INFORMATION MAINLY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I obtain a JAR/JAA licence in South Africa?
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is in the process of becoming Joint Airworthiness Regulations (JAR) compliant. The process however is a slow and involved one and for the present moment the SACAA still resorts under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Foreign students who presently acquire a South African licence will therefore have to convert their SA PPL or SA CPL when they return to their country of origin. It is advisable to enquire with your local Civil Aviation Authority as to exactly what the requirements for such a conversion would be, before embarking on a training course in South Africa.

The South African standard of training has always been regarded to be very high and in many countries, merely re-writing the relevant Airlaw exam and passing a flight test is sufficient for the conversion of a South African licence.

I have been informed that an English competency test is necessary in order to obtain a SA licence. What is this all about?
Yes, that is correct. As English is the language that is internationally accepted as the mode of communication in Aviation, it is absolutely imperative that you speak, read and write English very well. As a first step when applying for enrolment with Pretoria Flying School, we require that you write an essay of 500 words in order for us to get an indication of what your level of English competency is. If your English competency is not of a high standard, your training will not progress to your satisfaction and you will have to spend unnecessary time and money on language tutoring by flight instructors. It is therefore advisable that you first follow an intensive English language course if your academic tutoring thus far was not done primarily in English. As a dedicated Flying School, we do not provide or make arrangements for English language tutoring as addition to flying training.

What academic qualifications do I need to have in order to learn to fly?
We do not require any academic qualifications as such. However, as described in the abovementioned answer, a high standard of English is imperative. A good understanding of Mathematics is essential and a good understanding of Physical Science and Geography will be greatly beneficial. This basic knowledge will aid your understanding of everything that is flying related and speed up your progress.

What is the shortest period of time in which to complete a Private Pilot’s Licence?
Due to the fact that our training is presented on an individual basis, you can join whenever convenient for you. Your individual determination, commitment, focus and individual ability are therefore the most important factors that determine your progress.

However, a period of 4-6 months seems to be the norm for acquiring a PPL on a full-time basis. Our PPL groundschool is presented to groups of PPL students over a six week period to cover the very necessary preparation for the theoretical exams that are now being written on-line. The pass-mark is 75% and does require a dedicated effort.

It is extremely important to be very well informed of the following proviso for the completion of any licence or rating where time-constraints play a role;

While we will do our level best to accommodate you in the space of time that you have available for your training, the only criteria that would lead to your successful application for a licence or rating, is that our instructors and examiners deem you to be a safe and competent pilot who displays all the required skill in order to be issued with the licence or rating that has been trained for. It goes without saying that the required theoretical exams must all be written and passed before the actual flight test will be undertaken.

Please do not embark on any flying training program with a pre-conceived idea of exactly how long the training should take in your estimation. The indication of time spent on any part of the training is based on an average. There are many factors that play a role in flying training such as weather, availability of aircraft and instructors, your personal commitment to your studies, your aptitude for flying and very importantly, your attitude and personality type. Flying training is the acquiring of a practical skill and can be compared to most types of sport. Some people take to it like a duck to water, others have to be taught every aspect of it.

How long will it take me to get a Commercial Pilot’s Licence?
Taking all the abovementioned into consideration, the average time spent on a CPL is 18 - 24 months.

At what age can I start my flying training?
You have to be 16 years old in order to obtain a Student Pilot’s Licence which is required in order to go on your first solo flight. By the time you apply for your Private Pilot’s Licence, you have to be 17 years old at least.

I never had the money to learn to fly when I was young. Up to what age can I take it up and up to what age will I be permitted to fly?
A valid medical certificate is the deciding factor as far as maximum age goes. As long as you are healthy and able to pass your periodic medical examinations, you will be able to fly. Obviously Airlines have a maximum active age of around 60 but it differs from Airline to Airline.

Can I do only a CPL and skip the PPL?
Can you get a University degree without attending First Grade first? Same scenario. The PPL phase of your training lays the foundation for all future flying training and is therefore the most important part of your total training and should be attempted with full commitment and total dedication.

Can I do my PPL on a multi-engine aircraft (Twin) or must it be on a single-engine aircraft?
Crawling before learning to walk is the reason behind learning to fly in small, light, single-engine aircraft. Twins are fast and complex and require a great deal of knowledge and skill to fly. When you approach the required amount of hours for the CPL, you can decide whether to do your CPL on a single or a twin. You will certainly be more marketable with a twin on your licence and if your finances allow, a twin rating would be recommendable at this point.

When I have completed my CPL with PFS, will I be able to fly large aircraft like Boeings for the Airlines?
You will be allowed to fly whatever Aircraft type that you have trained on and which is endorsed on your licence when your training has been completed. Any larger Aircraft that you would like to have endorsed on your licence would require a conversion course which is normally presented by the specific Airline that employs you as a pilot.

Do I need a visa to study piloting in South Africa?
Please contact the South African Embassy in your country and familiarize yourself with their requirements in this regard. Should you require a visa to study here, please make sure that the period of validity of the visa is long enough to allow you to complete the licence or rating that you intend acquiring without having to leave South Africa due to your visa expiring. We take careful note of the validity of your visa and will suspend all training the moment your visa expires.

