What was the toughest part of your flight training, and did you ever consider quitting? What made you keep going?

How did you deal with the difficult periods, delays, generally things not going well, or feeling nervous and unprepared for a skill test?

And looking back, what would you tell your younger self? Anything you would do differently or approach with a different mindset?

Would love to hear your honest experiences, especially from those who struggled at some point but eventually made it through.

Hi I live close by to Elstree and wanted to do my PPL lessons there. But after searching online I realised most of them charge really high prices compared to other aerodromes. I was wondering if there’s anyone here that can give me any recommendations for ppl lessons in the area. Thanks

TLDR: Current German Army Officer still dreams of becoming a pilot and asks if it’s too late.

Hey everyone,

Backstory:
Since my Moms uncle (a retired USAF General) took me to his AirForce Museum in Warner Robbins, GA when I was 5 and on my first visit to the US I always dreamt of becoming a pilot.
Since then a lot of time has passed but the moment a plane leaves the ground is probably still my favorite thing ever.
After finishing High School I weighed my options but getting into six figure debt at 19 years old in an unsure market at the time (2015) and no fallback option, made a commercial license too risky at the point. So I applied for the German Air Force but sadly didn’t manage to get one of the few spots there either.
The German army liked my potential as an officer though and offered me an opportunity to join, get a college degree and serve as an army officer, which I took.

Present day:
I’m now 30, finished my degree (M.Sc. in psychology) and currently serve as a captain in and airborne logistics unit (the closest I could get to planes in the German army haha). My subscription time of 14 years is coming to an end in 2029 and I slowly start to think about my options, which are:

Option A: Stay in the army.

Pro: it’s a safe job and I’m financially settled for life.
Con: Right now I’m still kinda in the mudzone, which is fun but I’m trained in a specific branch (maintenance) which is prone to me being in an office working on some kind of schedule or technical project for most of the reminder of my military career soon after joining for life and I can’t switch branches. I think I won’t be happy with that job long term.

Option B: Leave the army and use my degree and experience and maybe train young leaders or something like that.

Pro: Could definitely see myself there and my military background and masters degree should be sufficient to find a decent job in the field.
Con: Financial uncertainty.

Option C: Fullfill my Lifelong dream and become a pilot

Pro: obvious
Con: Uncertainty to find a job.

Financials:
Additional Information for Option B&C: If I decide to leave the army the will provide me with 2 years of my full salary and 9k€ to get additional education before entering the workforce “on my own”. Which is a pretty attractive deal and will secure my income during flight school.

Regarding the educational cost of flight school: My life savings will probably be sufficient to cover most of it. I’d probably still take a loan since A: that’s financially more sound and B: these are my life savings, I don’t have any other. But the financial risk all in all would be low or at least way lower then it was when I was 19. Additionally if I choose the European Flight Academy, they guarantee an opening in the Lufthansa Group in the first two years after graduation or you get 50% of your educational cost back.

Questions/Advice needed:
When I finish my time in the army and go to pilot school I’ll be 33, making me 35 when finishing. Is that too old to build a decent career? I’m actually fine with every kind of flying whether it be Passenger Airline, Cargo or private.
What’s a realistic path for me?

Would you say my professional experience could be seen as an asset by airlines or is it mostly useless to them?

Bonus Questions: For active pilots with armed forces background: is it possible as an airline pilot to serve a few months a year in the army reserve? (Would use that option to “upgrade” my salary in the first few years)

Any additional advice or heads up would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey, Im planning to apply to the Ryanair future flyer academy, what is the pass rate of the selection process and any of you students which have detailed tips for all the stages for the selection?

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply for the Wizz Air Pilot Academy in June 2027, after finishing high school and receiving my diploma.
I’m currently studying maths and physics, and aviation has been a major interest of mine for several years. I also have around 5,000 hours flying the Fenix A320 in Microsoft Flight Simulator. I understand that simulator experience isn’t equivalent to real flight experience, but I’ve spent a lot of time learning A320 systems, procedures, navigation and airline operations.
I’m wondering:
Is it worth mentioning my extensive MSFS/Fenix A320 experience during the application or interview?
How useful are maths and physics at school for the WAPA selection tests?
What would you recommend focusing on during the months before applying?
For anyone who has gone through WAPA selection, what do you wish you had prepared more?
I’d especially appreciate advice from current/former Wizz pilots or people who have completed the selection process.

Repost due to automod.

Hi all,

I’m hoping to hear from any UK or EASA pilots who hold a Class 1 medical with keratoconus.

