How Many Flight Hours to Earn My PPL?
Prospective flight students invariably ask the question “how many flight hours will it take me to get my PPL?” While this is may seem like a simple question, the answer can be quite complex.
It is understandable that as a flight student, you are interested in the number of flight hours required to complete your training and receive your PPL. Most obviously, the number of flight hours will drive the total cost of getting your license; simply put, the more flight hours you require, the more you will pay for your training.
However, the number of flight hours it takes to get your license is a very poor measure of training success. Yes, you want your training to be cost effective, but your primary goal should not be to get your license at minimum cost. You do not want to be the pilot who barely meets the minimum licensing standards. You should aspire to be a skilled, confident, and safe pilot when you receive your license.
In general terms, the number of flight hours required to successfully complete training can vary significantly from student to student. There are a multitude of factors which will drive the number of flight hours required, including the following:
Transport Canada Licensing Standards
Integration of Ground School and Flight Training
Frequency of Flight Training
Continuity of Flight Training
Student Motivation
Student Ability
Instructor Experience and Proficiency
Structure of the Training Program
Location of the Flight School
Seasonal Considerations
Let’s take a look at each of these factors in detail.
Transport Canada Licensing Standards
As a prospective student, when you first look at the Transport Canada Licensing Standards, you will likely gravitate to the experience or “minimum required hours” portion of these standards. However, licensing standards are much more complex than that. The true standards which must be met to qualify for the PPL are the standards of knowledge and skill. These must be demonstrated through the successful completion of a comprehensive written examination and a flight test:
Experience Requirements. The licensing standards specify the absolute minimum experience requirements to qualify for the PPL, including dual training, solo training, cross country training, instrument flight training, and total hours. For over 30 years, Transport Canada has required that you complete a minimum of 45 training flight hours to be eligible for the PPL. However, this minimum does not reflect additional training requirements that Transport Canada has since introduced (basic instrument training, enhanced stall training, enhanced landing training, and additional navigation training). Furthermore, meeting these minimum requirements does not provide any guarantee that the candidate will meet the required standards of knowledge and skill, which are the true backbone of the licensing standards.
Knowledge Requirements. The licensing standards specify knowledge requirements that must be met to qualify for the PPL. These requirements are detailed in the Study and Reference Guide for Written Exams for the Private Pilot License. The candidate must have completed a minimum of 40 hours of PPL Ground School and must demonstrate meeting the knowledge requirement by completing and passing a comprehensive 3 hour written examination administered by Transport Canada. Before a candidate may attempt the written examination, he/she must receive a written recommendation from their flight instructor certifying that their depth of knowledge is sufficient to attempt the exam.
Skill Requirements. The licensing standards specify skill / competency requirements that must be met to qualify for the PPL. These requirements are detailed in the Flight Test Guide for the Private Pilot License. The candidate must demonstrate meeting the skill / competency requirement by passing a comprehensive flight test administered by a Transport Canada authorized Pilot Examiner. Before a candidate may attempt the flight test, he/she must receive a written recommendation from their flight instructor certifying that their knowledge, competency, and skill is at the standard required for issuance of the Private Pilot License.
Integration of Ground School and Flight Training
The proper sequencing / scheduling of ground school and flight training is critical to the effectiveness and efficiency of the student’s overall training.
Students who complete their ground school training too far in advance of commencing their flight training may have difficulty relating the material covered in the classroom to its practical application in flight training. They may also forget key information that is essential to their flight training.
Conversely a student who commences their flight training before starting ground school will lack specific aeronautical knowledge that is critical to understanding the flight training exercises. This will result in the need to pay for additional one-on-one ground instruction prior to each flight lesson.
The optimum solution is to complete the first part of the ground school prior to commencing your flight training. Critical subject areas include theory of flight, aerodynamics, airframes, engines, and aircraft systems. With this subject matter having been covered in the classroom, the associated knowledge will integrate seamlessly into flight training lessons. Conducting the remaining ground school and flight training in parallel will facilitate a better practical understanding of the material being covered in the classroom and its application in the aircraft.
Frequency of Flight Training
The more often you fly, the quicker you will develop and solidify new skills. Conversely, infrequent training flights will typically result in the need for a new lesson to incorporate additional time to review and practice previously learned exercises and skills. This can result in additional flight hours with your instructor.
For a full-time student, the optimum situation is to fly an average of 4-5 times per week.
For a part-time student, the optimum situation is to fly an average of 2-3 times per week.
Continuity of Flight Training
The continuity of your flight training is critical. Long or frequent gaps in training can cause problems with your rate of progress. Periods of time away from flight training can be caused by the demands of your work life or personal life, financial pressures, periods of unfavourable weather, etc.
If you experience an interruption of your flight training, when you return you will need time on the ground to review previous exercises and additional time in the air to “shake off the rust”. This will be essential to getting back to the required level of proficiency you need to advance to new lessons and more complex exercises. Interruptions in your flight training will result in the need for additional flight hours with your instructor.
Student Motivation
Like everything else in life, the harder you work the better you will progress. You must be prepared to put in significant time and effort if you want your flight training to be effective. Consider the following:
You need to be committed to fly consistently every week. If you are a full-time student, you should plan to schedule flight lessons 4-5 times a week. If you are a part-time student, you should plan to schedule flight lessons 2-3 times per week.
