Canadian air regulations for paraglider pilots · Canadian Paragliding Exam Study Guide

Who makes the rules

Body	What it does	What it gives us
Transport Canada (TC)	The government regulator. Writes and enforces the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), which are law. Runs the HAGAR exam and issues medical certificates.	CARs, TC Aeronautical Information Manual (TC AIM), TP 11408 study guide
NAV CANADA	Runs air traffic services: control towers, area control centres, Flight Information Centres (FICs) and Flight Service Stations (FSSs). Publishes charts and airspace definitions.	VFR Navigation Charts (VNC), VFR Terminal Area charts (VTA), Canada Flight Supplement (CFS), Designated Airspace Handbook (DAH), NOTAMs, weather
Transportation Safety Board (TSB)	Investigates accidents. Independent of TC.	The rules on what accidents must be reported
HPAC/ACVL	Our national association. Self-regulation: ratings, exams, insurance, site rules. Its rules apply to its members, not to everyone. TC has not delegated its authority to HPAC; TC simply chooses not to regulate us heavily as long as HPAC educates pilots to share the airspace safely.	SOP 410 (ratings), operating limits, HAGAR study guide

Is it ever allowable to transgress (break) the air regulations? Never. Not for safety, not at recognised sites. If following a rule would be unsafe, the correct action is to not fly, or to declare an emergency.

Who is legally responsible for a paraglider in use? The pilot (the pilot-in-command). Not the owner, not the instructor who taught you, not the maintenance technician.

What the law calls us, and what we are exempt from

The CARs never use the word "paraglider". Legally a paraglider is a hang glider: a glider designed to carry not more than two persons with a launch weight of 45 kg or less. A glider is a non-power-driven heavier-than-air aircraft. So we are aircraft, we are gliders, and we are hang gliders, and every rule written for those words applies to us. A paraglider with a motor is a different thing: a basic ultra-light aeroplane.

Because hang gliders are simple, TC exempts them from many rules that apply to other aircraft:

no pilot licence or permit required (the HAGAR is a written exam, not a licence);
no registration and no registration marks;
no certificate of airworthiness or flight permit;
no requirement to keep and carry logbooks (HPAC still wants you to keep one);
no requirement for the standard Day VFR instruments (except a compass and altimeter for Class E cross-country flights);
no standard seat belt rule (but 602.29 requires a means of restraint, see below);
no emergency locator transmitter (ELT).

Definitions the exam uses

Aircraft: any machine that gets support in the air from the air. Gliders, hang gliders, balloons, airships, helicopters, airplanes, parachutes and drones are all aircraft.
Aerodrome: any place used for take-off and landing, on land or water. An airport is a certified aerodrome. A heliport is for helicopters. A controlled aerodrome has a control tower. Registered aerodromes appear in the CFS and on the VNC.
Day: from the beginning of morning civil twilight to the end of evening civil twilight. Night is the rest. Civil twilight is when the centre of the sun is 6° below the horizon; in southern Canada that is roughly 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset (older material states it as exactly 30 minutes; the law says civil twilight).
VFR / IFR: visual flight rules (you navigate and avoid others by looking) / instrument flight rules (ATC separates you). We fly VFR only.
Air traffic control (ATC): a control tower controls a control zone (CZ); a terminal control unit controls a terminal control area (TCA); an area control centre controls IFR traffic elsewhere. ATC gives advisories (information), clearances (permission to do something) and instructions (do it now).
FIC / FSS (Flight Information Centre / Flight Service Station): NAV CANADA offices that give weather briefings and NOTAMs, and take flight plans. They do not control traffic. The CARs now call them "air traffic services units"; the HAGAR material still says FSS. Phone: 1-866-WXBRIEF.
Mandatory Frequency (MF) area: airspace around an uncontrolled aerodrome where you must use a specific radio frequency. Normally a circle of 5 NM radius up to 3,000 ft above the aerodrome. Listed in the CFS and on the VNC.
NOTAM (Notice to Airmen): a notice about a change, hazard or condition affecting flight (airshow, closed runway, military exercise, forest fire, a paragliding competition). Distributed by telecommunication (the aeronautical network and radio), published on the NAV CANADA website, and since 2019 in the ICAO format. NOTAMs are not "issued 48 hours in advance", not mailed, and not only for high-level users.
Controlled airspace: airspace of fixed dimensions, listed in the Designated Airspace Handbook, within which air traffic control service is provided. The exam's best option is usually the one with "defined/designated dimensions" and "control".
Flight level (FL): altitude in hundreds of feet with the altimeter set to 29.92 inHg (1013.2 hPa). FL 180 = 18,000 ft.
AGL / ASL / AAE: above ground level / above sea level / above aerodrome elevation.

