FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (AEROPLANE)
Flight Instructor courses are provided at West London Aero Club in association with Windsock Aviation Ltd. Generally, courses are held on a full-time basis, Monday-Friday and you will have the benefit of at least one of our two FIC instructors whose time will be dedicated to you fully on that day.
Students who have completed this course tend to say that it is the hardest work on a course that they have ever completed but that it is also the most enjoyable!
Courses take between 6-8 weeks to complete on a full-time basis but this may be quicker depending on the wonderful British weather.
Pre-course Requirements
Please see the table below for the pre-course requirements and whether they apply to the licence you hold:
| Requirements | CPL(A) or ATPL(A) Holder | PPL(A) Holder |
|---|---|---|
| 200 hours total flight time of which 150 hours PIC | ✘ | ✔ |
| 20 hours VFR cross-country flight on SEP (Land) aircraft | ✔ | ✔ |
| 10 hours instrument flight instruction | ✔ | ✔ |
| CPL(A) or ATPL(A) theoretical knowledge* | ✔ | ✘* |
| 30 hours on SEP (Land) aircraft | ✔ | ✔ |
| 5 hours on SEP (Land) aircraft in the preceding 6 months | ✔ | ✔ |
| Completed VFR cross-country flight of at least 540 km (300 nm) in the course of which 2 full stop landings at 2 different airfields shall be made | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pass a specific pre-entry flight test with an FI qualified to teach FI courses (may be completed on first day of course) | ✔ | ✔ |
* For PPL(A) holders without CPL(A) or ATPL(A) theory, the course may still be completed but the FI rating will be restricted to LAPL(A) only.
Course Content
The Flight Instructor course consists of 30 hours of flight training, predominantly in a PA28 aircraft allowing flight instructor students “back seat” flights to benefit from observing each other’s training sorties.
We aim for students to complete 25 hours of dual training with our FIC instructors, leaving 5 hours available for mutual flying (where two flight instructor students fly with each other to practice and hone their skills without the FIC instructor being present).
The ground school requirement is for 125 hours of teaching which is integrated with the flight training elements of the course and includes 25 hours of the Teaching and Learning Core Course module.
Currently, our courses are available to UK licence holders. If you hold a licence issued by an EASA state (for example, the IAA), please contact us for details of how you could still complete the course with us at White Waltham.
End of Course Assessment
Once the course is completed, we will arrange for an external examiner to come to White Waltham to conduct your Assessment of Competence. The examiner fee is usually about £250 which is paid directly to the examiner. As well as this, you will need to pay for the aircraft hire for the test which is usually about 1 – 1.5 hours which will be charged to you at the prevailing solo rate.
Course Cost
Please contact us as wlacfitraining@gmail.com to register your interest in the course, get information about availability of spaces and to gain up to date pricing information.
CLASS-RATING INSTRUCTOR (SINGLE ENGINE)
Class Rating Instructors are not able to offer ab-initio instruction but can use their ratings for undertaking two-yearly flights with pilots for their SEP (Land) Rating revalidations, and undertake differences training, familiarisation training and to do aircraft check outs and licence-holder training.
Pre-course Requirements
(i) Hold a valid SEP (Land) Rating
(ii) Hold at least the licence for which the flight instruction is being given
(iii) Be entitled to act as Pilot in Command on the aircraft during flight instruction
(iv) Have at least 300 hours on aeroplanes (not including microlights)
(v) At least 30 hours of Pilot in Command time on SEP (Land) aircraft
Course Content
The Class Rating Instructor (SEP) rating course includes 3 hours of flight training on single engine aircraft and 35 hours of ground training (of which 25 hours is the Teaching and Learning core course).
As the rating is used in vastly different ways by holders, we aim to offer a bespoke course content to suit the ways in which you want to utilise your own qualification. As such, we will have conversations with you prior to starting the course so that we can tailor the course to you.
The three hours of flight training is a minimum amount and students who have had no previous teaching experience (in any field) or who are not current in flying, may find more hours are necessary. However, the course is possible in three hours, so please do discuss this with us before committing.
The course is possible to be completed in one week, however this would be ridiculously hard work and we don’t feel that it is the way it should be done! So we would suggest completing the course over at least a couple of weeks where you are at the airfield for 4-5 days in total as a minimum. You can, of course, spread the course over more time if you wish. We will chat through the options with you before you sign up.
End of Course Assessment
Once the course is completed, our internal examiner will conduct your Assessment of Competence. The examiner fee is usually about £250 which is paid directly to the examiner. As well as this, you will need to pay for the aircraft hire for the test which is usually about 1 – 1.5 hours which will be charged to you at the prevailing solo rate.
Course Cost
Please contact us as wlacfitraining@gmail.com to register your interest in the course, get information about availability of spaces and to gain up to date pricing information.