) where no search and rescue action initiation time is specified in the flight itinerary, 24 hours after the last reported estimated time of arrival.
(3) A pilot-in-command who terminates an IFR flight at an aerodrome where there is an operating air traffic control unit or flight service station is not required to file an arrival report unless requested to do so by the appropriate air traffic control unit.
(4) A pilot-in-command of an aircraft who conducts a flight in respect of which a flight plan or flight itinerary has been filed with an air traffic control unit, flight service station or community aerodrome radio station may file an arrival report by closing the flight plan or flight itinerary with an air traffic control unit, flight service station or community aerodrome radio station prior to landing.
- SOR/2006-77, s. 10
Contents of an Arrival Report
602.78 An arrival report shall contain such information as is specified by the Minister in the Canada Flight Supplement.
Overdue Aircraft Report
602.79 Any person who assumes responsibilities with respect to an aircraft and who has reason to believe that the aircraft is overdue, or any other person who has been directed by that person to do so, shall immediately, by the quickest means available,
(a) notify an air traffic control unit, a flight service station, a community aerodrome radio station or a Rescue Co-ordination Centre; and
(b) provide, to the best of the person’s knowledge, all of the available information concerning the overdue aircraft that may be requested by the air traffic control unit, the flight service station, the community aerodrome radio station or the Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
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Division IV — Pre-Flight and Fuel Requirements
Carry-on Baggage, Equipment and Cargo
602.86 (1) No person shall operate an aircraft with carry-on baggage, equipment or cargo on board, unless the carry-on baggage, equipment and cargo are
(a) stowed in a bin, compartment, rack or other location that is certified in accordance with the aircraft type certificate in respect of the stowage of carry-on baggage, equipment or cargo; or
(b) restrained so as to prevent them from shifting during movement of the aircraft on the surface and during take-off, landing and in-flight turbulence.
(2) No person shall operate an aircraft with carry-on baggage, equipment or cargo on board unless
(a) the safety equipment, the normal and emergency exits that are accessible to passengers and the aisles between the flight deck and a passenger compartment are not wholly or partially blocked by carry-on baggage, equipment or cargo;
(b) all of the equipment and cargo that are stowed in a passenger compartment are packaged or covered to avoid possible injury to persons on board;
(c) where the aircraft is type-certificated to carry 10 or more passengers and passengers are carried on board,
(i) no passenger’s view of any “seat belt” sign, “no smoking” sign or exit sign is obscured by carry-on baggage, equipment or cargo except if an auxiliary sign is visible to the passenger or another means of notification of the passenger is available,
(ii) all of the passenger service carts and trolleys are securely restrained during movement of the aircraft on the surface, take-off and landing, and during in-flight turbulence where the pilot-in-command or in-charge flight attendant has directed that the cabin be secured pursuant to subsection 605.25(3) or (4), and
(iii) all of the video monitors that are suspended from the ceiling of the aircraft and extend into an aisle are stowed and securely restrained during take-off and landing; and
(d) all of the cargo that is stowed in a compartment to which crew members have access is stowed in such a manner as to allow a crew member to effectively reach all parts of the compartment with a hand-held fire extinguisher.
- SOR/2002-353, s. 1(F)
Crew Member Instructions
602.87 The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall ensure that each crew member, before acting as a crew member on board the aircraft, has been instructed with respect to
(a) the duties that the crew member is to perform; and
(b) the location and use of all of the normal and emergency exits and of all of the emergency equipment that is carried on board the aircraft.
Fuel Requirements
602.88 (1) This section does not apply in respect of any glider, balloon or ultra-light aeroplane.
(2) No pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall commence a flight or, during flight, change the destination aerodrome set out in the flight plan or flight itinerary, unless the aircraft carries sufficient fuel to ensure compliance with subsections (3) to (5).
(3) An aircraft operated in VFR flight shall carry an amount of fuel that is sufficient to allow the aircraft
(a) in the case of an aircraft other than a helicopter,
(i) when operated during the day, to fly to the destination aerodrome and then to fly for a period of 30 minutes at normal cruising speed, or
(ii) when operated at night, to fly to the destination aerodrome and then to fly for a period of 45 minutes at normal cruising speed; or
(b) in the case of a helicopter, to fly to the destination aerodrome and then to fly for a period of 20 minutes at normal cruising speed.
(4) An aircraft operated in IFR flight shall carry an amount of fuel that is sufficient to allow the aircraft
(a) in the case of a propeller-driven aeroplane,
(i) where an alternate aerodrome is specified in the flight plan or flight itinerary, to fly to and execute an approach and a missed approach at the destination aerodrome, to fly to and land at the alternate aerodrome and then to fly for a period of 45 minutes, or
(ii) where an alternate aerodrome is not specified in the flight plan or flight itinerary, to fly to and execute an approach and a missed approach at the destination aerodrome and then to fly for a period of 45 minutes; or
(b) in the case of a turbo-jet-powered aeroplane or a helicopter,
(i) where an alternate aerodrome is specified in the flight plan or flight itinerary, to fly to and execute an approach and a missed approach at the destination aerodrome, to fly to and land at the alternate aerodrome and then to fly for a period of 30 minutes, or
(ii) where an alternate aerodrome is not specified in the flight plan or flight itinerary, to fly to and execute an approach and a missed approach at the destination aerodrome and then to fly for a period of 30 minutes.
(5) Every aircraft shall carry an amount of fuel that is sufficient to provide for
(a) taxiing and foreseeable delays prior to take-off;
(b) meteorological conditions;
(c) foreseeable air traffic routings and traffic delays;
(d) landing at a suitable aerodrome in the event of loss of cabin pressurization or, in the case of a multi-engined aircraft, failure of any engine, at the most critical point during the flight; and
(e) any other foreseeable conditions that could delay the landing of the aircraft.
Passenger Briefings
602.89 (1) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall ensure that all of the passengers on board the aircraft are briefed before take-off with respect to the following, where applicable:
(a) the location and means of operation of emergency and normal exits;
(b) the location and means of operation of safety belts, shoulder harnesses and restraint devices;
(c) the positioning of seats and the securing of seat backs and chair tables;
(d) the stowage of carry-on baggage;
(e) where the aircraft is unpressurized and it is possible that the flight will require the use of oxygen by the passengers, the location and means of operation of oxygen equipment; and
(f) any prohibition against smoking.
(2) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall ensure that all of the passengers on board the aircraft are briefed
(a) in the case of an over-water flight where the carriage of life preservers, individual flotation devices or personal flotation devices is required pursuant to section 602.62, before commencement of the over-water portion of the flight, with respect to the location and use of those items; and
(b) in the case of a pressurized aircraft that is to be operated at an altitude above FL 250, before the aircraft reaches FL 250, with respect to the location and means of operation of oxygen equipment.
(3) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall, before take-off, ensure that all of the passengers on board the aircraft are provided with information respecting the location and use of
(a) first aid kits and survival equipment;
(b) where the aircraft is a helicopter or a small aircraft that is an aeroplane, any ELT that is required to be carried on board pursuant to section 605.38; and
(c) any life raft that is required to be carried on board pursuant to section 602.63.
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