Thinking of learning to fly? Then there is no better choice than learning with us! Sywell is the home to a variety of many modern & historic aircraft. It is commonplace to find yourself flying alongside Spitfires, Mustangs & Tiger Moths to name but a few. We share the aerodrome with Helicopter & Light Aircraft schools too, which adds to the excitement of learning with us.

After your lesson you can relax in the Pilots Mess Cafe or the Aviator Hotel Bar & Restaurant, whilst enjoying watching life go by at Sywell!

What does it take to get a Licence

A National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL) with a Microlight Class Rating is required to fly a microlight aircraft, and can be gained by training with a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) authorised flying instructor in accordance with a BMAA/CAA approved syllabus of training.

You must be at least 16 years old to fly solo, and you must be at least 17 years old to hold a UK NPPL. 

The minimum requirements are:

• 25 hours total flight time under instruction
• 10 hours flight time solo
• 5 hours total navigation flight time
• 3 hours solo navigation flight time
• The navigation flight time is to include either:
  • two separate qualifying cross country flights of 40 nautical miles each with an away landing, or...
  • one qualifying cross country flight of 100 nautical miles with two away landings.

You will also need to pass a General Skills Test (GST) & an oral exam with an authorised flight examiner. In addition to this you will need to pass 5 written exams in the following subjects:

• Meteorology
• Navigation
• Aviation Law
• Human Factors
• Aircraft Technical

There is also the option to complete a NPPL with Operational Limitations, which has reduced requirements of 15 hours total flight time under instruction & 7 hours flight time solo.

The Operational Limitations at initial issue are:

1. The pilot may not carry any passenger
2. The pilot may not fly with a cloud base less than 1000 feet above ground level or with less than 10 kilometres visibility
3. The pilot may not fly further than 8 nautical miles from take-off

To ensure that your skill level & knowledge is current you must have completed the minimum solo flight time, all the navigation flight training & the written exams within 24 months of your licence application. The GST & oral exam must be completed within 9 months of applying for your licence.

This may sound a little like hard work, however in practice it is fascinating and good fun. A microlight licence is simpler than a conventional aircraft licence and can be gained in approximately 2/3 the flying time and at half the cost.

*The above licence requirements are minimum’s & do not guarantee a pass, everyone learns at different rates & times may vary. Safety is of course the primary requirement, however anyone with determination and a little enthusiastic application should be able to gain their licence.

Training Syllabus Summary

PHASE 1: FAMILIARISATION EXERCISES AND FOUNDATION

1   - Air experience: the first lesson

2   - Component parts, controls and systems of the aircraft

3   - Preparation for flight and actions after flight

4   - Effects of controls

5   - Taxiing

PHASE 2: THE BASIC FLIGHT MANOEUVRES

6   - Straight and level flight

7   - Basic climbing and descending

8   - Performance climbing and descending

9a - Turning flight

9b - Climbing and descending turns

PHASE 3: SLOW SPEED HANDLING

10a - Critically slow airspeed

10b - Stalling, and spin avoidance

PHASE 4: TAKE-OFF, LANDING AND CIRCUIT FLYING

12  - Circuit training

13  - Advanced take-off and landing techniques

PHASE 5: ADVANCED HANDLING

14  - Advanced turning

15  - Unusual attitudes

PHASE 6: OPERATIONAL HAZARDS, EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND UNEXPECTED/UNPLANNED OCCURRENCES

16a - Forced landings

16b - Precautionary landings

16c - Operation at minimum level 

16d - Action in the event of an engine/cockpit fire

16e - Systems failures

PHASE 7: SOLO FLIGHT TRAINING

17a - First Solo

17b - Solo circuit, local area orientation and general handling consolidation

PHASE 8: VFR NAVIGATION

18a - Pre-flight planning

18b - En-route navigation, departure and arrival procedures

18c - Navigation at minimum level and/or in deteriorating conditions

18d - Unsure of position and lost procedures

PHASE 9: PREPARATION FOR THE GENERAL SKILLS TEST AND GROUND ORAL EXAM

19a - Dual revision for GST

19b - Revision for the ground oral exam

19c - Documentation review

HOW YOUR COURSE WILL BE STRUCTURED

Dual Flying Lessons

These lessons will be structured in a way that consists of a pre-flight briefing, followed by practical flight tuition in the air & a debriefing once landed. These lessons will cover general handling, advanced manoeuvres, circuits & navigation training. Most local area & circuit training lessons will last for about two hours, with one hour flying time.

The time will come when your instructor feels that you are completely safe to go solo - this will be a very rewarding milestone in your journey to achieve you licence!

Ground School

The syllabus lists the subject matter that you must understand. There is no minimum requirement for training by an instructor, but you must demonstrate you have gained this knowledge by passing the exams. Ground school can be a great way of ensuring your depth of knowledge is satisfactory enough to pass the exams.

GST & Oral Exam

These exams are usually completed towards the end of your course.

Tuition Costs

After an initial trial lesson/air experience or two, when you decide to begin a course of training, you will need to become a club member to benefit from reduced rates. There are two general routes to follow for training:-

• Using the school aircraft
• Using your own aircraft

Using a school aircraft is the most convenient method, there is of course no need to outlay the cost of an aircraft to learn to fly, and during the initial lessons you may decide that the sport is not for you. However if you are hooked, having your own aircraft to train on will save some money and your aircraft is always available – at times a school aircraft may not be. This is most useful during the solo stage of your flying training.