What does PFS have to provide me with for the visa application?
You will need a letter of enrolment from us. Firstly, your application (essay included) has to be accepted whereafter your deposit must be paid over to us as confirmation of your enrolment. Thereafter a letter of enrolment will be forwarded to you which must be included in your visa application.

Can I start working as a pilot when I get my PPL?
Unfortunately not. A PPL is a recreational licence to fly. In order to earn a living from flying you have to have a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL).

What jobs will I be able to do as a Commercial Pilot?
There are many choices available for newly qualified Commercial Pilots. Charter flying is normally the first choice. The other choice is to do an Instructor’s Rating and become a Flight Instructor.

Charter pilots are often away from home for months at a time and often live and fly in remote areas and in countries quite foreign to them. Remember, one of the reasons for the existence of Aviation is to transport people and goods into areas that are often impossible to reach in any other way. All flying certainly does not consist of flying between London and New York. New recruits to the Aviation Industry normally have to do the charter flying that the older, more experienced pilots have already left in exchange for the cushy jobs that the Airlines offer. Charter flying is hard work and requires above all the ability to put your head down and do what is required in often unpleasant circumstances. It is however, a wonderful way of building hours which is exactly what your purpose at this point should be. Your ultimate goal is obtaining your Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence which will require that you have a total of at least 1,500 hours. Flying charters will bring you closer to your goal with every flight that you do.

The second option, that of becoming a Flight Instructor is one that should not be embarked on without a serious amount of introspection and consideration. Not every good pilot is necessarily a good teacher. And flight instruction is all about teaching. It requires patience, resilience, an ability to get the message across and very, very well-developed communication skills. If you’re one of those people who do not enjoy daily interaction with people, then this is not the option for you. However, if you have family commitments that prevent you from being away from home for long periods of time, then this is a wonderful way to build your hours as well.

Once you’ve passed your Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence subjects, you will be in a position to start forwarding your CV to the various Airlines for employment as an Airline Pilot.

What guarantee do I have that I will find employment after I have completed my training?
As with anything in life, of course there are no guarantees. However, the Aviation Industry is currently facing a pilot shortage like never before. The newspapers regularly have articles on this and it is estimated that China and India alone have to employ 4,000 pilots annually in order to fill their demand.

The recent financial crisis in the USA and Europe certainly has had a negative impact on Aviation but like we have seen in the past, Aviation may slow down for a while but as soon as external factors normalize again, Aviation takes off with a vengeance.

When is your annual intake of new students?
As our training is based on individual tutoring, we do not have formal intakes of groups of students. Each student enrolls as and when it suits him/her after the acceptance of the student’s application.

Where can I get an application form?
Our enrolment procedure is available on individual request by contacting us from the website or by e-mail to sonja@pfs.co.za.

Do you offer accelerated courses for groups of students?
We refer to these type of courses as ‘crash courses’ and no, we do not offer those. Each student is an individual and must be allowed to progress at his/her own pace. Rushing flying training is one of the un-safest things you can do and we will have no part in it.

Do you offer courses for air hostesses and other Aviation related occupations?
No, we are a dedicated flying school and teach people to fly fixed-wing aircraft only.

I don’t have money to pay for flying training. Do you offer sponsorships or training bonds?
We do not. Like any institution offering tertiary education, we offer the training, the student is responsible for the required payment. If you do not have the required finance available, you will have to approach the regular financial institutions such as commercial banks for a loan. We are more than prepared to support your application for finance with the relevant quotes and confirmation of costs.

Is the full training fee all payable in advance?
Certainly not. As long as your account at all times, reflect a credit balance, you will be allowed to continue training. A debit balance will lead to your training being suspended until sufficient funds have been received.

What days are you open for training and do you close for the Christmas holidays?
We are open 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset. And even after sunset for Night Ratings. We only close for the week between Christmas and New Year. However, from around the second week in December until the second week in January, things are very slow as most of the Aviation Maintenance Organisations close for a month and only re-open during the middle of January. We are only able to have our fleet serviced once they re-open.

I’ve heard of psychometric evaluation for pilots. What is this and does Pretoria Flying School do such tests as well?

Being a pilot is like sitting on a chair with three legs. Should one of these three legs not be in place, the chair will topple. The three legs are;

1. The students' intellectual ability to learn and study the various aspects that are taught during flying training,
2. the in-born talent or aptitude that a prospective pilot has that will largely determine how long his training will take and how successful he will be at completing the course,
3. the personality type and attitude of a prospective pilot. Various aspects such as patience, diligence, discipline, a well-developed sense of responsibility, ones’ ability to work as part of a team and a myriad other personality traits should be well ingrained in a person wishing to make this career-choice.

The third aspect is what is evaluated during psychometric evaluation. Aviation specific psychometric evaluation can determine very accurately whether a candidate is mentally and emotionally equipped to successfully complete training towards becoming a professional pilot. Prospective students who do not possess the ability and potential to complete training successfully, will be identified pro-actively, enabling them to prevent the expense and disappointment of having to terminate their training or being ‘washed’ from the program. A more appropriate career choice can then be embarked on without wasting a great deal of time and money. Psychometric evaluation is not a pre-requisite for acceptance of enrolment. We do however strongly recommend that candidates undergo this evaluation before commencing with training. We deal with a group of psychologists who perform this evaluation should anyone wish to have it done.

SHOULD YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, CONTACT ME BY e-mail ON sonja@pfs.co.za