Private Pilot’s Licence Course

The Private Pilot License is the starting point for your training, regardless of whether you want to be a commercial or recreational pilot. Listed below is an outline of the PPL course.

The flight training is based on a one-on-one (personalised) training, so commencement is dependent on your availability. We are open 7 days a week from 06h00 to 18h00.

A minimum of 45 hours total flight time is required by law of which 15 hours must be as Pilot in Command and the balance of 25 hours will be under instruction.

The Training And Solo Time Is Made Up As Follows:

Ab-Initio Phase

• Approximately 8 – 10 hours dual instruction including cockpit layout, primary and further effects of controls, straight and level flight, climbing and descending, level turns, climbing and descending turns, stalling and spinning. This module includes a series of formal ground lectures and learning your checks and procedures.
• Approximately 5 hours dual instruction consisting of circuits and landings.

Solo Phase

• Your first solo is approximately 20 minutes.
• Approximately 5 hours circuit solo consolidation consisting of dual to solo flights in the circuit until you have accumulated 3 hours solo in the circuit.

Advanced Flying Phase

• ±5 hours dual instruction covering the introduction to cross country flying to and from the general flying area. This will include all radio calls, revision on steep turns, stalling, and spinning. Forced landings and precautionary landings will also be introduced and taught. Returning to the home airfield with joining procedures and radio calls to ATC is also covered.
• 5 hours solo to the general flying area repeating the exercises covered during the dual phase in (a). This phase should also be used to get your practical flying skills up to the required standard.

Cross Country Phase

• ±5 hour’s dual navigation exercises covering planning, radio calls, airspaces, unmanned and manned joining procedures and landings at away airfields.
• A minimum of 5 hours solo navigation exercises in the reverse direction of the dual routes flown.

Basic Instrument Flying Phase 

5 Hrs of Dual for Basic Instrument Flying. This can either be done on our approved simulator or in the aircraft.

PPL Test Preparation Phase

±2 hours Dual and ±2 hours Solo preparation for the upcoming test.

PPL Test Phase

• 2.5 hours cross country flight test.
• 1.0 hour general handling test including all procedural exercises.

SACAA PPL Theoritical Subjects

• Aircraft Technical & General
• Human Performance
• Principles of Flight
• Meteorology
• Air Law
• Flight Planning & Performance
• Navigation
• Radio Telephony

For each of the above mentioned subjects you must attend a Ground School Course, which takes place on Saturday mornings, as well as pass its applicable SACAA examination, with a pass rate of 75%, which you can write at our SACAA approved Examination Centre.

In addition to the SACAA Examinations, you will also have to pass a Technical Examination on the Aircraft that you are training on, together with a Radio Telephony Examination, Pre-solo Examination, Emergency Procedures Examination and a Block quiz after each phase of training.

You will also receive Ground Briefings from your Instructor before every Training Flight.For the duration of your PPL Training you will be assigned a Flight Instructor. Your Instructor will guide you through the course from day one, until the day that you are ready to do your final PPL Practical Flight Test.

Training is completely tailored to suit your needs and time schedule, and will also be done on a “one-on-one” basis. The PPL Ground School takes place in a group format to make provision for group discussions.

The PPL course can be completed within 3 to 6 months on a full-time basis, depending on your training needs, schedule, progress and weather.

NOTE: 45 hours is the minimum legal requirement to achieve the PPL. Experience has shown us that this is dependent on the student’s aptitude, commitment to the tasks, Exercise Preparation, self-study and the frequency of flying.

The Average PPL is attained in approximately 50 to 55 hours.After the initial PPL training, you are now ready to commence with advanced training.