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A Guide to the Different Courses in Pilot Academy

Think becoming a pilot is one straight flight to success? Think again.

Becoming a pilot has its perks (a salary that can range from P180,000 to P280,000 a month and several opportunities internationally!), and the career is rewarding but before getting there, you have to go through quite a bit of training. Here’s a quick rundown of things you need to know:

Private Pilot course (PPL)

For anyone just starting out, this is the recommended course to take. Included in the course are 120 hours of the private pilot ground course, 5 hours of simulator training, and 45 hours of flight training. You can also take this course to help in deciding whether or not you’d like to pursue commercial flight training.

The program aims to equip its students with the qualifications needed for the Private Pilot License (PPL).

If you’re just an aviation enthusiast, and just have the desire and passion to learn how to fly, you can take this course.

Commercial Pilot course (CPL)

In order to get your Commercial Pilot License (CPL), you have to take the Private Pilot course first and get a PPL.

After learning the basics during the Private Pilot course, you can move on to the Commercial Pilot course where you will gain the skills needed to fly multi-engine aircrafts cross-country. In the program, there are 240 hours of ground school and 152 hours of flight training.

Once you earn your CPL, you can either be the Pilot-in-Command of a single pilot aircraft or a co-pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft.

Instrument Rating course (IR)

If you’ve already acquired a Commercial Pilot License, you can continue to train and work on your skills with this course. This is for anyone who wishes to enhance their abilities, especially in terms of flying in all weather conditions. The program has around 120 hours of training.

Multi-Engine course (ME)

For a pilot to get a Multi-Engine Rating, they have to go through this course. The program offers both ground school and flight training to teach students about how to safely fly and operate a twin-engine aircraft.

If you want to obtain a position as a pilot flying charter or in the airlines, you will need to take this course, too.

Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT)

Losing control during a flight (or LOC-I, Loss of Control Inflight) happens and is one of the leading causes of aviation accidents, which is why UPRT is probably one of the most important courses you need to take if you want to be a pilot. The program shows students the different emergency scenarios you can end up in, how to prevent them from happening, and how to recover from them when or if they ever do.

The course is meant to make you more confident with flying a plane, making sure you know your safety procedures and flight techniques.

Ab Initio Pilot Training Program

This is more or less a program that will teach you everything you need to know about being a pilot and the craft of flying. In this course, you get to learn how to fly various types of planes along with learning all the flight techniques and procedures, and how to fly in different environments. The program lasts for one year and 6 months as you’ll be gaining full knowledge about aviation and flying planes.

Whether you just want to learn how to fly for fun or you want to pursue a career as a commercial pilot, these courses are all there for you to enhance your skills and knowledge about flying. Visit www.wccaviation.com for more information.