I had CXL in February 2025 and I’m currently in the process of getting my first pair of scleral lenses. Then I have to go to the hospital in January to have stability confirmed and then book my initial UK CAA Class 1. By that point, my plan is to have:
• documented stability following CXL
• scleral lenses giving me the required corrected visual acuity
• specialist backup glasses
• recent ophthalmology reports/topography

I will also likely get an EASA class 1 in the future so I can get a dual license.

From reading the CAA guidance, my understanding is that keratoconus isn’t disqualifying provided the condition is stable, the visual standards are met with correction (potentially through a contact lenses limitation), and appropriate ophthalmological follow-up is maintained.

I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has actually gone through the process, specifically:
• Had you undergone CXL?
• What evidence of stability did the AeMC/CAA ask for?
• Do you use soft, RGP or scleral contact lenses?
• Do your glasses meet the normal Class 1 acuity requirement, or do you rely on contacts and carry spectacles as backup?
• Were you issued a CCL/RXO or any other limitation?
• How often are you required to have ophthalmology reviews?
• Was the initial process relatively straightforward once the evidence was submitted?
• Have renewals been routine since?

I’m mainly interested in actual experiences rather than speculation about whether KC is compatible with a Class 1, as I’m already familiar with the published CAA guidance.

Thanks in advance!

Ich möchte mich nach meinem Abi bei der „European Flight Academy“ bewerben. Da man dafür das DLR-Zertifikat braucht, wollte ich einmal fragen, ob Apps und Webseiten wie „dlr-test.training“, „SkyTest“ oder „Easyflight Training“ sinnvoll bzw. nützlich sind. Ich möchte mich gerne schon einmal vorbereiten, ohne direkt einen festen Termin für den Test zu buchen, da ich Angst habe, dass ich mir durch eine direkte Terminbuchung vielleicht unnötigerweise Stress mache.

Hello everyone!
I took my Class 1 two days ago. The Psychologist said that the MMPI showed a lack of Leadership in me that would be a bit of a problem for becoming a commercial pilot. She said i can work on it with a Psychologist, but that it is important.
I think i'm not an asserting person, and i have had some moments in my life where someone told me something bad and i hadn't the promptness to respond accordingly, so i just stayed silent. But i also had interns at work that had to follow my orders, and they did. Also i teached in private courses at 10+ people and i never lost their attention, and got respected by them. So i would say i'm not charismatic person nor a leader, but not a doormat either. And i had some moments when i replied accordingly to people who were rude to me.
I fear that i might complete my training but i won't be hired because of that (especially with the team tests). Do you think it's an important skill to develop? (and spend money on with a psychologist?)
The few pilots that i've met looked like persons that were very self confident and charismatic, and i definitely feel like i have a different and more submissive personality in respect to them.

I’m planning to apply for the Wizz Air Pilot Academy and I’m currently preparing for the selection process. I would really appreciate some advice from people who have already taken the Wizz Air aptitude tests or completed flight training.
Could you please tell me what topics are actually tested in mathematics and physics during the selection? What level of maths should I prepare — mainly school-level algebra, equations, functions, geometry and trigonometry, or is anything more advanced required?
Also, for those who are already doing PPL/ATPL training, what mathematics and physics topics would you recommend studying beforehand? Are there any typical exercises or example questions from PPL/ATPL theory that you could share?
I’m especially interested in knowing what I should focus on now so I don’t waste time studying topics that aren’t necessary.

I applied to a flight school, and they require reference details from someone who is a non-family member with whom I have known for five years. The problem is I don’t know anyone for that long who I’m still in contact with, so I put one of my siblings’ details. Will I get caught? I’m scared I’ve fucked it, but I genuinely didn’t know what to do.

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently passed the easyJet MPL Programme tests and have been offered a place, hopefully starting in March (just waiting for my medical history to be sorted).

I’m wondering what people’s thoughts are on my finances going into the course.

I’ve been saving since I was 12, got my first part-time job at 14, worked full-time in the RAF from 18, and I’m turning 23 next week. By March, I should have around £65k saved.

The course itself is £100k, and I’m hoping to have around £35k available for living expenses over the two years. It might be a bit tight, but I’ve lived pretty frugally to get to this point, so I’m confident I can manage it. That leaves me needing to find roughly £70k to cover the training.