CAR 602.29: the hang glider and paraglider rule

This one regulation is the heart of every HPAC air-regulations section. Learn it as a list.

CAR 602.29(1): you may NOT operate a hang glider or paraglider…

at night;
in IFR flight (in cloud, or without visual reference to the surface);
in controlled airspace, except as allowed in (2) and (3) below;
without the required equipment: a means of restraint (harness) attached to the primary structure, and a two-way radio when operating in Class D airspace, in an MF area, or in the ADIZ;
with another person on board, unless the flight is for dual flight instruction (this is the legal basis for tandem flying: a tandem flight is instruction);
unless each person on board is secured by the restraint and is wearing a protective helmet.

CAR 602.29(2): controlled airspace near airports

You may operate in controlled airspace:

within 5 NM of the centre of an airport or heliport, or within the control zone of an uncontrolled airport, if you have permission from the airport or heliport operator;
within the control zone of a controlled airport, if you have obtained an ATC clearance by two-way radio.

CAR 602.29(3): Class E airspace (the HAGAR rule)

You may fly a hang glider or paraglider in Class E airspace if all of these are true:

you are at least 16 years old;
you hold a Category 1, 3 or 4 medical certificate;
you have scored at least 60% on the Transport Canada written exam on the CARs, air traffic procedures, flight instruments, navigation, flight operations and human factors for hang gliders in Class E: the HAGAR;
the glider is equipped with a magnetic compass and an altimeter;
the flight is a cross-country flight; and
you inform the nearest air traffic services unit (in practice the FIC or FSS) of your time of departure and the estimated duration of the flight in Class E airspace.

What the HAGAR does and does not do

A HAGAR pass opens Class E only, and only with the other five conditions. It does not by itself let you into Class C or D or into a control zone; those need permission or a clearance under 602.29(2). It is not a licence. And having "the necessary equipment" is not enough on its own: you must also advise the FIC/FSS before you go. Pilots who hold a Canadian pilot licence (private, glider, ultralight…) do not need to write the HAGAR, but they still need the equipment and the notification for Class E.

Radio, helmet, compass: what is actually required

Radio: required by the CARs only in Class D, an MF area and the ADIZ. It is not mandatory for a cross-country flight through Class E. (Carry one anyway.)
Helmet: required by the CARs for every person on board, not only by HPAC.
Compass and altimeter: required for the Class E cross-country case. A variometer is never legally required.

The airspace system

Canada's airspace is divided vertically into low-level airspace (below 18,000 ft ASL) and high-level airspace (18,000 ft ASL and above, all of it Class A in southern Canada: IFR only, no gliders). Horizontally it is the Southern Domestic Airspace (where tracks and cruising altitudes use magnetic headings) and the Northern Domestic Airspace (true headings, because the compass is unreliable near the pole).

Airspace is either controlled (ATC service is provided) or uncontrolled. All uncontrolled airspace is Class G. Controlled airspace is Class A, B, C, D or E. Class F is special use and can be either.

