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United Kingdom · Theory exams

PPL flight training: hours, medical and finding a school

You do PPL flight training on a course at a flight school the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved or accepted: an approved training organisation (ATO) or a declared training organisation (DTO). For the private pilot licence for aeroplanes, PPL(A), the course mixes theory with at least 40 hours of flying, 10 of them solo. You need a Class 2 medical certificate before you fly solo, and the training ends with a skill test with an examiner.

  • 16Minimum age for your first solo flight
  • 17Minimum age to hold a PPL(A)
  • 40 hoursMinimum flight time for the PPL(A)
Find a school on the CAA lists

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

PPL training requirements: hours and age

The minimums for a PPL(A) come from the UK Aircrew Regulation. You need at least 40 hours of flight time in aeroplanes or touring motor gliders, and up to 5 of those can be in a flight simulator (a flight simulation training device, FSTD). The 40 hours must include:

  • Dual instruction, as much as you need to pass the skill test
  • 10 hours of supervised solo flight time
  • At least 5 hours of solo cross-country flying
  • A solo cross-country flight of at least 270 km (150 nautical miles), with full-stop landings at 2 aerodromes other than the one you left from

An ATO approved for it can run a course with a 35-hour minimum instead of 40. These are minimums, and the cost page explains what that means for training packages.

You must be at least 16 before your first solo and 17 to hold the licence. A student pilot only flies solo when a flight instructor authorises and supervises it.

The Class 2 medical

Before your first solo flight on a PPL course, you must hold at least a UK Part-MED Class 2 medical certificate. Your school may want you to have it before you start, and the CAA suggests getting it before you spend much on training. A trial flight and a few lessons first are fine.

An aeromedical examiner (AME), a specially qualified doctor certificated to issue pilot medical certificates, does the examination and can issue the certificate the same day if you meet the standards. You book directly with an AME and fill in the application on the CAA’s medical records system (Cellma) first. The exam can take several hours and may include an eyesight check, a hearing test, an electrocardiogram (ECG), a lung function test and a urine test.

How long the certificate lasts depends on your age at the examination:

Age when examinedValid for
Under 4060 months, up to age 42
40 to 4924 months, up to age 51
50 or over12 months
CAA: Find an AME ↗CAA: Apply for a Class 2 medical certificate ↗

How long does PPL flight training take?

The CAA doesn’t give a typical length. It depends on how often you fly and how many hours beyond the minimum you need. The rules set minimum hours, not a minimum number of weeks.

The one fixed deadline comes from the theory exams: once you’ve passed them all, you have a set time to finish the flying, pass the skill test and apply.

The 9 PPL theory exams and their rules →

Finding a PPL training school near you

There are two kinds of school, and you can train at either. DTOs are generally smaller and teach only private flying, such as the PPL and ratings like the night rating. ATOs can teach all of that and more, such as twin-engine, instrument and instructor courses, and they get more CAA oversight.

The CAA publishes lists of PPL schools by UK region, with addresses and the courses each one offers. Schools marked TK teach the theory only. Approved training organisations are also listed in its Standards Document 31. You can train abroad too, as long as the school is CAA approved.

The CAA can’t recommend a school. It suggests visiting a few, talking to instructors and students, and taking a trial lesson. You can do your theory and your flying at a different ATO or DTO from the one you started with, but make sure your training records move with you.

CAA: PPL flying schools and organisations, by region ↗CAA: Standards Document 31, approved training organisations ↗CAA: Finding a flight school or examiner ↗What PPL training costs →

The skill test and applying for your licence

The skill test is flown with an examiner, and you must have had instruction on that class or type of aircraft. The CAA says you’ll generally take it in the aircraft you trained on. Your school books it when your head of training says you’re ready. It’s split into sections for the phases of flight, such as departure, general airwork, en-route procedures, approach and landing, and emergencies.

Fail an item and you fail that section. Fail one section and you retake only that one, but fail more than one and you fail the whole test. After two attempts without passing every section, you need more training.

  1. Pass the skill test.
  2. Apply online on the CAA’s form SRG1105.
  3. Upload your course completion certificate (CAA5016 or your school’s own), the skill test report (SRG2128), your logbook pages and proof of ID.
  4. Add the radio licence, or a night rating you’ve trained for, to the same application.
  5. Pay the fee when you submit. The CAA aims to deal with 90% of applications within 10 working days.
CAA: Private pilot licence for aeroplanes ↗The Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL) →

The LAPL and the NPPL

From 1 October 2025 the CAA stopped issuing the light aircraft pilot licence for aeroplanes, LAPL(A). For aeroplanes it issues the Part-FCL PPL(A) and the national private pilot licence, NPPL(A). LAPL(A) licences issued before that date stay valid, and the CAA goes on issuing the helicopter LAPL(H). If you trained for a LAPL(A) but didn’t have it issued before 1 October 2025, you get an NPPL.

The NPPL(A) needs at least 32 hours of flight time, including 10 hours of supervised solo, and you can train for it with a pilot medical declaration instead of a medical certificate. It’s only valid in UK airspace on UK-registered aircraft, unless another country gives permission. For its theory you can take either the 9 PPL exams or the microlight NPPL exams. If you take the microlight exams and later upgrade to the PPL(A), you sit 5 bridging exams.

CAA: National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL) ↗CAA: CAP3155, aeroplane licensing changes ↗
Sources: legislation.gov.uk · UK Civil Aviation Authority and 9 more. Checked November 2026.

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

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