We’re a CAA Declared Training Organisation.

Civil Aviation Authority Private Pilots Licence

This is the most popular of the non commercial licences, the PPL opens up a myriad of opportunities for flying for pleasure. It can also provide a sound basis from which to train further should you decide to pursue a career in aviation.

The course comprises of a minimum of 40 flying hours, of which a minimum is 10 hours of solo flying. Of the 10 hours solo flying, 5 hours must be cross-country navigation flights including one flight of at least 150 nautical miles incorporating two full stop landings at 2 different airfields.

In addition to the practical airborne exercises and tests there are a series of nine written Theoretical Knowledge exams and a practical Radiotelephony exam. Ground School instruction is available through Herefordshire Aero Club, by way of an online training course, as well as a complete range of training manuals for self study.

Although there is no minimum age for dual instruction flying, any hours accrued before the age of 14 will not be eligible to count towards a PPL licence. Students must be 16 years old before they are permitted to fly solo and can apply for their PPL to be issued when they are 17 years old.

A Herefordshire Aero Club standard PPL course of a minimum 40 hours will cost from £8,000. Although the national average in the UK to complete the PPL course is 60 hours.

A full time intensive course is also available, please contact us for full details.

What the price includes:

• 40 hours of dual and solo flying

• Ground school, including the 9 PPL exams

• Pre-flight and post flight briefings

• Home based landings

• Aircraft hire for test

• Practical flight test

• License issue

• All training is done at our fully approved DTO based at Shobdon Airfield

If you require accommodation we have static caravans for hire available on the airfield.

Please contact us on 01568 708369 for more information.

Civil Aviation Authority National Private Pilots Licence

Similar in many ways to the PPL, the NPPL requires less hours in training and has some restrictions regarding the type and maximum weight (2000kg) of the aircraft you may fly and the maximum number of passengers you may carry (3).

The course comprises of a minimum of 32 flying hours, of which a minimum of 22 hours must be dual flight instruction and 10 hours of solo flying. Of the 10 hours solo flying, 4 hours must be cross-country navigation flights including one flight of at least 80 nautical miles incorporating one full stop landing at a different airfield.

In addition to the practical airborne exercises and tests there are a series of written Theoretical Knowledge exams and a practical Radiotelephony exam. Ground School instruction is available via Herefordshire Aero Club with an online study package, as well as a complete range of training manuals for self study.

Although there is no minimum age for dual instruction flying, any hours accrued before the age of 14 will not be eligible to count towards a NPPL licence. Students must be 16 years old before they are permitted to fly solo and can apply for their NPPL to be issued when they are 17 years old.

A Herefordshire Aero Club standard NPPL course of a minimum 32 hours will cost from £6,000. The average hours for course completion in the UK is 50 hours.

The following hire rates apply to club aircraft:

Self fly hire in the club’s syndicate scheme is a very cost effective way to fly once you’ve qualified, especially if you fly regularly. Additionally, any future flight training or check flights with our club instructors will also be charged at the PPL rate rather than the full instructional rate.

Self Fly Hire Rates per Hour

• Cessna 152 £165.00

• PA28 Archer II £210.00

Instructional Rates per Hour

• Cessna 152 £195.00

• PA28 Archer II £240.00

Syndicate Rates per Month

• Cessna 152 £30 per month

• Cessna 152 + PA28 £35 per month

Syndicate Self Fly Hire Rates per Hour

(Syndicate rates available to licence holders only)

• Cessna 152 £145.00

• PA28 Archer II £190.00

Whichever licence you are aiming for ground school is an essential part of the learning process.

Pre flight briefings and structured ground school sessions, integrated with your flight training will help you to assimilate the knowledge you need to pass your exams and get the best out of every minute you fly.

We’re not just interested in teaching you to qualify as a pilot – we want you to be a confident, safe pilot with a great understanding of airmanship.

We have partnered up with an excellent online groundschool course provider, EasyPPL, to enable you to study and pass these exams with the least difficulty. This ground schooling is designed to integrate with your flight training to achieve that.

