Aviation Training, how to choose your school

Aviation Training is the mandatory passage in obtaining the airplane pilot license and helicopter pilot license, and it conforms to norms enforced in all European countries. This would make you think that all flight schools are equipped in the same manner and offer the same types of aviation training.

Trust me it's not the case, on the contrary! The aviation training landscape in Europe is in fact extremely varied.

In terms of offered activity, to make simple, we can classify the aviation training centers in 3 categories:

- Small flight schools. Certified only by the national authority so they are RF (Registered facilities), or certified  ATO (Approved Training Organization). They are limited to the courses for the private pilot license (PPL) and other related qualifications for the practice of private piloting. One can find in this category a good amount of aero clubs in their vicinity which offer a good initial aviation training.

- Average size flight schools. All certified ATO can offer a wider selection of aeronautical courses, together with the initial PPL they offer courses for the commercial pilot license (CPL) and other certificates and qualifications necessary for becoming an airline pilot (IR, ATPL, MCC etc). They offer both modular and integrated aviation training.

- Large flight schools. They have great student capacity and a "college" type structure, inclined towards international recruitment, a rich fleet of several tens of aircraft available for flight practice and an industrial type organization. The proposed aviation training is mainly integrated with, in some cases, the possibility of prolonging ones studies for 3 or 4 years in a partner University.
In our guide you can view large schools by our directory.
You should keep in mind that the concept of “dimension” must be absolutely dissociated from the concept of “quality”. The best choice is that which directs you towards the type of aviation training that best fits your projects and your possibilities.

If your wish is that of obtaining the license of private pilot, your choice will go naturally towards the small ones and average schools.

If you plan to become a professional or airline pilot, you can choose an integrated aviation training in an average or large sized school and devote your entire time to the practical and theoretical courses over the minimum course of 24 months or the modular aviation training that let's you proceed at your own pace based on the time that you can dedicate to it.

Milco Massetti