Becoming a Private Pilot

PPL(A)

Requirements and qualifications
First step - Trial flight
Second step – Medical examination
PPL Training
Cost
Beyond your PPL
A Career beyond your PPL
FAQs

A Private Pilots Licence (PPL) allows you to fly non-commercial aircraft and is a great place to start for those who wish to embark upon a new hobby or pursue a career in aviation in the future. With the relevant experience you can progress a PPL on to a Commercial Pilots Licence.The Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) and National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL) are also licence options that fall under the private pilot category and are discussed separately. Both the LAPL and NPPL have specific requirements and limitations, so it is strongly advised to read all three licence types to determine which best suits your objectives.

Requirements and Qualifications

No formal qualifications are required to embark upon your Private Pilots License, however a good comprehension of GCSE level Maths and Physics would be advantageous. English is the universal language of aviation, therefore a suitable verbal and written proficiency is required.You must be at least 17 years of age to obtain your PPL. You are permitted to start training prior to this age, however you must be 16 to obtain your Part MED Class 2 Medical Certificate and be eligible to fly solo. There is no age limit to obtain the licence, so long as you are able to meet the medical requirements.

First Step - Trial Flight

Whether a PPL is the start of a challenging and rewarding hobby, or the initial stage to embarking upon a flying career, a trial flight is the ideal place to start. Obtaining a PPL requires significant commitment and time, so confirming whether flying is something you will enjoy going forwards is important to determine from the outset.A trial flight will also allow you to establish whether the flying school you have initially selected meets your expectations and is a comfortable learning environment. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to select a flying school and aircraft you are likely to train in for your trial flight.Each flying school will offer a trial flight option that will consist of you flying with a qualified instructor, who will introduce you to the preliminary stages of flying, as well as the local airspace and flying school itself.

Top Tip: Speak to the club members and students to gain additional insight.

Whilst there will be a cost attached to booking a trial flight, should you commit to obtaining your PPL, the flight-time will contribute towards the 45-hour minimum required to obtain the licence.Trial flights are non-binding so there is nothing stopping you having a number of trial flights at various flight schools to help you make your decision about where to train. You must complete your training course at an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) or Declared Training Organisation (DTO).Contact a flight school near you

Second Step – Medical Examination

A medical is not strictly required at this stage, however obtaining your Part MED Class 2 Medical Certificate at the earliest opportunity will ensure you are not disappointed at a later date.A Class 2 medical must be completed prior to flying solo and conducted by an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). A list of approved AME’s is held by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and can be found on their website.

If your ultimate ambition is to pursue a career as a pilot after your PPL, instead of a Class 2, it is strongly recommended to obtain your initial Part MED Class 1 Certificate at this point.

Although obtaining a Class 1 medical represents a sizeable financial undertaking (approximately £660) it is important to determine whether you are medically able to perform your desired job role prior to investing significant amounts of time and money.

Providing there are no changes in your health, obtaining a Class 1 medical will also provide Class 2 medical privileges (required for PPL Flying) for a duration of at least two years from the date of issue.

PPL Training

Now that you have taken your trial flight, obtained your medical and carefully considered where to complete your training, a thorough understanding of what the course entails is essential to creating a successful plan.A PPL course is largely separated into two sections, theoretical knowledge and flight training.Theoretical KnowledgeThe theoretical knowledge section of the PPL provides the essential foundations for your future in aviation and will support all aspects of flight training that you will undertake. You will have to study and pass exams in the following subject areas:

Air Law
Human Performance
Meteorology
Communications
Navigation
Principles of Flight
Operational Procedures
Flight Performance and Planning
Aircraft General Knowledge

Once your theoretical exams are successfully passed, they will be valid for 24 months – starting from the date you completed your last theoretical examination. Within this 24-month period you must complete all aspects of flight training and pass the skill test, otherwise these exams will expire and you will have to retake them.Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s LicenceThe Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL) authorises you to operate an Aircraft Radio Station in a UK registered aircraft and will need to be obtained in conjunction with your PPL Flight Crew Licence.You must be at least 14 years of age to obtain your FRTOL and need to have passed the PPL Communications theoretical examination before taking the Radiotelephony practical exam.CAP413 is the Radio Telephony Manual by the CAA that will help you prepare for the exam.Flight TrainingYou will need to complete a minimum of 45 hours for your PPL flight training, 5 hours of which may be completed in an approved flight simulator, sometimes referred to as a Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD).

Top Tip: It is common for most students to require more than 45 hours of flight training, so budgeting accordingly is essential.

These lessons are structured and arranged into exercises, which cover the basic skills required to safely fly an aircraft. Your flight training syllabus must include at least:

25 hours of dual flight instruction
10 hours of supervised solo flight time, including at least 5 hours of solo cross-country flight time with at least 1 cross country flight of at least 270 km (150 NM) that includes full stop landings at 2 aerodromes different from the departure aerodrome.

If you hold a Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL) you will be credited with 10% of your total flight time as Pilot In Command (PIC) up to a maximum of 10 hours.

Skills TestAt the end of your training, you will need to take a skill test with an examiner in the relevant aircraft type to demonstrate that you can competently carry out the procedures and manoeuvres that you have been taught, while acting as pilot in command (PIC).You must have had some flight instruction on the same aircraft type or class that you will be taking your skill test in. Typically you will take the test in the same aircraft in which you have been trained.

Cost

The average cost of obtaining a PPL in the United Kingdom is £10,956.A large number of flying scholarship opportunities are available however to ease the financial barrier in to aviation. To find out more information visit the FlyingSTART Scholarships page.

Beyond your PPL

Upon passing your skill test and receiving your PPL licence, continuing to learn and building your experience is essential. You may wish to incorporate new skills as part of this process, which can be added to your licence in the form of ratings. The most common of these ratings are listed below:Night Rating: This allows you to use the privileges of your PPL at night.Instrument Rating Restricted (IRR): This teaches you how to make an instrument approach and fly in instrument conditions should you inadvertently find yourself flying in these conditions.Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT): This is a theoretical knowledge and flying training course with the aim of providing flight crew with the required competencies to recover from aeroplane upsets.Tail Wheel Rating: This allows you to fly aircraft with a tail wheel configuration i.e. two wheels at the front one at the rear, as opposed to the more familiar tricycle gear with one wheel in the front. This opens up the opportunity to fly many vintage aircraft.Floatplane Rating: This allows you to fly an aircraft with floats replacing the normal wheeled undercarriage, enabling you to take off and land on water.Instrument Rating (IR): This allows you to plan a flight in which you would take off, fly and land in Instrumental Meteorological Conditions (IMC).Aerobatic Rating: This is a fun way to safely learn how to explore the aerobatic abilities of a suitably certified aircraft.Sailplane or Banner Towing Rating: This allows you to tow sailplanes or banners and enables many to accumulate hours for free, or at a significantly subsidised rate.

A Career beyond your PPL

At this stage you may be considering flying as a career. There are a large number of flying opportunities that exist within aviation and exploring the various routes to becoming a professional pilot is key.