I was just wondering if anybody had attempted to get their PPL in CH? What were the costs / hassle like? or would it better / cheaper to get in another 'Member State'?

No, I haven't. A Swiss colleague of mine decided to make his on a long, luxurious vacation in South Africa "because of the costs".... I guess that said it all.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


PPL can stand as an abbreviation for:

• phospholipid (or commonly "phospholipid bilayer")
• people
• Freedom People's Party
• PPL (utility), Pennsylvania Power and Light
• Pakistan Petroleum Limited, Pakistani energy company
• Pakistan Premier League, Pakistani soccer league
• Pay per lead, method of marketing
• Phonographic Performance Limited, British music industry organisation
• Pontypool and New Inn railway station, Wales; National Rail station code PPL
• Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., company specialising in insurance and legal services
• Private Pilot License, in aviation
• Privately produced law, akin to polycentric law
• Product placement, in marketing
• Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins, Scouts and Guides of Liechtenstein
• in computer science:
  • Python (programming language), computer language
  • Polymorphic Programming Language
  • Poker Programming Language
  • PCBoard Programming Language

• in arts and entertainment
  • Pure Prairie League, American soft rock and country rock band
  • Pokémon Puzzle League, video game
  • Planet Puzzle League, video game

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Swiss franc is very strong maybe cheaper elsewhere in Europe. Greece maybe!! or Spain!!

And from that entire list, obviously only one made sense "to get in Switzerland", right?

(With the potential exception of the Liechtenstein girl scouts...)

I've found a place in Lausanne that may start teaching PPL courses in English, at the end of the year. They are waiting for approval from the Swiss authorities to run the exams in english.

There are lots of places to do your ppl flying course, but you'll need to pass the exams in one of the 3 official languages I believe.

The cost of doing it abroad will always be cheaper, but you have to factor in taking off 5 weeks to do the course. If you do it here you can do the odd days / weekends whenever.


>>
Dear Mister Kranz,



Not yet. Only in french for PPL.



For CPL-IR or ATPL it's in in english.



It will be possible to do the therory and CAA exams in

english for PPL (A) at the end of this year.
AIR-ESPACE | FLIGHT ACADEMY
FTO CH-110 262
Neuchâtel Airport (LSGN)
P.o. Box 20 | CH-2013 Colombier
>>

The answer to a "how long is a piece of string" question is "it depends". The costs are largely a function of the type you train on. On a light LSA-type Tecnam P2002 it'll set you back around 15-16k IF you can make it to the practical with the 45 hours minimum time.

Hassle? I guess there again the answer is it depends on where you fly out of. Doing it out of Zurich-Kloten is probably not a bright idea... but other than that considering one can do it at his/her own pace I don't really think there's any "hassle" potential. If you can and want, practical can be safely done within two months. Theory is the only part you cannot really squeeze, usually it's three months of bi-weekly classes (unless you rent a private tutor...).

Doing it abroad is ok, however it always makes me think of the rushed-through PADI certifications you get in a seaside resort... especially some of the Florida puppy mills.

Then there's obviously the conversion hassle...

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Many thanks Treverus

SA is a good place!! A friend's husband puts in his required flying hours there concidering the lower costs and as he is a regular visitor. (He also likes popping down to Sun City in the plane on a regular basis with the wife.)

Hi Dave K, Many thanks. I have some course material at the moment I am going through and I will give these guys a call.

Hi Shorrick

A very good point! That is why I am a bit reticent of the 'sandwich courses' currently around.

I've got a UK PPL with Microlight rating.
I went for a couple of flights here from Schupfart where they have a couple of microlights. When the instructor there, a Swiss commercial piolt, called the Swiss CAA equivilent to ask about a conversion requirements for me, they told him I'd have to do the whole thing again, in German, and the only thing they would take into consideration was my flying time, ie, I would not have to get to the minimum hours.

You should contact the Swiss authorities and ask them directly, could be there is no saving at all.

If you have a UK national licence you need to get it converted to a JAA one to fly aircraft registered in Switzerland or other European aircraft, but with microlights i'm not sure if there is anything JAA for that, worth looking into?

Any training done in Europe now days you get a JAA PPL licence so you can learn to fly in UK France or Spain and fly in other member states, but its good to get to know the school near you, when it comes to self fly hiring, it makes life easier in the future.

