If you’re thinking about learning to fly, the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) is the qualification that gives you the freedom to fly an aircraft for your own private purposes.
For many people, the PPL is the ultimate goal. You may want to fly for recreation, take family and friends on trips, use an aircraft for personal transport or simply enjoy the challenge and freedom of flying.
For others, the PPL is an important step towards becoming a professional pilot and eventually obtaining a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL).
So what is actually involved in PPL training?
The answer is: quite a lot more than simply learning how to control an aircraft.
You will learn how to fly the aircraft, but you will also learn navigation, flight planning, weather, aviation regulations, radio procedures, emergency procedures and, importantly, how to make sound decisions as a pilot.
What Is a Private Pilot Licence?
An Australian PPL allows you to act as pilot in command of an aircraft for private operations.
Unlike a Commercial Pilot Licence, a PPL is not intended for earning an income from flying.
With an aeroplane PPL, you can fly privately throughout Australia, provided you have the appropriate aircraft rating and comply with the applicable operating requirements. CASA describes the PPL as allowing private pilots to fly anywhere in Australia and to undertake further ratings and endorsements.
A PPL can therefore open up a completely different way of travelling and enjoying your time.
You can fly yourself and your passengers to destinations around Victoria and interstate, subject to the aircraft, weather, airspace and your own experience.
How Long Does PPL Training Take?
There is no single answer because every student is different.
CASA’s minimum aeronautical experience requirements for an aeroplane PPL depend on the type of training. For a non-integrated course, the minimum is 40 hours of aeronautical experience, including 35 hours of flight time as a pilot and 10 hours of solo flight time, including 5 hours of solo cross-country flying.
However, minimum hours are not the same as the number of hours an individual student will necessarily need.
CASA notes that an average student obtains a PPL after approximately 55–60 hours of flying, although the actual amount varies between students.
Some students learn faster than others.
The objective isn’t to finish in the minimum possible number of hours.
The objective is to become a safe, competent and confident pilot.
Recreational Pilot Licence: First Stage of the PPL: Learning to Fly the Aircraft
The first part of your PPL training is about developing the basic skills required to control an aircraft.
You’ll learn about the primary controls:
- Ailerons — controlling roll
- Elevator — controlling pitch
- Rudder — controlling yaw
You’ll learn how the aircraft responds to your control inputs and how the different controls work together.
You’ll also learn about the secondary effects of the controls and how to coordinate the aircraft properly.
Initially, you’ll spend a lot of time simply learning to fly accurately.
You’ll practise things such as:
- Straight and level flight
- Climbs
- Descents
- Turns
- Climbing and descending turns
- Slow flight
- Stalling
- Circuit operations
- Take-offs
- Landings
Gradually, you’ll become less focused on simply controlling the aircraft and more capable of looking ahead and managing the flight as a whole.
Your First Solo Flight
For most students, their first solo flight is one of the great milestones of their aviation journey.
At first, your instructor will do everything with you.
Gradually, however, you’ll demonstrate that you can safely operate the aircraft yourself.
When your instructor is satisfied that you are ready, you’ll be authorised to fly solo.
Suddenly, there is no instructor sitting beside you.
It’s just you, the aircraft and the responsibility of making the flight happen safely.
Your first solo will usually involve relatively simple flying in the local area, rather than a long cross-country trip.
It is an experience most pilots remember for the rest of their lives.
Learning to Fly the Circuit
A significant part of early training involves learning the airport circuit.
The circuit teaches you to consistently manage:
- Take-off
- Climb
- Downwind
- Base
- Final approach
- Landing
You’ll learn how to judge the aircraft’s position, altitude, speed and energy throughout the circuit.
You’ll also learn to communicate with Air Traffic Control and other aircraft where appropriate.
At Moorabbin Airport, students have the opportunity to train in a busy controlled aviation environment, which provides valuable experience in radio communication, traffic awareness and operating within controlled airspace.
Stage 2 of the PPL: Learning About Navigation
One of the biggest steps in PPL training is moving from simply flying the aircraft to learning how to take the aircraft somewhere.
This is where navigation becomes important.
You will learn how to plan a flight from one airport to another and determine:
- Route
- Heading
- Distance
- Time
- Fuel requirements
- Weather
- Alternate options
- Airspace requirements
You’ll learn how to use aviation charts and other navigation information.
