Training and licensing

Europe does not have one pilot licence but several routes, with different effort and different privileges. This overview places them side by side and says where the binding figures actually come from.

Two separate systems

Anyone wanting to fly powered aircraft in Germany faces two legally separate worlds:

The European system under Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 ("Part-FCL"). That covers LAPL, PPL, CPL, ATPL and every rating such as night flying and instrument flying. These licences are valid throughout the EU.
The German national system for Luftsportgeräte — sport aviation equipment, in particular ultralight aeroplanes. Its basis is the LuftPersV, the German aviation personnel regulation. These licences are national and follow their own rules.

The reason for the split is in the EASA Basic Regulation itself: Article 2(8) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 allows Member States to exclude certain light aircraft from EU law. Germany made use of that provision, and the German UL world grew out of it.

Licence and training abbreviations

The English expansion is not decoration here: the licences are named after their English abbreviations even in the German text of the EU regulation, and it is the abbreviation that appears on the licence document.

LAPL — Light aircraft pilot licence
The European entry-level licence; refresher requirements instead of a class rating revalidation.
PPL — Private pilot licence
The basis for night flying, instrument flying and further classes.
CPL — Commercial pilot licence
The professional licence.
ATPL — Airline transport pilot licence
The highest level of licence; requires 1,500 hours of flight time.
MPL — Multi-crew pilot licence
An alternative route towards the ATPL.
SPL — Sailplane pilot licence
Credits towards LAPL(A) and PPL(A) are possible.
IR — Instrument rating
Valid for one year; decision height not below 200 ft.
BIR — Basic instrument rating
A rating in its own right with tighter operating limits — not a smaller IR.
EIR — En-route instrument rating
No longer issued; replaced by the BIR on 8 September 2021.

Training organisations and equipment

ATO — Approved training organisation
Required for IR, BIR and commercial pilot training.
DTO — Declared training organisation
For LAPL, PPL and individual ratings such as the night rating.
FSTD — Flight simulation training device
For the PPL(A), up to 5 of the 45 hours may be flown in one.
FNPT — Flight and navigation procedures trainer
One design category of FSTD.
FFS — Full flight simulator
The highest level of FSTD.
MCC — Multi-crew cooperation
A prerequisite on the way to the ATPL.

Aircraft categories and medical

SEP — Single-engine piston
The class rating most of general aviation flies on.
TMG — Touring motor glider
Counts alongside aeroplanes for both LAPL and PPL.
MTOM — Maximum take-off mass
Limits, for example, LAPL(A) privileges to 2,000 kg and the German UL class.
AME — Aero-medical examiner
Issues medical certificates.
AeMC — Aero-medical centre
For initial class 1 examinations.

The routes compared

UL / Luftsportgeräteführer
Legal framework: LuftPersV (Germany) · In short: National licence for ultralight aeroplanes; issued without an expiry date.
LAPL(A)
Legal framework: Part-FCL · In short: The European entry-level licence for light aeroplanes, with the lowest minimum hours.
PPL(A)
Legal framework: Part-FCL · In short: The classic private pilot licence; the basis for almost every further rating.
Night rating
Legal framework: Part-FCL · In short: Extends a LAPL or PPL to VFR flight at night.
IR and BIR
Legal framework: Part-FCL · In short: Instrument flying – by way of several different routes.
CPL and ATPL
Legal framework: Part-FCL · In short: Professional licences; covered on this website in outline only so far.

What every route has in common

A medical certificate is a prerequisite – its scope and validity depend on the licence. A student pilot may not fly solo without a medical certificate.
Theory and practice are examined separately.
Minimum hours are minima, not expected values.
Privileges are not the same as competence – recency and refresher requirements apply regardless of whether the licence is formally valid.

Medical requirements at a glance

LAPL — LAPL medical certificate
PPL — Class 2 medical certificate
CPL, MPL, ATPL — Class 1 medical certificate
Night flying on a PPL or LAPL — additionally colour safe
IR or BIR on a PPL — additionally pure tone audiometry at the periodicity and standard required for Class 1

Per MED.A.030 of Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex IV (Part-MED).

Class 1 — 12 months; 6 months from age 60, and in commercial single-pilot operations carrying passengers from age 40
Class 2 — 60 months up to age 40, 24 months from 40 to 50, 12 months over 50
LAPL — 60 months up to age 40, 24 months thereafter

Per MED.A.045. A Class 2 or LAPL certificate issued before the 40th birthday ceases to be valid at the latest on reaching age 42. Revalidation examinations may be carried out up to 45 days before expiry.

What is not on this page
This page states the regulatory minimum requirements. What a course of training actually involves depends on the training organisation, the aircraft type, your previous licensing history and national implementation. In practice the number of hours actually needed is regularly above the minimum. The binding information is that given by the competent authority and by the training organisation you choose.

Official sources

European Commission / EASA: Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 (Annex I "Part-FCL", Annex IV "Part-MED") – Consolidated version 02011R1178-20260430. Open source (retrieved 2026-09-13)
European Parliament and Council: Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 (the EASA Basic Regulation), Article 2(8) – Consolidated version 02018R1139-20260802. Open source (retrieved 2026-09-13)
Federal Ministry of Justice (juris) – official text: Regulation on Aviation Personnel (LuftPersV), sections 42 to 45a (German text only) – Consolidated version, retrieved 2026-09-13. Open source (retrieved 2026-09-13)
DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH: Aeronautical Information Publication Germany – AIP VFR, GEN 2-1 to GEN 2-7 "Abkürzungen / Abbreviations" (bilingual German/English) – Effective 20 AUG 2026. Open source (retrieved 2026-09-13)