By Adam Hunt, COPA manager, Membership Services
We heard recently from a COPA member who noted that his licence carried the wording “all single engine, single pilot aeroplanes… except high performance aeroplanes.” He wanted to check out on the Piper Cherokee Six and wasn’t sure if it was “high performance” or not.
Until recently, the definition was hard to find in the CARs. It has been inserted in CAR 400.01, Personnel Licencing definitions:
“high-performance aeroplane”, with respect to a rating, means
(a) an aeroplane that is specified in the minimum flight crew document as requiring only one pilot and that has a maximum speed (Vne) of 250 kt IAS or greater or a stall speed (Vso) of 80 kt IAS or greater, or
(b) an amateur-built aeroplane that has a wing loading greater than that specified in section 549.103 of the Airworthiness Manual; (20.4 lb/sq ft with flaps, 13.3 lbs/sq ft without flaps)
The Piper Cherokee Six does not require a high performance rating on your licence to fly it.
It should be pointed out that the high performance rating requirement was introduced to ensure that pilots would get a proper checkout on aircraft that meet the definition.