You’ll also learn how to monitor your position during the flight and make adjustments when necessary.
This is an important transition.
You’re no longer simply flying around the local training area.
You’re learning how to become an independent pilot.
Cross-Country Flying
Cross-country training is one of the most enjoyable parts of PPL training.
Instead of remaining around Moorabbin, you’ll start flying to other airports and destinations.
You’ll learn how to plan and conduct longer flights while managing:
- Navigation
- Fuel
- Weather
- Airspace
- Radio communications
- Aircraft performance
- Time
CASA’s PPL requirements include solo cross-country experience, including a flight of at least 150 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two aerodromes outside the flight training area for the aeroplane PPL.
Eventually, you’ll be able to plan your own private trips around Australia.
Weather Becomes Part of Every Flight
Flying isn’t like driving a car.
You can’t simply decide that you’re going somewhere and assume you’ll be able to get there.
Weather is a fundamental part of aviation.
During your PPL training you’ll learn about:
- Wind
- Cloud
- Visibility
- Temperature
- Pressure
- Fronts
- Thunderstorms
- Turbulence
- Weather forecasts
- Weather observations
You’ll learn how to determine whether the weather is suitable for your planned flight.
Perhaps more importantly, you’ll learn when not to fly.
Good pilot judgement includes knowing when conditions are unsuitable and being prepared to change or cancel a flight.
Learning Aviation Radio Procedures
You’ll also learn how to communicate using the aircraft radio.
Initially, radio communication can seem intimidating.
You’ll hear experienced pilots and Air Traffic Controllers communicating quickly using terminology that may seem unfamiliar.
But it becomes much easier with practice.
You’ll learn:
- Standard radio phraseology
- How to communicate with Air Traffic Control
- How to make position reports
- How to obtain clearances
- How to communicate with other aircraft where required
Training at Moorabbin provides valuable experience in a controlled airport environment.
Understanding the Rules of the Air
Becoming a pilot isn’t just about flying the aircraft.
You also need to understand the rules governing aviation.
Your theory training will cover areas such as:
- Aviation legislation
- Rules of the air
- Airspace
- Aircraft requirements
- Radio procedures
- Pilot responsibilities
- Operational limitations
CASA requires PPL applicants to pass the relevant theory examination, which tests knowledge including flight rules and air law, aerodynamics, meteorology, navigation, flight planning, power plants and aircraft systems.
Theory Training
There is a significant amount of theory behind learning to fly.
This can sometimes surprise people who initially think pilot training is mostly about sitting in an aircraft.
It isn’t.
You need to understand why the aircraft behaves the way it does and how to safely plan and conduct a flight.
Theory subjects include areas such as:
Aerodynamics
Understanding how the aircraft flies.
Meteorology
Understanding weather and its effect on flying.
Navigation
Learning how to plan and conduct flights.
Flight Planning
Working out fuel, time, route and aircraft performance.
Aircraft Systems
Understanding how the aircraft’s systems operate.
Aviation Law
Understanding the rules and regulations that apply to flying.
CASA confirms these are among the core areas covered in PPL theory training.
You’ll Learn About Emergencies
No pilot wants to experience an emergency, but every pilot needs to know what to do if something goes wrong.
During your training you’ll learn how to deal with situations such as:
- Engine problems
- Engine failure
- Radio failure
- Abnormal aircraft situations
- Forced landings
- Other emergencies relevant to your aircraft
The objective isn’t to make you afraid of flying.
Quite the opposite.
Knowing what to do when something unexpected happens gives you confidence.
Good training teaches you to remain calm, assess the situation and follow the appropriate procedures.
You Will Learn to Make Decisions
This is one of the most important parts of becoming a pilot.
A good pilot isn’t simply someone who can control an aircraft.
A good pilot knows:
When should I fly?
When shouldn’t I fly?
Do I have enough fuel?
Is the weather suitable?
Am I experienced enough for this flight?
What happens if the weather deteriorates?
What are my alternatives?
These decisions become increasingly important as you move beyond basic training.
The goal of PPL training is to develop your ability to make sensible, independent decisions rather than simply follow instructions from your instructor.
Your Instructor Will Gradually Give You More Responsibility
One of the interesting things about PPL training is how the relationship with your instructor changes.
At the beginning, the instructor is doing a lot of the thinking and demonstrating.
You gradually take over more responsibility.
