Q.  How long does it take to get a licence?

• Well, that depends on a number of factors, most notably how often you come out to fly!  Weather delays and varying student abilities will also play a major role, but as an idea if you come out once a week it’s not unrealistic to be done in 12 – 18 months.  If you flying 5 days a week and you have average or above skill in the airplane, an aviation medical in hand and a strong aptitude for the written exam, with favorable weather conditions its possible to get this done in 6 months.   Most people take 1-3 years to get the license as they are often balancing many other demands for their time in their personal lives.

Q.  Do I have to do groundschool before I start flying?

• No, not at all.  There is a common misconception that you need to start, or finish the groundschool before flying, but this is simply not true.  You will at some point have to complete the groundschool, however you can start flying at any time!  Realistically you could do around 20 hours of flying before requiring the information obtained in the groundschool, this is because before each flight we will cover all necessary information in a Pre-Flight Briefing.  We do however recommend if you are in the groundschool, to do a little bit of flying, as the time in the air will give you a better understanding of the topics we cover in class.

Q.  How often do I have to fly to keep my licence valid?

• This is a classic question that is often circulated through misinformation.  Your licence will never become invalid, as long as your medical is current.  There are however Currency Requirements for licensed pilots who are renting airplanes.  For insurance purposes our renal pilots are required to fly once every 45 days, otherwise they just need to do a few circuits with an instructor to get back into the swing of things.  This requirement is not the same if you own your own aircraft.

Q.  What are the medical requirements to be a pilot?

• There are different medical requirements depending on your age and the medical category you are maintaining.  Different licences require different medical categories.  A Recreational Pilot Permit requires a Category 4 Aviation Medical, Private Pilot Licence a Category 3 and Commercial Pilot Licence requires a Category 1.  For a thorough summary you can look at the Aeronautical Information Manual.  If you find this difficult to interpret don’t fret, your flight instructor will help guide you in the right direction!

Q.  How old do I have to be to fly a plane?

• You can start flying at any time! We even have special cushions for anyone young and old to assist with reaching the controls and seeing over the dash for flight training. At 14 years old you can get a Student Pilot Permit which allows flying solo without an instructor on board the airplane, this happens approximately halfway through the training. There is a minimum age of 17 to finish the Private Pilot’s License.

Q.  What if I wear glasses, can I still be a pilot?

• Absolutely!  There are pilots all over the world flying with glasses or contacts.  Your vision does not have to be 20/20, but it should be corrected sufficiently through some kind of corrective lens or procedure.  Even pilots who suffer from color blindness can still fly, they just may have some restrictions like daylight flying only.

Q.  If I want to buy my own airplane, can you teach me to fly it?

• Depending on our workload for any given season we may or may not be able to offer training in private aircraft.  If it is a type we are familiar with that is a good start.  There are a lot of variables to consider, and you can review our policies and procedures for training in private aircraft in our Private Aircraft Handbook linked on this page.

Q.  How much does it cost to get a pilots licence?

• Getting a  pilots license is a big financial commitment, but not much more than a decent used car or a year away at university.  Our pay as you go program makes getting a licence affordable as you only pay for each lesson after each flight. For more information on cost check out our guide how to save money on flight training.