Class	Where	Who and how	For us
A	All high-level airspace, 18,000 ft ASL and up	IFR only	No.
B	Low-level controlled airspace above 12,500 ft ASL (or above the minimum en-route altitude if higher) up to 18,000 ft	IFR and VFR, but VFR needs a clearance and equipment we do not have	In theory possible with a clearance; in practice no.
C	Control zones and terminal control areas around major airports	VFR must establish two-way radio contact and obtain an ATC clearance before entering. ATC can refuse.	Only with a clearance (602.29(2)).
D	Control zones and terminal areas around busy airports	VFR must establish two-way radio contact before entering. ATC cannot refuse a pilot who meets the conditions.	Only with permission/clearance and a radio (602.29).
E	Low-level airways, control area extensions, transition areas, and control zones without an operating tower	No special VFR requirements for aircraft in general; for us, CAR 602.29(3) (HAGAR, medical, compass and altimeter, XC, notify)	Yes, with the HAGAR conditions.
F	Special use: CYA (advisory) and CYR (restricted) areas, marked on the VNC with a letter for the activity: (H) hang gliding, (P) parachuting, (S) soaring, (A) aerobatics, (M) military, (T) training, (F) test	A CYR may not be entered when active without permission from the user agency. A CYA may be entered with caution. Inactive Class F takes the class of the surrounding airspace.	Some CYA(H) areas exist for our sites.
G	Everything else: uncontrolled, not drawn on the VNC	No ATC service; all the general flight rules still apply	Yes. This is where most of our flying happens.

The "inverted wedding cake": a control zone at the airport from the ground up, wider layers (TCA, control area extension) above it with higher floors further out, Class B above 12,500 ft and Class A from 18,000 ft. Class G is everything not drawn.

Airways and air routes. Aircraft used to fly between radio beacons (VOR, NDB) along corridors called airways.

A low-level airway is Class E from 2,200 ft AGL up to 12,500 ft ASL, and Class B above 12,500 ft up to 18,000 ft. Its basic width is 4 NM each side of the centreline = 8 NM (an LF/MF airway between NDBs is 4.34 NM each side, 8.68 NM). Below 2,200 ft AGL under an airway is Class G.
A low-level air route is the same kind of corridor but in uncontrolled Class G airspace. You may fly in an air route without any special authorisation (but you may not in an airway, a transition area or a terminal control area without meeting 602.29).
Transition areas and control area extensions are Class E around control zones, usually with a floor of 700, 1,500, 2,500 or 4,000 ft ASL.
Control zones start at the ground and go up to a specified altitude (often 3,000 ft above the aerodrome), and they can be Class C, D or E depending on the airport.

Where do I find the location and base of controlled airspace? On the VFR Navigation Chart (VNC), the VFR Terminal Area chart (VTA), and in the Designated Airspace Handbook (DAH): any of the above. Frequencies for aerodromes (MF, ATF, tower) are in the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) and on the chart.

Nepal bridge: Pokhara has one airport; Canada has thousands of aerodromes

At Sarangkot you know exactly where Pokhara airport's zone is and you stay out of it. In Canada almost every town has an aerodrome, many have MF areas, and the controlled airspace around a city is a stack of layers you must read from the chart. The good news: most Canadian flying sites are in Class G under a high floor, and the club site guide tells you the ceiling. The exam tests that you can read the chart and know the numbers.

General flight rules that apply to us

Reckless or negligent operation (CAR 602.01) is prohibited. Fitness (602.02): do not fly fatigued or unfit. Alcohol and drugs (602.03): 12 hours after drinking, never under the influence, no impairing drugs; no intoxicated passenger (602.04).

Built-up areas and crowds. You may not take off, approach or land over a built-up area or an open-air assembly of persons in a way that creates a hazard, and not unless you could land safely in an emergency (602.12). You may not take off or land within the built-up area of a city or town except at an airport, heliport or military aerodrome (602.13).

