Getting a UK PPL(A)

Learn what you need for a UK Part-FCL private pilot licence for aeroplanes, including medical requirements, exams, flight training and the CAA application.

The UK Part-FCL PPL(A) is a private pilot licence for aeroplanes, issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

This guide is for beginners training in single-engine piston aeroplanes. UK national licences, including the National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL), have different requirements and are outside this guide.

What the licence allows

A PPL(A) lets you fly without being paid in non-commercial operations. The class or type ratings on your licence specify which aircraft you may fly. This guide covers the single-engine piston (land) class rating, usually shortened to SEP land.

There are specific exceptions for paid flight instruction and examining, but you need the relevant instructor or examiner qualifications. See UK FCL.205.A and the CAA PPL guidance.

Flying at night or under instrument flight rules requires additional qualifications. The instrument exercises in PPL training do not give you an instrument rating.

Check the age and medical requirements

You must be at least 16 to fly solo and 17 to obtain the licence. Your instructor must authorise and supervise solo flights. You can begin lessons with an instructor before you meet the requirements to fly solo. See UK FCL.020 and FCL.200 in the UK Aircrew rules.

You need at least a UK Part-MED Class 2 medical certificate before flying solo and when applying for the licence. An aeromedical examiner carries out the assessment. If you have concerns about meeting the medical requirements, speak to an examiner before committing to a course.

A Pilot Medical Declaration does not replace the medical certificate required for this licence application. See the CAA’s medical requirements, particularly “Learning to fly” and “UK Part-Med Classes 1 or 2”.

Choose a school

Choose an approved training organisation (ATO) or declared training organisation (DTO) that offers the UK Part-FCL PPL(A). Confirm which licence and rating the course leads to: UK and EASA requirements differ.

Ask what the price includes. Check aircraft and instructor time, ground training, medical assessment, exams, the skill test and the licence application. The minimum flying hours alone will not tell you the full cost.

Complete the flight training

Under UK FCL.210.A, a beginner needs at least 40 hours of flight time. This replaced the 45-hour requirement on 1 October 2025. The fixed 25-hour minimum for flying with an instructor was also removed; you need enough instruction to reach the skill-test standard.

A 35-hour course is available only at an ATO specifically approved to offer it. The solo and cross-country requirements still apply. Ask the school whether its course has this approval.

Source: SI 2025/878, regulation 7(4)(b), amending UK FCL.210.A, and the CAA PPL guidance. Completing the minimum hours does not guarantee that you are ready for the test.

Pass the theory exams and skill test

There are nine theory subjects: air law, human performance, meteorology, communications, navigation, principles of flight, operational procedures, flight performance and planning, and aircraft general knowledge. Your school will explain when it can recommend you for the exams. You need a CAA customer portal account to use the private-pilot e-Exams system.

Once you have passed all the theory exams, you have 24 months from your final theory exam to submit your PPL application, according to the CAA. You must finish flight training and pass the skill test within that period. Plan the exam dates with your school and check the limits on attempts and the time allowed to pass all papers in UK FCL.025.

The skill test checks whether you can fly as pilot in command to the required standard. You take it with an appropriately qualified examiner in the relevant class or type of aircraft. Your school normally arranges it.

Apply to the CAA

Use the CAA’s SRG1105 online application. Prepare the course completion certificate, skill-test report, logbook evidence and identification listed in the CAA PPL guidance. Check the current checklist before submitting.

If you also apply for a Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL), check its radio-licensing and English-language requirements. Passing the PPL communications theory paper alone does not complete them. See the CAA FRTOL guidance.

Keep your qualifications current

The SEP rating normally lasts two years. Arrange revalidation before it expires, either through a proficiency check or by meeting the flight-experience and refresher-training requirements.

Under the UK experience rules, you can accumulate the required total during the rating’s validity period, but at least six hours must be flown in the final 12 months. Other requirements cover pilot-in-command time, take-offs, landings and refresher training. See the CAA SEP guidance and UK FCL.740.A(b). The EASA timing rules differ.

Keep your medical certificate valid and check that you meet the recent-flight-experience requirements before carrying passengers. Before flying abroad, check the destination country’s requirements and any permissions needed for your licence and the aircraft’s registration.

Official references

Sources reviewed 31 October 2026: the CAA PPL, medical, FRTOL and SEP pages linked above; UK Aircrew Regulation, Annex I (Part-FCL), especially FCL.020, .025, .200, .205.A, .210.A, .235, .740.A and .810; The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025, regulations 1, 3 and 7. The CAA’s licensing simplification page explains the changes and identifies proposals that are not yet in force.