PPL(A) – the private pilot licence

The PPL(A) is the most widely held European private pilot licence. It is also the foundation almost every further rating builds on – night flying, instrument flying, further classes and types.

Applicability: European Union (EASA framework); issued and overseen by the competent national authority – in Germany the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt or the aviation authorities of the Länder
Rulemaking authority: Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex I (Part-FCL)
Reviewed by NorthTrack on: 2026-09-13

What the PPL(A) allows

The privileges of a PPL(A) holder are to act without remuneration as pilot in command or co-pilot on aeroplanes or TMG in non-commercial operations. In addition, all the privileges of a LAPL(A) may be exercised (FCL.205.A).

There is an exception to the remuneration restriction for holders with an instructor or examiner certificate: they may receive remuneration for flight instruction towards the LAPL(A) or PPL(A), and for conducting the associated skill tests and proficiency checks.

What "without remuneration" means
The PPL is not a professional licence. Whether cost sharing between occupants is permitted, and to what extent, is governed by the operating rules and not by the licence. It is one of the most frequently misanswered questions in the whole of general aviation – if in doubt, clarify it with the competent authority.

Abbreviations on this page

PPL(A) is the private pilot licence for Aeroplanes. (H) denotes helicopters accordingly.

PPL — Private pilot licence
The basis for night flying, instrument flying and further classes.
LAPL — Light aircraft pilot licence
The European entry-level licence; refresher requirements instead of a class rating revalidation.
SPL — Sailplane pilot licence
Credits towards LAPL(A) and PPL(A) are possible.
TMG — Touring motor glider
Counts alongside aeroplanes for both LAPL and PPL.
SEP — Single-engine piston
The class rating most of general aviation flies on.
FSTD — Flight simulation training device
For the PPL(A), up to 5 of the 45 hours may be flown in one.
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.

Minimum flight experience

FCL.210.A sets out what applicants must have completed as a minimum:

Total flight instruction on aeroplanes or TMG — 45 hours
of which permitted in a flight simulation training device (FSTD) — up to 5 hours
of which dual instruction with an instructor — at least 25 hours
of which supervised solo flight time — at least 10 hours
of which solo cross-country flight time — at least 5 hours
including one cross-country flight of at least — 270 km (150 NM) with full-stop landings at two aerodromes other than the aerodrome of departure

FCL.210.A(a) as amended by M20.

New, and easy to miss
FCL.210.A expressly allows the flight time of a night rating course under FCL.810(a)(1)(ii) to be credited against the 45 hours – provided the basic instrument flight instruction was completed before the night training began. If you are planning night flying anyway, that lets you sequence the training more efficiently.

Credit for LAPL(A) training

If you already hold a LAPL(A), the training completed for it is credited. With at least 45 hours total flight time on aeroplanes or TMG, the following applies:

Total flight instruction reduces from 45 to 40 hours.
The dual element reduces from 25 to 21 hours.
Irrespective of that, at least 5 hours of flight instruction with an instructor qualified for the PPL(A) and the full solo flight time under (a)(2) must be completed.

Holders of a pilot licence for another aircraft category – other than balloons – are credited with 10 % of their time as pilot in command in that category, up to a maximum of 10 hours. The solo requirements are excluded from this credit.

Theory

The theoretical examination consists of several papers. Uniform rules apply to the assessment under FCL.025:

Pass mark per paper — 75 % of the marks available; no marks are deducted for wrong answers
Window for completing all papers — 18 months, counted from the end of the calendar month of the first attempt
Maximum attempts per paper — 4 – after that the complete set must be retaken
Validity of the passed theory for licence issue — 24 months
Validity of the training organisation's recommendation — 12 months

FCL.025. Before retaking the complete set, further training at the training organisation is required; its extent and content are determined by that organisation.

The 24-month trap
Passed theory is valid for 24 months for licence issue. Finishing the theory early and then stretching out the flying risks having to sit the entire theory again.

Skill test and medical

The skill test is taken with an examiner in accordance with the test syllabus laid down for the PPL(A).
Exercising PPL privileges requires at least a valid Class 2 medical certificate (MED.A.030).
For solo flights during training a medical certificate is required before that point.

Where the PPL(A) leads next

Night rating – often the first step, and creditable against the PPL training.
Further class ratings – multi-engine or seaplane, for example.
BIR or IR – the route into instrument flying. The BIR expressly requires at least a PPL(A).
Towing, aerobatics, type ratings – according to interest.

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.

NorthTrack lets you practise flight preparation, mass and balance and performance calculations the way the training expects them. Open the NorthTrack App

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)
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)