In this page you can find questions that emerged during years by student pilots and others. For every specific question that an appropriate answer cannot be found here, or more details are required, please don't hesitate to contact me, and I will be happy to answer and clarify. The regulations require a minimum of 40 flying hours during the course, but practically the flights should continue until the required proficiency is reached. The amount of flying hours required to reach this is dependent on many factors like talent, prior experience, availability to fly and motivation. It is recommended to start the course when you have around 60,000 NIS.
The price of a Private Pilot License course is composed of several components where the most dominant is the practical flying. The regulations require a minimum of 40 flying hours during the course, but practically you should fly until you reach the required level. The amount of hours required for that is dependent on many factors like talent, former experience, availability and motivation. I recommend to start the PPL course when you have about 60,000 NIS.
The PPL course takes place in Herzliya Airport, which is the busiest airport in Israel, controls the Herliya training zones which are excellent for flight training, provides real life aviation challenges, and above all provides a professional and a kind control service, the best in Israel.
The owner of a Private Pilot License is allowed to fly an airplane of the same type he did the course on, taking his friends and family members, without getting any payment for it.
You are allowed to choose at the start of the course if to learn how to fly on a group A type of airplane, which is a single engine piston airplane or on group B type of airplane which is a multi-engine one. When you finish the course successfully, you will be allowed to fly an airplane of the same type you learned on. If you wish to fly a different type of airplane in the same group, you will need to pass a short endorsement with a flight instructor. If you wish to fly an airplane from the other group, you will need to pass a short course and to be examined.
The regulations define two weather categories: Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) and Instruments Meteorological Conditions (IMC). After you finish the Private Pilot License course, you will be allowed to fly only in VMC. Later on, you will be able to participate in another course where you will gain an Instruments Rating. This will allow you to fly in IMC.
In order to work as a commercial pilot, you will need to participate in another course which is a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) course. At the end of the course, you will get the CPL and then you will be a allowed to work as a commercial pilot. In order to fly passengers in commercial flights, you will need to gain at least 500 flying hours in addition to the CPL.
The first step for an aviation career is to contact me and order an introductory flight. After that you will need to participate in a Private Pilot License course and to start building flying time. Later on you will need to participate in several more courses and gain some more flying hours of experience and then you can apply for a job in an airline and start working there.
If you are able to invest 3 hours a week for flying and additional 3 hours in your spare time for theory studies, you can complete the Private Pilot License course successfully within one year. If you have more free time, you can make it in several months. If you are extremely busy, it will take you more time. In any case, it is recommended to start the Private Pilot License course when you can fly continuously, without significant gaps in the middle of the PPL course.
The price of a flying hour in United States is much cheaper than in Israel. However, if you wish to own an Israeli Private Pilot License (PPL), the way to do it via United States is more expensive in most cases. First of all, because of the extra expenses related to studies abroad like living expenses, flying there and back etc. In addition, you will have to pass all tests in Israel which results in more expenses. Therefore, in most cases it is cheaper to take the PPL course directly in Israel.
In order to use your PPL in a different country than Israel, you must comply with the rules of that country. For example, United States respects the Israeli PPL so you can get an American PPL based on your Israeli PPL, without passing any test, nor paying any fee, within a short paperwork procedure which lasts only several minutes.
Yes, you must know basic Hebrew in order to become an Israeli pilot and get an Israeli Private Pilot License.