Self study manuals will help you to prepare for and follow up each lesson and are a vital aid to exam revision.

• Theoretical Knowledge Exams (PPL/LAPL)

• Aviation Law

• Operational Procedures

• Meteorology

• Navigation & Radio Aids

• Flight Performance & Planning

• Aircraft General Knowledge

• Human Performance

• Communications

• Principles of Flight

• Radiotelephony (spoken/ practical test)

The IMC Rating is an essential addition to your licence if you wish to fly above the clouds or in reduced visibility, an essential skill considering the UK climate

The course consists of a minimum of 15 hours flight training, of which 10 hours are entirely on instruments. There is also a minimum of 20 hours ground instruction.

There is a written multi-choice exam and an Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) Skills Test.

If you think the dark months of winter will limit your hours of flying then think again! The addition of a night rating to your licence will let you take advantage of those extra hours to experience the magic of flying between a carpet of lights below and a ceiling of stars above.

Herefordshire Aero Club offers instructional night flying one evening a week from October to March. This is usually planned for a Thursday unless the weather forecast favours another night.

The course consists of 5 hours training of which a minimum of 3 hours are dual instruction plus 1 hour cross-country navigation, 5 solo take offs and full stop landings are also required.

There is no formal exam or flying test to qualify for the Night rating.

Ideal for any pilot looking to use smaller airfields or farm strips, this course will provide the skills and experience to take off and land safely, particularly on short grass strips. Short-field take offs and landings are taught as part of the initial pilot’s licence, but are seldom used, so this course is designed to brush up and improve those skills.

1.5 hour total briefing time

Approx. 3 hours of short field take offs and landings with an instructor, but as with all training, some will do it quicker and some take a bit longer. You are only charged for what you do!

Ideal for any non pilot who regularly flies with a friend or partner, this course will provide basic handling and radio skills to enable them to take control should their pilot become incapacitated.

The course will cover:

Instrument appreciation & operation

Pertinent aircraft controls

Radio usage and (where applicable) GPS to declare mayday, tune 121.5 & receive a heading back to base or nearest diversion airport.

1.5 hour total briefing time

1 hour airborne aircraft familiarisation touching upon Straight & Level, Climbing, Descending & Turning.

2 hours of circuits with an instructor

Herefordshire Aero Club is proud to be an approved learning provider for the Ministry of Defence’s Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service scheme, promoting lifelong learning amongst members of the armed forces, past and present.

Courses available under the ELCAS scheme at Herefordshire Aero Club are:

• PPL - We can offer the PPL in two parts to use two years’ worth of funding

• NPPL

• Night Rating

• IMC Rating

Our Learning provider number is 5822

Please contact us for further details on using your credits 01568 708369 or generalenquiries@shobdonairfield.co.uk

For details about ELCAS please visit www.enhancedlearningcredits.com or contact:

ELCAS

E1 Suites 3-6 Green Lane Business Park Green Lane Tewkesbury Gloucestershire GL20 8SJ

elcas@m-assessment.com
08453 005179
Lines open 09:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays

Once qualified you need to keep your licence valid by flying a minimum number of hours in a given period. Every 24 months after qualifying the pilot must have achieved 12 hours flying, at least 6 of which must be in the last 12 months of the 24 month period. This may consist of up to 6 hours dual flying and at least one of the hours in the last 12 month period must be with an instructor.

The hour with the instructor is not a test and is usually spent going over skills that may not have been practiced for a while such as stalls, PFLs (Practice Forced Landing), EFATO (Engine Failure After Take Off), general emergencies and a couple of circuits.

If your licence has lapsed, for whatever reason, then you will need a renewal test.

Your instructor will assess how much training you will require to pass a skills test. This skills test is similar to the PPL flying skills test and will take approximately 1.5 hours.

For further details and advice please contact one of our instructors.

Our Young Pilots Scholarship is returning in 2026. Check out our page to find out more and apply.

Young Pilots Scholarship