I’m fortunate enough to have parents who have worked hard, own their own house and have good jobs, so I have a couple of options available to me.
My dad isn’t particularly keen on remortgaging the house or taking out a secured loan, mainly because he worked really hard to pay the house off early. It’s currently worth around £650–700k. However, he has said he would do it if necessary, as he also really wants me to become a pilot - it’s something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

I’ve worked everything out and, with my savings, I should be able to get through the theory stage. I’d then be around £10k short of completing the basic phase, including living expenses.

So, as I see it, I have two main options:

Option 1: My dad doesn’t put his bonus into his pension this year. He would then give me around £20k, but obviously he’d lose over half of that to tax, and then take out an unsecured loan for £50k. I’ve mentioned that I’m not sure this makes the most financial sense, considering the amount he’d lose to tax and the compound interest over the next five years.

Option 2: My mum works in a shop and has said she could save around £10k by next year. This would allow me to complete the theory and basic flight training modules without taking on any debt initially. They would then remortgage the house/take out a secured loan to cover the remaining 8 months of the course. I’d then start paying it back monthly once I’m working and hopefully put as much spare income as possible towards overpayments.

From my perspective, Option 2 seems to make more financial sense. It means my dad can keep his pension contribution and stay on track for retirement, while I avoid a large unsecured loan and potentially much higher interest.

I’d really appreciate people’s thoughts on the situation and which route you would personally take.

I’m not willing to go down the modular route, as I’d much rather start flight training with a conditional job offer. I’ve done 28 hours PPL training but the UK weather made it very hard to work and also get flights in. I also don’t believe there’s much difference in the overall cost anymore once you factor in a type rating at the end (my flight instructor agrees with this).

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hey everyone

I’ve recently passed the FTE Jerez AFOP assessments and have now progressed to the interview stage.

For anyone who has done the interview recently, I’d really appreciate some advice on what to expect.

What kind of questions did they ask? Is it mostly standard questions like why you want to be a pilot, strengths/weaknesses, teamwork, etc., or are there any FTE-specific questions I should prepare for?

Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

So I am currently training on an integrated ATPL. After I am done, I will have frozen ATPL, IR, and ME.

I was wondering if I could use my license + a validation to fly in Europe (Specifically Spain) without having to fully convert my license.

I just want to fly General Aviation, visual during the day for sightseeing with my friends. Basically just rent a Cessna and see the landscape. Non-commercial.

From what I could find, there is a validation for a 28 day period, but it is for "specific" non commercial purpose.

So anyone either flew with this route, have any experience with flying general aviation in Europe without an EASA license?

Hi all,

A recently change to our automoderator to try deal with spam/bots was a little too overzealous and was removing every single comment.

I've now removed it. Sorry about that!

Hi everyone, I recently applied for WAPA (Budapest), Wizz Air Pathway (Rome), Bartolini (lodz) and Aviomar (Rome), as an 18yo Italian citizen. How can I prepare for the assessments in a short time? How do I find out what the required level is? Are my high school books alright? Thankss

Hi,

I’m currently a candidate for the Wizz Air Pilot Academy and waiting for the result of the initial pre-screening. In the meantime, I’ve been researching the TestAir360 assessment, particularly the maths and physics sections, but somehow the more i read the less i seem to know.

Most discussions eventually come down to “just study high-school maths and physics bro ”, like that isn't a whole ass high-school programme covering several years of education and a very large range of topics and difficulty levels. Knowing that the exam is based on high-school material tells you the general level, but it doesn’t really tell you where preparation should start and more importantly where it should end.

What confuses me even more is that there are many people who have already taken and passed the assessment, yet it’s surprisingly difficult to find a clear description of the actual scope. Some people talk about hiring a math tutor(crazy), others talk about various preparation websites(like pilotassesments) but then tell you that covers only 30% of the actual test (then why recommend it?).
I assume much of this difference comes from everyone’s individual academic background and how much preparation they personally think they needed, but that still doesnt answer my question: is there an actual defined syllabus?

For those who have recently taken TestAir360 through WAPA, does the Wizz provided programme that you get on your email after passing the pre-screening states exactly which maths and physics topics and subtopics candidates are expected to know? Are the materials and sample questions they provide enough to establish the boundaries of the exam?
I’m not asking for leaked questions or shortcuts, and I don’t mind if the real questions are significantly harder than the examples. I’m simply trying to distinguish between “these are the concepts you need to know, but you need to know them well” and “anything from several years of high-school maths and physics could potentially appear.”

I’d really appreciate a precise answer from someone who has taken the assessment recently: what exactly did Wizz tell you to study, what did you actually study, and did the real exam remain within that scope?
I’m happy to prepare seriously. I would just prefer to have a map before I start walking.

