Choosing the best flying school in Spain
Making the Right Decision
If you’ve decided to become a pilot, selecting the perfect flying school is a crucial first step. So take your time to make the right decision. Spain, with its excellent climate and superb training facilities, is an ideal place for flight training. Here’s what you need to know to make the best choice for your pilot training.
Plan to do the theory first, from home. Then, you can take your time to read up on what is the best flight training provider.
Spain’s Advantage in Flight Training
Spain’s warm and sunny weather provides splendid flying conditions almost all year round. This means more flying hours and a smoother, more consistent learning experience. When choosing a flying school, be sure to consider the location and local weather to ensure the best training environment. Furthermore, take in to consideration the time of year. Summers can be very HOT.
Getting started on your Pilot Licence Training
Your journey to getting a Private Pilot Licence (PPL or LAPL) includes several important steps:
- Medical Examination: First, get your class 1 or 2 medical examination in your home country to make sure you’re fit to fly. Check with the aviation authorities for approved medical centres.
- Theory Course: Sign up for a theoretical knowledge course and pass the written exam with the aviation authorities in your country or at the school where you will do your flight training.
- Practical Training: Then do your flight training at the flying school of your choice, which leads to a final skills test and, ultimately, your private pilot licence.
Find a school to do your written exam
When you have completed the online theory course, you need to find a place to do the written exam. You can do it with the aviation authorities in your country, or you can choose to do it at selected schools worldwide. In Spain alone, there are around 10 authorised schools. So it may make sense to do the written exam and the flight training at the same school. Here is the link to list of exam centres, published by Austro Control, the Austrian aviation authorities.
List of external exam centres 2024
Find your school to do flight training
Here are links to Spanish ATOs (larger flying schools) and DTOs (smaller schools and flying clubs). You can download a list in PDF format.
At a Declared Training Organisation (DTO), you can obtain the following types of pilot licences:
DTO Declared Training Organisations in Spain
- Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL): The cheapest way to get into the air in a small 4 seat aeroplane, but some restrictions apply.
- Private Pilot Licence (PPL): The most popular private pilot licence, valid worldwide and you can even add a flight instructor certificate to it.
At an Approved Training Organisation (ATO), you can obtain the following types of pilot licences:
ATO Approved Training Organisations in Spain
- Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL): Same as above
- Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL): Enables you to fly for compensation or hire.
- Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL): You will do the theory only during your training and then some day you will upgrade to captain in an airline.
- Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL): Specifically designed for multi-crew operations, typically for those who aim only for the airlines.
- Instrument rating(IR): Can be added on to PPL and CPL. Required for going to the airlines.
- Multi engine rating (MEP): Can be added to PPL and CPL.
- Instructor certificates: Can be added to PPL, but mostly for CPL. There are 9 of them.
Here is a more visual way to see the flying schools in Spain. You can also search for the type of licence you are looking for and the closest schools to a city. The search function for this plugin is not like google, so it may be best to just use the map. However, you can search for LAPL, and it will list all the schools that have courses for LAPL. To find the schools website, just copy and paste the name into google. Most likely, it will show up.
Contact Form
Read more about becoming a pilot at the AOPA websites for America, Europe and Spain. See also Real Aeroclub of Spain.
People often ask
Contact the Aviation Authorities in your country. They will have a list of medical examiners. You will need Class 2 medical for the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and a less restrictive LAPL for the Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL).
The country where you do your initial medical examination will issue your licence, regardless of where you do your training and examinations.
Yes. You can take the theoretical knowledge course, the theoretical knowledge examination, the flight training, and the licence skill test in different countries.
The Private Pilot Licence (PPL) will be valid in virtually any country in the world. The Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) will be valid within the European Counties only.
Do your medical examination first. Then do your theoretical knowledge course and the written examination. Then do the flight training and finally the licence skill test.