Eventually, you should be capable of:
- Planning the flight
- Checking the weather
- Preparing the aircraft
- Conducting the necessary checks
- Flying the aircraft
- Communicating on the radio
- Navigating
- Making decisions
- Managing unexpected situations
Your instructor’s role gradually changes from showing you how to fly to helping you become an independent pilot.
Your Training Isn’t Just Flying
A typical training program will involve a mixture of activities.
You might have:
Flight lesson
followed by:
Post-flight briefing
Then perhaps:
Theory study
Another day might involve:
Flight planning
followed by:
A navigation flight
And sometimes the weather may mean there is no flying at all.
This is a normal part of flight training.
CASA notes that training time can be affected by factors including whether you train full-time or part-time, aircraft availability and weather conditions.
How Often Should You Fly?
If possible, regular flying is highly beneficial.
There is a big difference between flying several times a week and flying once every few weeks.
When you fly regularly, you retain what you’ve learned from one lesson to the next.
If there are long gaps between lessons, you may spend part of your next lesson simply getting back to the level you were at previously.
That can increase both the time and cost required to complete your training.
For this reason, if your lifestyle allows it, we generally recommend establishing a consistent training routine.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to fly every day.
It means avoiding unnecessarily long gaps between lessons.
How Long Does a PPL Take?
This depends on how frequently you train and how quickly you develop the required skills.
A student training several times each week will generally progress more quickly than someone who flies only occasionally.
CASA gives approximately 55–60 hours as the average flying time for a PPL, but this is only an indication.
Some students will require fewer hours and others more.
Your training should be based on reaching the required competency standard—not on trying to finish with the lowest possible number of hours.
The PPL Flight Test
Eventually, your instructor will determine that you’re ready for the PPL flight test.
By this stage, you should be able to demonstrate the required knowledge, skills and decision-making ability.
The flight test assesses the practical standards specified by CASA.
You will need to demonstrate that you can safely conduct the required elements of the flight and operate as a competent private pilot.
Before recommending you for the test, your instructor will ensure that you have reached the required standard.
What Happens After You Get Your PPL?
This is where the possibilities really open up.
Once you have your PPL, you can fly privately within Australia, subject to your licence privileges, aircraft qualifications and the applicable operating requirements.
You could use your licence to:
- Fly around Victoria
- Take family and friends flying
- Make interstate trips
- Visit regional destinations
- Explore Australia’s coastline
- Use an aircraft for personal travel
- Continue developing your flying skills
You can also add further ratings and endorsements as you develop your interests.
Your PPL Can Also Be the Beginning of a Career
For some students, the PPL is the ultimate destination.
For others, it is the first major step towards becoming a professional pilot.
The pathway can continue towards:
PPL
↓
Commercial Pilot Licence
↓
Multi-Engine Rating
↓
Instrument Rating
↓
Further experience and qualifications
↓
Airline or other professional flying
If you’re considering a professional career, it is worth discussing your long-term plans with your flight school early in your training.
Learning to Fly Is About Much More Than Controlling an Aircraft
When you start your first lesson, you may think that becoming a pilot is primarily about learning how to make the aircraft go where you want it to go.
And that is certainly part of it.
But by the time you complete your PPL, you should have developed much more than aircraft handling skills.
You will have learned how to:
- Plan a flight
- Understand weather
- Navigate
- Communicate
- Understand aviation regulations
- Manage risk
- Deal with emergencies
- Make decisions
- Operate independently
Most importantly, you will have begun developing the judgement and discipline that make a safe pilot.
Start Your PPL Training at Moorabbin Aviation Services
At Moorabbin Aviation Services, we believe learning to fly should be both challenging and enjoyable.
Our instructors will guide you progressively from your first lessons through to the point where you can operate as a competent private pilot.
You’ll learn the technical skills required to fly the aircraft, but you’ll also learn the planning, navigation, communication and decision-making skills that allow you to use your licence with confidence.
And because you’re training at Moorabbin Airport, you have the opportunity to learn in Melbourne’s major general aviation environment, with controlled airspace, multiple runways, Air Traffic Control and a large training area available for your development.
Your first flight is just the beginning. Your PPL can open up a lifetime of flying.
CASA requirements and fees can change. The information in this article is general information only; students should confirm the current licensing and training requirements with CASA and their flight training organisation.