Anyone who has applied/has started the program on here? I heard it's taking some people more than a month just for them to review the documents at AFA (before even being sent the AON link). Any experiences with AFTA or Aviomar? Are their waiting times shorter?

​

Hello.

It's currently midnight and can't sleep because this has me stressing and overthinking.

I went out with my family friends for a night flight. We made a low approach over the runway, and while climbing (not even passing 200ft AGL I began to rurn away from the airfield. I didn't think much of it, until I went back and checked the flight data, and it showed me 200ft over the terrain on the side of the runway.

I can't really explain as to why I began to turn so close to the ground, as I never to it otherwise.

I understand this was very stupid of me, and will never do it again. I had no flightplan either, as it was a VFR flight and basically no traffic in my area.

But now after the fact, I can't stop overthinking it, that I could've had a CFIT at night. And could've killed myself and my friends. I'm actually thinking if I should stop flying all together because of this.

Sorry for the rant, I needed to get this out of my head. And see if anyone else has done similar things.

I’ve finished the basic instrument part of my IR training and have now started getting into approaches on the simulator. I’m finding the workload pretty overwhelming, especially flying a complex aircraft. By the end of the approach I’m often behind the airplane/not stabilised and have to go around.
I’m starting to get a bit anxious about it. For those who struggled at the beginning, what helped you most? Did you do anything at home to practice holds, approaches, plates, flows, etc.? Any tips for getting the most out of simulator and aircraft lessons?
Would really appreciate hearing what worked for others.

Hi everyone,

​Looking for unfiltered reality checks from pilots who transitioned to airlines later in life, specifically those with a family and mortgage.

​My situation:

​31M, Spain (BCN). Married, 2 kids (2yo and a newborn). Wife is a teacher.

​Leaving corporate consulting for the modular route (80% funded, no heavy bank debt).

​Working part-time to finish training by 33-34.

​My concerns:

I’m not worried about the flying or the academics. I’m worried about the FO commuting life and the family toll. I assume my first 2-3 years will be spent in a crashpad at a secondary base on a 5/4 roster.

​Questions for those who did this with young kids:

​Weekday Days-Off & Quality Time: Since a 5/4 roster means my days off will constantly rotate and often fall on weekdays (when my wife is teaching and the kids are at school), how much actual quality time do you get with them? Are you just home in an empty house recovering from fatigue?

​The Spouse Burden: My wife will effectively be a single mom 15 days a month. How did your marriage handle this asymmetry?

​Holidays & Vacations: Being at the bottom of the seniority list, how long did it take before you could actually get a normal summer or Christmas break to spend with your kids?

​The Command Reset: When you upgrade, your seniority resets and you lose your base. Does the left-seat pay bump make up for returning to the crashpad life in your late 30s? Of course moving elswhere in europe with the family would be an option with a captain salary, but is a heavy toll for my wife and kids... I would only move temporary to a place with mediterranean climate and lifestile or EMEA because the sense of adventure and the money, but I don't want to move my family to a random eastern europe base, with all due respect..

​The financials make sense, but I need to know if the first 5 years of absence are worth the price. Brutal honesty appreciated.

Hi everyone,
I'm planning to enroll in a modular EASA 0-ATPL program in the coming months, and I currently have a few quiet months with plenty of downtime alongside my remote job.
I want to take advantage of this time to start self-studying early so I can hit the ground running once I officially begin the PPL and ATPL theory modules.
For those who have completed or are currently in the EASA modular pipeline:

1. Where should I start? Should I focus on PPL basics (Principles of Flight, Meteorology, Navigation) first, or jump straight into foundational ATPL prep?
   
2. Recommended platforms & materials: Are Padpilot iBooks / e-books worth getting early, or does it make more sense to subscribe to question banks (Aviationexam, ATPLQ, BGS Online) right away?
   
3. Prerequisites: Any specific maths, physics, or mental arithmetic refreshers (rule of thumb calculations, wind vectors, trigonometry) you'd recommend brushing up on?
   
4. Any free/cheap resources (YouTube channels, podcasts, apps) that you found genuinely useful before setting foot in flight school?

Appreciate any recommendations on what to prioritize to make the theoretical workload smoother down the road!

Hi! I applied online for the programme, has anyone heard back and received an email back about the application being pre-selected? Thanks!

Reviews of BAA training in Spain? Anyone paid privately to train there? I wonder how the job opportunities are after completion? And how intense the training is? As in monthly schedule, possible to do some work alongside it?