About Learning to Fly
Learning to fly is a challenging and fun experience. From the thrill-seeker's aerobatics to the book worm's flight instructing, there's something for everyone. Wherever you want to go, the Waikato Aero Club is the place to start.
Which license?
There are three types of aeroplane pilot licenses.
The Private Pilot License or PPL is generally for pilots who wish to fly recreationally rather than professionally. It is also a compulsory step towards a career in flying. Whichever type of aeroplane license you wish to end up with, you will first gain a PPL.
Pilots with PPLs are allowed to get a rating in any type of aeroplane and can carry passengers. The only restriction is that they are not allowed to be employed as pilots.
The Commercial Pilot License or CPL, as the name suggests, allows a pilot to fly professionally. Generally, a CPL-holder is expected to fly to a higher standard than that required of a PPL, and there are tighter medical and health restrictions. As mentioned before, if your intentions are to fly professionally, you will still first gain a Private Pilot License.
The Airline Transport Pilot License or ATPL is the third type of pilot license. A pilot who wishes to be a captain, or Pilot In Command, of an aeroplane that can only be operated by two pilots must have an ATPL. A CPL-holder can be a Pilot In Command of a smaller aircraft that legally requires only one pilot. For example, Boeing 747 passenger jets are legally required to be operated by two pilots, and in this case a CPL-holder could only be the co-pilot while an ATPL-holder acts as captain, but either pilot could act as Pilot In Command in a smaller aeroplane.
A minimum of 1,500 flying hours is required before a CPL-holder can sit the ATPL flight test. Many professional pilots become employed with CPLs and study for the ATPL's six exams on a long-term basis to prepare for future airline flying. You can study the ATPL theory subjects with us.
Prerequisites
Almost anyone can learn to fly, regardless of age, gender or educational background, but there are some age and health restrictions.
There are no prior qualifications needed to learn to fly. While high school subjects like Physics, Maths or Science can be helpful, they are certainly not pivotal. As long as you fulfill the legal requirements there is nothing to stop you from becoming a pilot through the Waikato Aero Club.
You must gain a Class Two Medical Certificate before you can fly solo. This will also allow you to get a PPL and is valid for five years at a time. For the CPL, a Class One Medical Certificate is required, which has slightly higher medical standards, and must be renewed annually.
If you have a medical condition, whether or not you are fit to fly will depend on its severity and the nature of your particular case. It is not uncommon to find pilots who wear glasses or have mild asthma. We have a list of aviation medical doctors who are qualified to assess you for a Medical Certificate and may be able to answer questions or queries about medical standards.
Without a Medical Certificate you can fly with an instructor as often as you like, but you will not be able to fly solo or get a license until you are issued with one.
As for age, young people can begin learning at any time, but you must be over 16 to fly solo, and over 17 to hold a PPL. You must also be 18 before you can get a CPL. Like those who do not hold a medical certificate, if you are under 16 you can fly as much as you like with an instructor.
If English is your second language, you will need to have a good understanding of it and be able to speak fluently. This is because you will need to be able to speak clearly on the radio and quickly interpret instructions and messages from a control tower and pilots of other aircraft.
The flying
To complete a PPL you must have accumulated at least 50 hours of flight time. In most cases you will sit your final flight testwith more than this. You will spend these hours learning various exercises and manoeuvres. Alongside routine procedures for your future flying, you will also be taught what to do in emergency situations like engine failure or rapidly deteriorating weather - exercises which are simulated only, of course!
Every new lesson begins with a briefing. Your instructor will explain in detail principles behind your flight and what you can expect to make sure that you understand what you are about to learn, and give you the chance to ask questions. You will not be expected to remember everything; each briefing can be considered merely an overview. All briefings are free as you only pay for your time in the aeroplane.
Your first solo will usually come between your first 10 and 20 hours. When exactly it occurs will depend on when your instructor thinks you are ready. Any difficult weather or flight conditions can also delay your first solo.
Cross-country flying is the last section of the PPL training syllabus. When you begin this part of the PPL you will soon surprise yourself at the proximity and accessibility of places you may have once thought were out of reach or inconvenient. For instance, depending on wind conditions, New Plymouth can usually be reached from Hamilton in little over one hour, and Wellington in two and a half.