Minimum altitudes and distances (CAR 602.14)

Over a built-up area or an open-air assembly of persons (except when taking off, approaching or landing): high enough that in an emergency you could land without creating a hazard to persons or property on the surface, and in any case not lower than:

for aeroplanes (this includes paramotors): 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within 2,000 ft horizontally;
for an aircraft other than an aeroplane or balloon, which is us: 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within 500 ft horizontally.

Anywhere else: not closer than 500 ft to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

Right of way (602.19) and avoidance of collision (602.21): Module 05. Dropping objects (602.23): not if it creates a hazard. Formation flight (602.24): only by pre-arrangement between the pilots, and inside a control zone also with ATC. Aerobatics (602.27): not over built-up areas, not in controlled airspace or air routes without written authority, never with a passenger unless you are an authorised instructor.

Forest fires (601.15/601.16): no aircraft below 3,000 ft AGL over a forest fire area or within 5 NM of it, and no flight in airspace described in a fire NOTAM.

ATC instructions and clearances (602.31): comply with and acknowledge instructions; comply with clearances you have accepted; read back a clearance when asked.

Cruising altitudes (CAR 602.34): applies above 3,000 ft AGL in level flight

Magnetic track (southern Canada)	VFR	IFR
000°–179° (roughly eastbound)	odd thousands + 500 ft (3,500, 5,500, 7,500…)	odd thousands (3,000, 5,000…)
180°–359° (roughly westbound)	even thousands + 500 ft (4,500, 6,500, 8,500…)	even thousands (4,000, 6,000…)

Use: you leave a ridge where the wind was from 240°, and you fly downwind, so your track is about 060° (eastbound). Aircraft coming toward you are westbound: expect VFR traffic at 4,500, 6,500, 8,500 ft and IFR at 4,000, 6,000, 8,000. A thermalling paraglider does not hold a cruising altitude, but you must know where the traffic is.

Altimeter setting (602.35): set the altimeter to the aerodrome (or nearest station) setting; if not available, set the field elevation. Above 18,000 ft (the standard pressure region) aircraft set 29.92 inHg (602.36); it does not apply to us but it is examinable.

Pre-flight information (602.71/602.72): before a flight you must be familiar with the available information and weather appropriate to the flight, including NOTAMs.

Aerodromes (CAR 602.96–602.104)

Do not fly below 2,000 ft over an aerodrome except to land or take off there (or as ATC directs). The rule uses 2,000 ft above the aerodrome, so exam options in AGL mean the same thing.
At or near an aerodrome: watch for traffic, conform to or avoid the traffic pattern, make circuit turns to the left unless the CFS says right, land and take off into wind, keep a listening watch on the aerodrome frequency, and at a controlled aerodrome obtain a clearance.
MF areas: you need a working radio; report at least 5 minutes before entering with position, altitude and intentions, report joining the circuit, on downwind, on final, and when clear; when passing through, report 5 minutes before and when clear. Without a radio you may only use an MF aerodrome with prior arrangement with the ground station, and you must join the circuit on the downwind leg.

VFR weather minima (CAR 602.114 and 602.115)

Airspace	Flight visibility	Distance from cloud	Extra
Controlled (Class B, C, D, E)	3 miles	500 ft vertically, 1 mile horizontally	In a control zone: ground visibility 3 miles and at least 500 ft above the surface except when landing or taking off
Uncontrolled, at or above 1,000 ft AGL	1 mile (day)	500 ft vertically, 2,000 ft horizontally	(Night: 3 miles; not for us)
Uncontrolled, below 1,000 ft AGL	2 miles (day)	clear of cloud

Always with visual reference to the surface. "Miles" here are statute miles. Cloud flying by a paraglider is illegal under VFR and deadly in practice.

Radio (602.133/602.136): aviation radio in Canada is in English or French; if you carry a radio, listen on the appropriate frequency and use it to communicate (Module 11 for frequencies).

Oxygen (605.31/605.32): more than 30 minutes between 10,000 and 13,000 ft ASL, or any time above 13,000 ft, requires supplemental oxygen for the whole period; the supply carried must cover it (Module 09).

