Frequently Asked Questions
Age Restrictions
There is no maximum age to start learning to fly. The oldest student to have gained his licence with us was 63 years old when he started.
There is a minimum age limit of 14 to begin counting flights towards your pilots licence. In addition, you cannot fly solo until you are 16, nor apply for your licence until you are 17 years old. Many students will start at 14 years old and pace their training so that they are ready for the next age restriction when it arrives
Frequency of lessons
This depends entirely on the individual - or budget! Continuity is essential. If you leave it too long between lessons you will end up recapping the previous lesson and therefore make slow progress. Most people will settle at 1 lesson per week. It is possible to study full-time, in which case we limit the student to 3 hours per day. There will be times during a student's training where it is essential to fly regularly, for example, after flying solo for the first time or just before their test. You should therefore budget accordingly.
Medical restrictions
The medical restrictions for a Private Pilot are not particularly stringent. A person of average health will pass the Class 2 meical requirements with no trouble. If you have any concerns, we can give you the details of an Aviation Medical Examiner who will guide you through in more detail.
Glasses and contact lenses are permitted. Your eyesight should be good enough to drive after correction.
If you are interested in making flying a career, we highly recommend you obtain a Class 1 CAA medical from the outset. Initial Class 1 medicals must be obtained at Gatwick Airport.
Theoretical Exams
Passes in 7 written examinations and one oral exam must be obtained in order to qualify for your pilots licence. The written exams are of multiple choice format and have a pass mark of 75%, but with a little study, they are easily passable. They form the basis of you being a safe, proficient pilot and are as follows:
1. Aviation Law & Operational Procedures;
2. Human Performance & Limitations;
3. Navigation & Radio Aids;
4. Meteorology;
5. Aircraft General Knowledge & Principles of Flight;
6. Flight Performance & Planning;
7. Communications.
All the exams are conducted in-house by our staff to make you feel more comfortable.
JARGON Buster
NPPL
National Private Pilots Licence, A recreational licence for UK pilots. Allows the holder to fly aircraft up to 2000kg mass and up to four seats. It is non-expiring, which means that as long as the holder continues to fly regularly, it is valid for life.
PPL
Private Pilots Licence, Also a recreational licence, but this allows for a much wider scope of aircraft to be flown. It also allows the holder to fly as pilot on international flights. It is the stepping stone to a career.
CPL
Commercial Pilots Licence. Allows the holder to fly and be paid. The licence by itself is quite basic, so other qualifications are normally added to maximise a pilots employability
solo
The point in training at which the instructor no longer accompanies the student inside the aircraft, but instead watches from the ground. The student is in the aircraft alone.
dual
Training where both student and instructor are in the aircraft.
NOTAMS
Notices to Airmen. A method of distributing safety critical information to pilots. They are checked before each flight.
CAA
Civil Aviation Authority. The governing body and law maker for aviation in the UK.
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Aeroplane