During your cross-country flying your instructor will usually help you fly to Great Barrier Island, roughly fifteen kilometres off the north coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, where the Waikato Aero Club owns a lodge in which our members and their friends are welcome to stay in.
After a short period of revision and final training, you will sit a PPL flight test. After its successful completion you will be issued with a PPL.
CPL flight training comes after a period of increasing your total flying hours. When you begin, you will undergo advanced cross-country flight training, and learn a few extra flight manoeuvres. When you have reached a minimum of 200 hours you will become eligible to undergo a CPL flight test, which follows a similar format to the PPL version but is examined at a higher standard.
The theory
Alongside the flying comes the theory side of your licenses.
There are six multi-choice exams for the PPL. Study materials and help are available from us. Most of our students complete their exams over time while continuing the flying side of their PPLs. You can either study by yourself at home, or join our night classes held twice a week. To view the price of our night classes, along with other things you will need to complete a PPL, click here.
The PPL exams are:
CPL exams are the same, but each subject has a higher level of difficulty and a focus on commercial flying. Instead of studying Flight Radio Telephony again, this is omitted and replaced with Principals of Flight, which details the physics and principles behind aeroplanes and how they fly. This is where any Physics or Science qualifications can be particularly useful, but as mentioned earlier, they are not required.
If you decide to self-study and have trouble with any of the aviation subjects, our instructors are happy to help.
The flight test
The last step before being issued a PPL, CPL or ATPL is a final flight test. This is conducted by a specially qualified instructor.
The examiner will first spend time with you on the ground going over some general knowledge and flight calculations which you will be well practiced at by this stage. The flight itself can take up to one and a half hours and will consist of an overview of all the exercises you have learnt.
Approaching your flight test, your instructor will ensure you are well prepared and know what to expect.
What is a rating?
A rating is an extra qualification on top of your license. For instance, you can study for an Instrument Rating, which would allow you to fly with sole reference to the cockpit and fly in cloud.
For every different type of aircraft you fly you will also need a Type Rating. This is because every aircraft has its own handling characteristics and systems. A Type Rating can be quite a brief and straight-forward affair, depending on how much you already know about a new aeroplane. This usually involves a familiarisation of the aircraft's details, capabilities and emergency procedures on the ground, and then some flying with an instructor. There is no minimum number of hours to complete to get a Type Rating; it all depends on you and how easily you learn to fly the new aircraft.
Once you gain a Type Rating for a particular aircraft, you can fly any aircraft designated as that type.
Other Frequenty-Asked Questions
Does it matter if I've never been in a plane before? Many students begin with very little flying experience or even none at all. This is why Trial Flights can be a good idea. Trial Flights are designed to give you a short taste of what flying is like in an informal manner. However they are not compulsory, and if you prefer you can begin your training straight away. In either case, if you have never been in an aeroplane before, on your first flight it's a good idea to let your instructor know so that he or she can make sure you know what to expect.
What happens if the engine stops? Every pilot is trained in emergency procedures, one of which is engine failure. In fact, light aeroplanes are quite capable of landing safely in fields and paddocks - just not taking off! However, while pilots still prepare for this possibility, rigorous maintenance schedules and regular pre-flight testing ensure that engine failures are extremely rare. In fact, because of other limitations imposed by propellers, low levels of stress and wear make aeroplane engines notoriously reliable.
Are light planes safe? Contrary to a common misconception, light aeroplanes are very safe. Often, individual incidents are highly publicised and it is easy to get the impression that small planes are accident-prone, but this is not the case, particularly when compared with road accident statistics. As with their engines, mechanical failure of any kind in an aeroplane is very unlikely. When you begin to fly you will soon learn the thorough checking carried out before every flight to make sure your aeroplane is safe to fly - a process which begins before you even get in.
How long will it take to get my Private Pilot License? This depends on how often you wish to fly. A PPL can be completed in as short a time as 10 weeks, or in as long as several years. It's up to you. Other factors such as adverse weather, or possibly exam re-sittings, can extend the time in which you are able to complete a PPL.
Do many women fly? Yes. From recreational pilots to airline captains, there is a steadily growing proportion of female pilots. We have a healthy proportion of female members flying with us. When you begin flying, you may wish to become part of Women In Aviation International, a worldwide organisation supporting women aviators and aviation enthusiasts.