The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Private Pilots Licence (PPL) is the way to learn if you would like to add additional ratings to your licence or to continue into commercial aviation. If you are learning to fly to carry your friends and family on good weather flights within Europe then you may wish to consider the Light Aircraft Pilots Licence (LAPL) instead. Requiring less training, it is slightly cheaper to obtain and requires a less stringent medical. Read this page to see the comparisons and choose the right training for you.
45 hours is the CAA minimum hour requirement but you should be aware that more training time may be required to achieve test standards. This is determined by your own abilities.
- Minimum 25 hours dual instruction
- Minimum 10 hours supervised solo, including:
- Minimum 5 hours solo navigation including a solo qualifying cross-country flight of at least 150 nautical miles, landing at 2 intermediate airfields.
There are 9 written examinations to complete which are all multiple choice and require a 75% pass mark. They can be taken at your convenience at Leicester Airport and include:
- Air law
- Human Performance
- Meteorology
- Navigation
- Flight Performance and Planning
- Aircraft General
- Principles of Flight
- Communications
- Operational Procedures
Our experienced instructors will support you throughout your training. Typically you will be booked training sessions in 2 hours blocks, for which you will fly for 60 to 90 minutes. You only pay for the time spent in the aircraft, your pre and post-flight briefings with your instructor are free. You can fly as often as you like but we recommend that you should aim to fly at least once a week as regular flying experience plays an important role in the training.
Pricing
The full course cost for the PPL is ‘pay as you go’ but equates to £10,956 at current prices.
This includes 45 hours flying, 9 ground exam fees, 12 months membership to the club and all basic equipment required to complete the course including:
- All training manuals for the PPL syllabus and the 9 written exams
- Aircraft Checklist
- Pilots Logbook
- Current navigational chart
- Chart Ruler
- CRP1 Flight Computer
- A pack of chart pens
- Protractor
Prices quoted do not include additional flying hours or exam resits if required. Landing fees at visited airfields are payable by the student.
Practical examinations are not covered in the above price:
- Communications (RT Licence): A simulation of a flight to cover radio calls for everyday and emergency procedures (£143).
- Skills test: A flight test covering all skills gained during training, including navigation and general handling of the aircraft (£231 plus aircraft hire for time flown at solo rate).
A class 2 medical is required before flying solo which can be obtained from a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) authorised aero-medical examiner. Most medicals are straightforward and anyone of average health should pass the medical without any difficulties. Costs vary but expect to pay around £130. A list of local medical examiners will be provided by your instructor.
Further Training
The Private Pilots Licence allows you to fly an aircraft during daylight hours in reasonably good weather within the limits of Visual Flight Rules (VFR). To allow you to fly in more challenging conditions, the licence can be upgraded, so you might want to then consider:
