Power pilots
Already a power pilot?
With a PPL(A) you skip ground school and the written exam, and need 3 flight hours, not 6.
What you need
| Requirement | From scratch | With PPL(A) credit |
|---|---|---|
| Medical | Category 1, 3 or 4 | Your existing Category 1 or 3 |
| Ground school | 15 hours | Waived |
| Written exam | GLIDE, 60% to pass | Waived |
| Total flight time | 6 hours | 3 hours |
| Dual instruction | 1 hour | 1 hour |
| Solo flight time | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Solo flights | 20 | 20 |
| Skill assessment | Flight demo and recommendation | Flight demo and recommendation |
What you will be learning
Winch launches, energy management and soaring: staying up and going places without an engine.
Most students go solo after around 40 instructional flights. With previous aviation experience or a pilot licence, it can be as few as 10 to 20.
It works the other way too
Up to 5 hours of glider time counts toward a PPL(A), and up to 50 hours toward the 200-hour total for a CPL(A).
What it costs
A $5 launch and $0.50 a minute of glider time. Instruction is free. Membership is $150 a year.