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United Kingdom · Theory exams

PPL licence UK cost: CAA fees and paying for training

Flight training is the biggest part of what a PPL licence costs in the UK, and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) doesn’t set or publish those prices: each flight school does. What the CAA charges is fixed. It’s £263 to issue a private pilot licence for aeroplanes, PPL(A), with one class rating included. Add the Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL) to the same application and it costs nothing extra. The rest depends on your school and on how many hours you end up flying.

  • £263CAA fee to issue a PPL(A)
  • FreeRadio licence (FRTOL) with a PPL application
  • 1 April 2026When the CAA’s fee scheme took effect
Where to study

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Other CAA charges

These come from the CAA’s Scheme of Charges for personnel licensing (ORS5 No 446). The CAA takes the licence fee when you submit your online application.

ItemFee
Online exam paper, charged to school£14.28
Exam re-mark and review£177
Standalone FRTOL issue£103
Night rating issue£170

The CAA bills the school, not you, for each online paper, and its pages don’t say what schools pass on. The review fee is refunded if a pass is then awarded because of a CAA error. The CAA’s licence fees page lists the standalone FRTOL at £105, but the Scheme of Charges, which sets the fees, gives £103. It’s free if you already hold a UK-issued pilot licence. Returning your documents by secure courier costs extra.

CAA: Scheme of Charges, personnel licensing (ORS5 No 446) ↗CAA: Licence fees and costs ↗

How much does a PPL licence cost in the UK with training?

The CAA can’t advise on what schools or courses cost, so you have to ask schools directly. The CAA says most schools advertise a full price for a licence and an hourly rate. It also says all-inclusive packages are usually based on the minimum hours the licence needs, and that many students need extra lessons.

Check what’s left out of a quote. The CAA mentions landing fees and ground school as possible extras. The lowest headline price isn’t always the cheapest course, so compare what each package covers. The CAA can’t recommend a school for you.

PPL training hours and how to find a school →

Protecting what you pay

CAA approval means a school meets safety and training standards. It says nothing about the school’s finances, so the CAA advises students to protect their money:

  • Paying by credit card can protect you up to a limit, but a full course paid up front may go over it. Ask your card provider
  • Cheque or bank transfer payments may be lost if the school stops trading
  • An escrow account releases money to the school at agreed points in your training
  • Paying per lesson limits what you risk and makes it easier to change schools

If your school closes, ask the liquidator or your instructor for your training records, because the CAA doesn’t hold them.

Medical and study costs

The CAA’s Class 2 medical pages don’t give a price for the examination. You book it directly with an aeromedical examiner (AME), a specially qualified doctor certificated to issue pilot medical certificates.

Study materials vary in price. The CAA’s learning objectives for each paper can be downloaded from its website, and books and online courses from other providers have their own prices.

Books, courses and the CAA learning objectives →
Sources: UK Civil Aviation Authority and 4 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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