First Private Pilot License issued in Canada – 24-January-1920

While many brave flyers took to the skies during WWI, it wasn’t until after the war that the formal licensing system we know today took flight. The very first Private Pilot License (PPL #1) in Canada was issued to James Stanley Scott on 24-January-1920.

James Stanley Scott was born in Roberval, Quebec.

The Private Pilot License was was issued shortly after the creation of the Air Board, which was the first body to oversee civil aviation in Canada. Scott was a decorated WWI vet who helped pave the way for every weekend flyer and hobbyist pilot currently soaring over the Great White North. From open cockpits to modern flight decks, it all started with that single piece of paper.