You need to commit the time required for your flight training. Each lesson will require an average of 2 ½ hours of your time at the airport, and another 2 ½ hours of study, review and practice on your own time. If you are flying an average of 3 times a week, that means a time commitment of about 15 hours per week.
You need to commit the time required for your ground school instruction. Ground School typically involves 2 evenings a week for 8-10 weeks. Each lesson will typically take 3 hours of your time in the classroom, and another 2 to 3 hours for study, review, and practice on your own time. That means a time commitment of about 10 hours per week.
Ground School effectiveness is optimized when it is conducted in conjunction with your flight training. If you are a part time student flying 3 times a week and attending ground school twice a week, that means a combined level of effort (ground school and flight training) of about 25 hours per week.
The aircraft is an expensive classroom, and your instructor will assign you homework and practice to complete at home. This will prepare you for each new lesson and will ensure that you are not wasting time (on the ground and in the aircraft) reviewing previous exercises. Your time commitment for this homework is critical. Your instructor will expect you to come prepared for each flight lesson, including review and practice of previously learned exercises. If you are not well prepared, you can expect slower progress onto new flight exercises, as well as the need for additional flight hours with your instructor.
Student Ability
Each student will demonstrate different strengths and weaknesses during their training, and virtually everyone will have certain air exercises that they have difficulty with. Your Achilles heel may be steep turns, or it could be crosswind landings, or it might be executing forced landings. Your instructor may need to schedule additional lessons to work with you to help you overcome such difficulties during your training.
Another consideration is students who have previous flight experience or flight training. This can include experience flying with a family member or friend who is a pilot, or previous training as a glider pilot, etc. This can often reduce the flight training time required to reach the First Solo stage of training for the PPL.
Instructor Experience and Proficiency
There is no doubt that the experience and proficiency of your flight instructor will affect the pace and efficiency of your training. As you search for the right instructor for you, consider the following:
What is the instructor’s background and experience?
Do you feel comfortable with the instructor? Remember you will be spending a lot of time with him / her in close quarters.
What do other students have to say about the instructor?
Does the instructor’s availability align with yours?
Structure of the Training Program
Your flight training will be more efficient and effective if your instructor is using a structured flight training program that will develop your skills and competency in a logical and organized fashion. Ask your instructor about his / her approach to your training program. You may also want to read this article by Mike Schuster from Aviation Solutions that includes questions to ask the Chief Instructor of the school.
Location of the Flight School
The location of your flight school can have a significant impact on the flight hours required to complete your training. Training at busy airports in congested airspace creates the potential for ground delays (waiting to take-off) and can result in less efficient circuit training (doing repeated practice take-offs and landings). You may also require longer transit times to / from approved flight training areas. In contrast, training at a smaller uncontrolled aerodrome can be more efficient and may require shorter transit times to / from approved flight training areas. This can easily result in a difference of between 5 to 10 flight hours in the total flight time required to complete the PPL. On the flip side, other considerations may include airport services such as winter maintenance. For example, if the runway is not plowed in a timely fashion during the winter, you may end up having cancelled flights - losing the benefit of your training frequency. This brings us to…
Seasonal Considerations
Seasonal variations in weather and daylight hours will influence your ability to complete your flight training. Summer periods are generally characterized by warm, clear weather and longer daylight hours which make the scheduling and completion of flight lessons easier. In contrast, winter periods are generally characterized by less favourable weather and shorter daylight hours which makes the scheduling and completion of your flight lessons more difficult.
The most productive timeframe for flight training in British Columbia is generally during the period from the beginning of March to the end of October. Other regions will of course vary. For example, in colder locations the months of January and February can often be ideal for training with clear sky days. Be sure to ask a prospective school about the best seasons in your area.
Average PPL Completion Times
With due consideration for the factors discussed above, there can be significant variability in the number of flight hours that individual students require to complete a PPL. Statistics from Transport Canada during the period from 2013 to 2019 confirm the following:
An average of 1,600 PPLs are issued in Canada each year.
The typical time to First Solo is between 20 to 30 flight hours.
The average time to complete a PPL is 70 flight hours.
75% of PPLs are completed in between 65 to 85 flight hours.
Less than 10% of PPL’s are completed with less than 55 flight hours.
Less than 10% of PPLs are completed with more than 90 flight hours.
Realistic Completion Times
Based on my 20+ years of experience as a Flight Instructor, and with due consideration for the factors discussed above, you can expect the following to be realistic completion times for your PPL:
A full-time student who is putting in an average of 40 hours per week for flight training, ground school and self-study, and who is available to fly 5 days a week may expect to complete the PPL in 55-65 flight hours.
A part-time student who is putting in an average of 30 hours per week for flight training, ground school and self-study, and who is available to fly 3 days a week may expect to complete the PPL in 65-75 flight hours.
A part-time student who is putting in an average of 20 hours per week for flight training, ground school and self-study, and who is available to fly 2 days a week may expect to complete the PPL in 75-85 flight hours.
Tony Appels is an ATPL Class 1 flight instructor with over 25 years of flight instructor experience. His background also includes a 27-year career with the RCAF and time as a pilot with a Part 705 airline. Tony has flown over 30 aircraft types and currently instructs at Vital Aviation in Nanaimo, where is also the Person Responsible for Maintenance. Tony can be reached through email at tony.appels@hotmail.com .
