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Types of pilot training

Courses are grouped by what they lead to, not by length. A thirty-minute discovery flight and a complete professional pathway sit in different groups on purpose.

I want to try flying

Discovery flights

One short flight with an instructor. No commitment to a course.

I want to train as a pilot

Professional pilot pathways

Commercial, integrated and modular routes. Check outcomes, exams and exclusions.

  • Discovery flights and introductory lessons

    A discovery flight or trial lesson is a short, one-off introduction to flying with an instructor. It is not a course, it does not lead to a licence on its own, and its price must never be compared with the price of a complete training program.

    226 verified programs

  • Private and recreational pilot training

    Private and recreational licence courses prepare you for the national licence a pilot needs to fly for personal use. Names, privileges, minimum ages and medical standards differ by country, so each listing keeps the official local qualification name and the issuing authority.

    579 verified programs

  • Professional pilot training

    Commercial-pilot, integrated and modular pathways and airline-oriented packages. Check exactly which licence and ratings a package prepares you for, which examinations remain, and what is excluded from the published price.

    289 verified programs

  • Instrument rating and instrument training

    Instrument training adds the ability to fly by reference to instruments. Local rating names and privileges differ by authority.

    68 verified programs

  • Multi-engine training

    Courses that add a multi-engine class or rating. Some programs also include instrument or commercial elements; the listing shows what is included.

    26 verified programs

  • Flight instructor training

    Instructor rating and certificate courses. Entry requirements, privileges and the number of hours required depend on the licensing authority.

    24 verified programs

  • Type ratings and transition training

    Aircraft-specific courses: type ratings, differences and transition training. Simulator time and approvals matter here, so each listing says what is published.

    24 verified programs

  • Refresher and specialist flying courses

    Proficiency and recurrent training, flight-review preparation and specialist skills such as aerobatics, tailwheel, seaplane and mountain flying.

    47 verified programs

  • Ground school and examination preparation

    Theory and exam-preparation courses. These cover knowledge training only; practical flight training is separate and cannot be completed online.

    22 verified programs

  • Helicopter pilot training

    Helicopter training at every level, from introductory flights to professional courses. Helicopter and aeroplane qualifications are separate and are stored separately.

    117 verified programs

  • Aviation degrees with a flight-training component

    Only academic programs with a verified pilot-training component and a verified relationship between the university and the flight provider are listed. A degree and a pilot licence are separate outcomes.

    47 verified programs