You may have flown with a friend or had a trial flight and got the bug, if not then a good place to start is a one hour trial flight with one of our instructors. It will be a wonderful experience and you will get to take the controls and enjoy the thrill of flying an aircraft.

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The next thing most people want to know is what do I need to do to obtain a licence and how much will is cost? It is important to remember, learning to fly is fun! You will learn new skills, travel to new places, meet interesting people and open up a whole new world.

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When learning to fly you will be working your way towards the issue of a National Private Pilots Licence with a microlight rating commonly known as the NPPL (M). This will allow you to fly microlight class aeroplanes during the day in what are known as Visual Flight Rules (VFR). In other words, good weather. You will need to fly a certain number of hours per year and meet other criteria to keep your rating valid. This is explained in more detail on the Keeping Valid page.

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How do I obtain a microlight pilots licence?

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The minimum requirements for obtaining a microlight pilots licence are:

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• Carry out a minimum of 25 hours flight training of which 10 must be solo,

• Complete two solo cross country flights of at least 40 nautical miles and landing at different airfields,

• Pass the General Skills Test (GST) and oral exam,

• Complete theoretical exams in all of the ground school subjects including Aviation Law, Human Performance and Limitations, Aircraft Technical, Navigation and Meteorology,

• Pass theoretical and practical exams in Radio Telephony,

• Hold a valid Declaration of Fitness (medical) prior to first solo flight,

• Be over the age of 17 when applying for the NPPL however you can fly solo from the age of 16,

• The minimum age for taking lessons towards a licence is 14.

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The written examinations must have been passed within the 24 months immediately prior to applying for your licence.

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To ensure that when your licence is issued your skill level and knowledge is current you must have completed the minimum solo flight time and all the navigation flight training within the 24 month period prior to applying for your licence. The GST and oral exam must be passed within the nine month period immediately prior to applying for your licence.