The EASA LAPL (Light Aircraft Pilots Licence) course is a sport or pleasure pilot course and is designed to keep the cost of learning to fly to a minimum whilst still retaining all course detail to grant a full pilots licence and ability to fly small 2 or 4 seat aircraft.
This is a European lifetime licence and so allows you to fly anywhere in Europe without need to change or upgrade your licence in any way. However you do need to maintain currency and to do this you simply need to retain 12 hours of flying time within the last 24 months (on a rolling self-revalidation - see below). Furthermore you will need to retain a GP certified medical, this provides evidence from your GP that you are fit to fly.
The course requires a minimum of 30 hours flying time; including six hours of supervised solo flying concluding with a skills test. The test will examine your general handling, ability to fly and navigation skills in 2 separate parts / flights.
The course is structured under CAA requirements but we tailor the course to your individual needs making sure you understand the lessons and build on your experiences, giving you confidence to perform to your best abilities.
As a CAA Authorised Training Organisation (ATO) we have a duty of care to make sure you are progressing and learning effectively through your course and we take this very seriously. We aim to keep you with your primary instructor whenever possible and you should never have more than 3 instructors during your course. All lessons are one to one so you can get quick answers to all your questions without feeling self conscious or worrying you are taking up other people's time!
The course is available 7 days a week in our school at Inverness Airport (EGPE).
There are nine multi-choice exams to be completed including;
Aviation Law
Operational Procedures
Navigation
Meteorology
Human Performance Limitations
Principles of Flight
Aircraft General Knowledge
Flight Planning and Performance
Communications (Radio Telephony)
The LAPL in a nutshell
Must be 17 to apply for licence, 14 to start logging flights and 16 to go solo during your course.
During your course you must;
Fly at least 6 Hours of Solo flight time including 3 Hours of Cross country
Complete a Cross country solo flight of at least 150 nautical miles
Fly at least 15 Hours of Dual flight time
Get a valid Medical proving you are fit to fly (before you can go solo) - obtained from your GP (see requirements below)
Be granted a FRTOL (Flight Radio Telephony Operators Licence). This is a verbal exam you must undertake with us.
Licence is valid for life but does require currency to fly (see below "Keeping your licence current")
Can carry up to a maximum of 3 passengers but only after flying solo, with an instructor or other pilot for 10 hours after you get your LAPL licence.
Can fly a single engine aeroplane or Motor Glider of not more than 2000kg Maximum take-off weight (Almost all 4 seat aircraft are under this weight)
Can upgrade to a PPL at any time
Cannot receive payment for flying services
Cannot add IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions - flying in cloud) the LAPL is VFR Licence (Visual Flight Rules - can see where you're going)
Medical Certification Requirements
Must be certified by: Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) or GP
Wearing of glasses or contacts is perfectly ok
Every: 60 months, until you are 40. If you are issued with a class 2 medical before you reach 40, it will no longer be valid once you are 42 years old.
You can have your revalidation examination up to 45 days before your previous one expires.
The LAPL medical examination and issue requirements are less so than those required for a Class 2 (required for a PPL) or Class 1 (required for a commercial CPL)
The LAPL: Keeping your licence current, and what to do if you don’t meet the requirements
Your licence will be valid if you've flown as PIC (Pilot in Command) an aircraft or motor glider, in the last 24 months:
At least 12 hours flight time including 12 take-offs and landings; and
Refresher training of at least 1 hour of total flight time with an instructor.
If you do not meet these requirements you will need to:
Complete a proficiency check with an examiner before you exercise the privileges of the licence; or
Complete the additional flight time or take-offs and landings to meet the requirements above, flying dual or solo, under the supervision of an instructor.
The EASA LAPL (Light Aircraft Pilots Licence) course is a sport or pleasure pilot course and is designed to keep the cost of learning to fly to a minimum whilst still retaining all course detail to grant a full pilots licence and ability to fly small 2 or 4 seat aircraft.
There are nine multi-choice exams to be completed including;