Whether you’re looking to become a professional pilot, or to complete only part of the journey, you’ll usually start out with the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) course. The FlyGA website and flight tools are here to assist you in competing this phase.
Here’s a general tips we have for those starting out as an aviation student.
1. Choose The Right Course & Find A Suitable Flight School
Decide What Aviation Course you Want to Commit to
If you’re still on the fence as to whether you want to commit to aviation, then we recommend firstly starting out with an Introductory Flight Lesson or Flight Simulator Experience. Either of these give you a ‘taster’ for flying.
But if you’ve already decided that you want to start learning how to fly, you’ll need to find a flight school that provides the course you want. This is usually the Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) for casual flyers, or the Private Pilot Licence (PPL-A) for those aspiring to become a commercial Pilot.
If you’re unclear on the difference between the two courses and what you should take, then here’s a comparison: What’s the Difference Between EASA-PPL & the LAPL?
Advice for Finding a Local Flight School
Finding a suitable Flight School is straightforward:
- Decide where in the UK you want to start learning to fly. Select that region from our Flight School map.
- Start emailing or phoning up flight schools to enquire about their packages and rates.
- Arrange a date, and start learning to fly!
Always shop around for the best deal. Course prices vary drastically from school to school. For additional guidance, it’s highly recommended that you read the following posts:
2. Purchase The Right Aviation Equipment
Once you’ve started your flying lessons you should ensure that you’re well prepared to the tackle the course using the right equipment. You’ll be at an advantage in your PPL(A) examinations if you invest in specialist aviation products & tools.
What Equipment does a Student Pilot Actually Need?
That’s a good question. For our full list of recommended equipment, read our post: What Equipment Do I Need To Buy For The PPL? (it will save you some money).
You could also consider purchasing a PPL(A) Starter Set. It’s a large upfront expense, but it may work out cheaper for you in the long-run.
Where to Buy Aviation Equipment
We recommend purchasing your basic aviation equipment from the FlyGA Amazon store. Whilst we don’t provide everything you need for your PPL, we do manufacture several competitively priced aviation tools.
FlyGA offers a rapid delivery service via amazon, free on orders over £20.
Our growing range of products, including the popular Flight Diversion Ruler, are now available across Europe. All buyers benefit from free postage on any orders over £20 — which saves you a ton of money compared to popular online flight stores, such as:
Tip: often very similar items are more expensive at one shop than another. Compare prices before you buy.
3. Practice Your PPL Theory
When the time comes, you’ll need to practice your PPL(A) theory on each of the 9 PPL Subjects. This is where FlyGA’s AeroExam gives you a huge advantage.
AeroExam is our in-browser PPL Question Bank. It provides over 4,000 official EASA PPL(A) syllabus questions (on all 9 PPL subjects), as well as 1,200 key word definitions. By focusing on your weaker topics, you’ll be able draw from our growing question bank in order improve your knowledge of the PPL syllabus and succeed in your examinations.
AeroExam enables aviation students to thoroughly test their knowledge on the PPL syllabus.
NOTE: AeroExam is in beta testing. We plan to offer free trial subscriptions with all FlyGA physical products. Watch this space!