How much does it cost is a question we are often asked but it is difficult to answer as everybody learns at different rates; many factors affect our ability to learn.
The minimum number of flying hours you need to acquire a licence is 25. At least 10 of the 25 hours must be solo. Therefore the likely minimum number of dual hours with your instructor is 15, however hardly anybody finishes the course at the minimum hours.
The landing technique is the most challenging part of the syllabus, as after every take-off, a landing is compulsory, and it is essential that this is mastered to a satisfactory standard, otherwise your instructor will not permit you to fly solo.
Training is charged at £150 per flying hour (in your Instructor’s aircraft, prices reduce in your aircraft). A lesson usually involves a briefing prior to the hours flight and a debriefing after it, so whilst a lesson will normally take about 2 hours you are only charged for the actual flying time.
In order to gain a pilot’s licence it is also necessary to pass 5 exams on the following subjects: Air Law, Aircraft Technical (Principles of Flight), Navigation, Meteorology, and Human Performance limitations.
There is a good book available to help with studying Aircraft Technical, Navigation and Meteorology called Microlight Flying, by Brian Cosgrove. Geoff Weighall’s “Air Law for Microlight Pilots” and the “Human Performance” section of the Pooleys Air Pilots Manual complete the set.
We are always happy to teach ground school subjects, especially those subjects that some students find challenging, and we can also offer personal tuition at £40 per hour. The Ground school exams are £35 each. We are also able to offer you great pricing on Pooley’s Flight Academy, an e-learning platform that covers all the ground school subjects; Pooley’s expect to launch the microlight version in the first half of 2024.
Once it becomes apparent that you are on your way to going solo we will encourage you to think about purchasing your own aircraft, or a share in one. Our instructors’ aircraft are not insured for flights by solo students so it is a good time to think about buying something to complete your training on. These are available at a great variety of prices so don’t despair if you can’t afford one of the ‘hot ships’ on your own. Once you are solo the costs reduce significantly and we charge £35 per hour for solo supervision.
Shares in modern machines are often available from as little as £3000 – £4000. Second hand Microlights can be bought for as little as £2,000, and whilst they are as safe as any other microlight they will probably be quite old, in need of more maintenance, and will not fly very fast.
To buy a reliable modern 4 stroke 2 seater on your own you will be looking to spend from £15K to £26k for a good condition second hand machine or £39K+ for a new one.
Depreciation is quite slow (nothing like a car) so your investment won’t lose value quickly.
Once you have completed the flying aspects of the course there is a General Skills Test (GST) to check your flying skills, and an Oral Exam which tests your knowledge of the aircraft you take your GST in. The GST is £200 and the Oral Exam is £35.