Dont pay any large amounts up front for courses etc. A lot of flight training schools have gone bust over the years meaning students lose thier money.
Russ

That doesn't sound right.. According to FOCA, I believe you can just exchange your license. Take a look here:
http://www.bazl.admin.ch/fachleute/f...x.html?lang=en

You may have to do some revalidation for a FAA or non-European license I believe, but for a normal Europe issues license I understand it's a straight swap. May not be the case for microlights or gliders however.

Microlights are a special breed as in Switzerland they can either be flown under a RPPL-ECO or under a full-blown JAR-PPL(A)-SEP.

Holders of foreign Microlight licenses have to do the whole PPL theory exam, Alps flight training, Medical Class II, skill test and minimum 30 hours microlight time.

So the question would be - is the UK licence a full PPL-SEP, or is it the equivalent of the Swiss RPPL-ECO that is restricted to Ecolights only?

A friend of mine in Basel has his pilot's licence, would you like me to ask him about it for you? He's Swiss so obviously got his licence here somewhere, Basel I am assuming, and a few years back. Although you have probably got the info you need by now from the relevant authorities.

Hi Pamela16

Please if he got his in Switzerland or somewhere else other than the UK as I am pretty much up to speed as to costs and process there.

Merci Beaucoup / Vielen Dank / Many Thanks

SpeedyF

I got mine here to the tune of ca. 17k CHF.

Hi All,

A bit late in this discussion but I am currently going through figuring out the process. I have an Australian and a US PPL (VFR Single piston engine fixed wing) and want to go flying in Switzerland.

I called a flying school and they told me to contact info@bazl.admin.ch. I sent them a mail and a few days later got a reply giving me two options...

1. to convert my license (see checklists at http://www.bazl.admin.ch/fachleute/f...x.html?lang=de). This process is similar of what I had to go through to get my US PPL based on my Aussie PPL with the exception that you have to do at least two official theory courses and exams here together with a practical skills test (the US was a bit simpler)

2. to do a "new" Swiss PPL where you will get credit towards your license (I do not know how much credit I will get with 300h experience - I am working on this right now)

I don't know how different options 1 and 2 will be for me but I will post again when I know more.

Cheers,
Peter

To be honest, I do not think it is a bad thing to be relatively strict on the ultralights: In the 90s I made my PPL-C and many of my mates then upgraded relatively easily to some ultralight license. These regulations were from the times were a ultralight was "some sort of hanglider with a lawn mower engine". Since a couple of brands started to build ultralights with the same materials as high end gliders, you end up with top speeds of 290 kmh and laminar profiles...



so just because it is light, it is not easier to fly than the bigger ones. I've heard from many who were lucky when they overstrained themselves with planes they did not really manage... so I personally think it is right to treat them just as strict as a Cessna - they are not easier to fly.

I did the conversion ... have a US-CPL with IR and had it converted to a JAR-PPL here. Did it at MFGZ. Had to do 2 theoretical exams (air law and human factors, I think) and a checkride. Took me about 10 hrs of dual instruction to get it all done.

I would get a U.S. (or South African or whatever) PPL and get it converted - flying is soooo much cheaper abroad, it's easy to get > 100 hrs in your logbook and just do the conversion.

Hello,
naturally first get the Medical, then off to Horizon in Kloten or order the books and study then start Flying lessons after you receive the Student paper.

The other way is start preparing yourself for the written Gleim King get above average scores to top notch for the FAA then come to the states and get your PPL done . From there all you need in Switzerland is some basic theory and a instructor to sign you off .

Hi All,

A quick update to yesterday's post... there were two options of getting the Swiss PPL.
1. Convert the license
2. Get a new Swiss license

I got an answer today: for option 1 you need to have an ICAO license (e.g UK, USA, Australia would be recognised as such). You need to be "current" (flown recently, up-to-date medical etc.). Then you can sit the theory exams, show that you are language proficient (this might mean German, French or Italian) - then you get a Swiss license.

If you are not current (as is my case, I have not flown in the last year and I do not have an up-to-date medical) you are left with eithr going home and become current or doing a new license (minimum 35h with instructor + theory +++).

Regards,
Peter