Michael McDonald

Boeing 737-MAX8 Captain | Training Captain | IFR Instructor

Over 30 years of professional aviation. More than 13,000 flight hours. Decades teaching CPL, IFR, IATRA and ATPL ground school.

Michael is a Training Captain at a major international airline, training new hires, pilots new to type and captain upgrade candidates. His operational IFR experience spans small aircraft, northern turboprops, regional, cargo and international airline flying.

His aircraft type ratings include the B1900, CRJ, Boeing 737, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767. He currently flies the Boeing 737-MAX8.

Further qualifications and teaching experience

Boeing 737NG Level-D Type Rating Instructor Experience at CAE.
Current simulator instruction in Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) training for various Canadian flight training units.
Multi-engine IFR ground-school and MCC instruction.
FAA-to-Transport Canada conversion ground school for professional and cadet pilots, including Canadian commercial licence, instrument rating and IATRA preparation.

Before you choose an IFR ground school, ask about the instructor’s operational experience.

How much actual IFR experience do they have outside a flight training unit environment? Do they bring decades of experience across northern turboprops, regional flying, cargo and international airline operations?

Too much IFR ground-school instruction is delivered with little commercial operational IFR experience behind it. This course makes that experience central to the teaching.

Michael teaches from regular professional use of the IFR system. Threat and error management, IFR workload management and active monitoring run throughout the ground school, alongside Canadian regulations, weather, navigation, instruments and procedures.

A full live IFR course—with INRAT preparation built in.

52 hours. Thirteen live sessions. An experienced working instructor. A schedule you can commit to.

Learn the subjects in depth, connect them through operational scenarios and ask questions as you go. Prepare for the INRAT while building knowledge you can apply during flight training and the flying that follows.

Your live ground-school offer

Expert instruction. A committed schedule. Clear study goals.

Build Canadian IFR understanding with a working IFR professional, an in-depth live course and a study structure that helps you keep moving. Prepare for the INRAT while developing knowledge for your flight training and subsequent flying.

A full 52-hour live IFR course

Study Canadian IFR air law, weather, navigation, instruments and procedures across thirteen four-hour live sessions. INRAT preparation is integrated into the complete course.

Operational experience in the room

Learn with a working airline captain whose IFR background spans small aircraft, northern turboprops, regional, cargo and international airline operations.

Clear learning milestones

Build from Canadian rules and flight planning through departures, en route decisions, approaches and integrated INRAT scenarios. Each session has defined learning goals.

Questions answered as you learn

Bring the point you cannot make sense of into a live discussion. Work through the reasoning and connect it to the current Canadian reference.

Threats, workload and active monitoring

Threat and error management, IFR workload management and active monitoring are integrated throughout the ground school. Apply them to practical scenarios alongside regulations, weather, navigation and procedures.

A plan for the work between sessions

The planned course includes digital lesson notes, original practice questions and a structured INRAT study plan to support your preparation between classes.

Planned founding cohort: 12 places · 52 live hours · approximately 6.5 weeks

Digital course materials are in development and will be completed before the course begins. Course dates will be announced. Attend the live sessions and plan time for independent study between them.

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