By Warwick Patterson, BC & Yukon Regional Director, COPA

Galwhat? Did you know that your pilot licensing and aircraft registration details can be managed online? Transport Canada’s “General Aviation Online Services” website offers a simple and quick way to look up and manage much of our information. The site has been up at least a few years (when I bought my first aircraft), but anecdotally it would seem that it is a secret hiding in the government website jungle.

We all know the anxiety that can happen while we wait for an aircraft registration or license to appear in the mail as a looming deadline approaches. One of the big benefits of using GALRO is the information updates in the online system as soon as it is processed by TC – which is often a few days or weeks before Canada Post delivers the hard copy.

If you’re an aircraft owner, you can review your current and cancelled registrations, or search and reserve new registration marks. When an aircraft transfers ownership, the seller has an obligation to submit a notice of cancellation. Through the GALRO website, this can be done online rather than mailing the paperwork. You can also change your address details when needed.

For all licensed flight crew and ATC, you can access “My File” which has records of your licenses and permits, including expiry dates. All your medical information is also enclosed, including your exam dates, category, assessments, and expiry. Your past history of flight and written test results can also be reviewed – for better or for worse! You can even find all the rating and permit application forms.

The easiest way to find the site is to search “GALRO” in Google. You can then sign in using a GCI Key or through online banking sign-in verification. The direct link is: https://gart.tc.gc.ca/secure/galro-aglie/

(Photo: Adobe Stock)