Airline Pilot course
As soon as you have a Private Pilot Licence, you can be enrolled in our Airline Pilot course. Eventhough it's a modular course, we'll take care of each module like in an integrated course and with an integrated quality.
The course is made of 8 modules in a specific sequence to optimise the flight hours required and can be accomplished in 14 months (MCC excluded) depending on student's availabilities and weather. At the end, you have a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with 2 class ratings (single-engine & multi-engine piston aeroplanes - SEP & MEP) and a valid instrument rating for each class (IR-SE & IR-ME). Associated with 2 certificates, the Advanced Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (A-UPRT) and the Multi-Crew Cooperation course (MCC), you are ready to apply for an airline.
The hours described here below are the minimum required by the regulation and may be increased up to proficiency if needed. Also, they are related to the proposed course. Should you join with a different experience or sequence of modules, hours to perform may differ.
Night Rating
The Airline Pilot course starts with the night rating which consists in 5 hours of theory and 5 hours of flight training, including a solo flight. This can be accomplished in 2 nights.
Time Building
This phase consists in flying close to 100 hours as pilot in command. All previous solo flights (during PPL training) count. This experience build up is paramount for a successful instrument rating and commercial pilot licence course.
Like for an integrated student, we propose you a supervised time building with scheduled suggested routings. On 5 occasions, an experienced instructor joins you to assess your progress and improve your skills in view of the instrument rating and CPL modules. A total of 100 hours as pilot in command must be reached to start the CPL module.
ATPL Theory
The Private Pilot Licence is the only requirement to susbscribe for the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) theory module. The course is proposed twice a year (October and April) only in english, lasts 6 months and is followed by the exams. This theory is required for the instrument rating and the commercial pilot licence modules.
Instrument Rating
Once the ATPL theory is passed, you start the Competency-Based Instrument Rating (CBIR) on a single-engine aeroplane. This module consists in 50 hours of flight instruction, all performed in an aeroplane (DA20 & DA40, no simulator used). After having passed the skill test, you have a Private Pilot Licence with an instrument rating on single-engine aeroplane (PPL + IR-SE)
Commercial Pilot Licence
Next module is the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), consisting in 9 hours of single-engine aeroplane (DA20) and 6 hours of multi-engine aeroplane (DA42). The multi-engine piston (MEP) class rating is included in the CPL module. The final skill test passed gives you a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with a MEP class rating in addition to the single-engine instrument rating (IR-SE)
Multi-Engine Instrument Rating
IR-ME module is a short transition (5 hours of flight instruction) to apply the known instrument rating on single-engine aeroplanes into multi-engine aeroplanes. The skill test passed gives you a CPL with an IR-ME in addition to the IR-SE.
Advanced UPRT
Advanced Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (A-UPRT) is performed on a DA20, spin-approved aeroplane. It consists in 5 hours of theory and 3 hours of flight instruction.
Multi-Crew Cooperation course
Multi-Crew Cooperation course consists in 20 hours of theory and a minimum of 15 hours in an airline simulator. EFTA doesn't organise MCC courses but has established partnerships with other schools.