Item #8: Do as much couch/ hanger flying as you can
During your training, practising your procedures and checks at home on the couch or inside a parked aircraft on the ground can really speed up your learning! This is completely free and does not cost anything so make the most of it!
Item #9: Be wary of paying huge sums of money upfront to the flying school
Students have been stung in the past paying large sums of money upfront for pilot training only for the flying school to go bust soon after.
Agree on a suitable payment schedule with the flying school that allows you to pay as your training is progressing but also allows the flying school to remain cost-neutral, i.e. you are paying for your flying as you go.
A good example was during my Commercial Pilot Licence course. We agreed on a price upfront and I paid for my training in 3 instalments aligned to the number of hours flying completed on the course.
Accelerated private pilot training frequently asked questions?
How long to get your pilot’s license?
Although it may be possible to complete a private pilot licence sooner, most take 3-12 months depending on how much time they can dedicate to flying.
How quickly can you get a private pilot’s license?
You can get your private pilot licence in around 6 weeks assuming the weather is excellent and you manage to pick up all the concepts quickly. This is extremely fast though and the typical time to get your private pilot’s license if you are able to commit to full-time training is 2-3 months.
What is the fastest way to get a private pilot’s license?
The fastest way to get a private pilot’s license is to enrol with a flying school on a full-time PPL course.
With the weather having a big impact on how quickly or slowly you progress your PPL, it is important to pick a school located where the weather is likely to be good and stable for the majority of your training.
Be prepared to work hard and try and get your PPL ground school theory exams out of the way as soon as you can as you don’t want to waste good flying days stuck inside having to study!
Is it hard to get private pilot license?
Like learning any new skill, there will be times where it feels like your private pilot license training is really hard and you will question if you will ever be able to get to grips with the training!
Do not be discouraged. Getting a private pilot license is definitely achievable for most people. Don’t give up, be patient and keep turning up to your flying lessons!
If you have any questions on getting your PPL or if I have missed anything, please leave a comment in the section below. It would be great to hear from you!
Kudzi Chikohora is a B737 Captain and Line Training Captain (LTC) with over 5,000 hours of flying in Europe. He is also a qualified Type Rating Instructor (TRI). He holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, is a chartered engineer, and is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Kudzi completed his pilot training via the self-funded modular route and created kcthepilot.com to share honest, experience-based guidance on pilot training and aviation.
1. Do loads of ?Hangar Flying? sitting in the aircraft and learning checks and switches – it?s free!!
2. Never, ever put ANY money up front. In the old days schools would offer good discounts but nowadays money borrowing is cheap so let them borrow and pay as you go
Lovely tips!!
Hi @Tim Darby – thanks so much for the comments! Great points – I will add those in to the post! Cheers