Who has right of way with other aircraft

See Module 05 for the table. The exam repeats these constantly: head-on both turn right; converging: the one with the other on its right gives way; powered aircraft give way to gliders and balloons; gliders give way to balloons; the overtaking aircraft gives way and passes on the right; the lower aircraft on approach has right of way but may not cut in; the pilot is always responsible for avoiding collision, even with ATC service.

Reporting accidents

The TSB must be told, as soon as possible and by the quickest means, of a reportable accident: a person is killed or seriously injured, the aircraft sustains structural failure or serious damage, or the aircraft is missing or inaccessible. A missing aircraft is therefore a reportable accident, not an incident and not "an occurrence that need not be reported". HPAC also asks for an accident report on its website (Module 08).

The HAGAR exam and the medical

HAGAR = Hang Glider Air Regulations exam, run by Transport Canada (written at a TC Centre or with an authorised invigilator, who may charge a fee). 40 multiple-choice questions, 2½ hours, 60% to pass. Subjects: CARs, ATC procedures, flight instruments (altimeter, compass), navigation with a VNC, flight operations (NOTAM, wake turbulence, radio), human factors.
You need a Category 4 medical certificate before you can write it (Module 09). Bring two pieces of ID, a ruler, a protractor and a calculator.
If you fail: wait 14 days before the second try, 30 days after a second failure, and longer after that (up to 180 days), though TC must shorten the wait if you show you have studied the weak areas.
HPAC records your rating only after it receives the TC letter confirming the HAGAR pass (SOP 410).
Who needs it? Anyone flying in controlled (Class E) airspace. HPAC makes it a prerequisite for the P3 and P4 ratings. Holders of a Canadian pilot licence are exempt from writing it.

Older exam material says a P3 can be earned without the HAGAR

That was true under older HPAC rules. SOP 410-9 (2022) lists pass the Transport Canada HAGAR exam as a prerequisite for the P3 Intermediate rating, and again for the P4. Plan accordingly: HAGAR comes before P3.

Powered paragliders, insurance and other "not us" rules

A paraglider with a powered harness is a basic ultra-light aeroplane, even with the engine off: registration, an ultra-light pilot permit, $100,000 liability insurance, and different airspace rules. HPAC insurance does not cover it.
Insurance: the CARs require liability insurance for registered aircraft. An unpowered paraglider is not registered, so the CARs do not require it; HPAC membership provides it and HPAC and site rules require it (Module 07).
Helmets: required by CAR 602.29(1)(f), not only by HPAC.
Night flying: never, no exceptions, no lighting equipment makes it legal.

Key numbers from this module (the flashcards drill all of these)

Alcohol: 12 h. Oxygen: 10,000 / 13,000 ft, 30 min. Age for Class E: 16. HAGAR pass: 60%.
High-level airspace: 18,000 ft ASL. Class B: above 12,500 ft. Airway: Class E from 2,200 ft AGL, 4 NM each side (8 NM). Air route: Class G.
Controlled airspace near an airport: 5 NM with operator permission; control zone of a controlled airport with ATC clearance by radio.
Aerodrome: not below 2,000 ft except landing/take-off. MF area: 5 NM, 3,000 ft, report 5 min before.
Built-up area / crowd: 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within 500 ft (aeroplanes: within 2,000 ft). Elsewhere: 500 ft from people, vessels, vehicles, structures.
Forest fire: 3,000 ft AGL within 5 NM.
VFR minima: controlled 3 mi, 500 ft / 1 mi; uncontrolled ≥1,000 AGL 1 mi, 500 ft / 2,000 ft; below 1,000 AGL 2 mi, clear of cloud.
Cruising above 3,000 AGL: 000–179 odd + 500; 180–359 even + 500.
HAGAR: 40 questions, 2½ h, 60%; retest 14 / 30 days. Medical: Category 4, 40 working days.