Frequently Asked Questions

Email us: info@path2pilot.com

or....Use our contact form at the bottom of every page,

or....Call us now on: +44(0)1383 252001

For our Detailed Course start dates, revision weeks, exam dates and module subjects click on this link:

YEAR PLANNER

You can start at the beginning of any module (every 2 months) and do the modules in any order.  Detail of the subjects covered in each of the 3 modules is given in the Year Planner.

The detailed revision weeks and subjects covered are detailed in the YEAR PLANNER link below:

YEAR PLANNER

Residential students are expected to attend each revision week during their 8-9 month course and are scheduled to spend more than the CAA required 650 hours in the classroom.  Distance Learning students must attend a minimum of 65 hours (10 days) classroom time during their course (EASA requirement), but are encouraged to attend up to 5 revision weeks.  The revision weeks with practice exams and explanatory expert tuition are usually planned with a one-week cushion before your exams for final self study and tweaking of any weak areas highlighted in the revision week. Qualified military and civilian pilots can be exempt from the course attendance requirements (subject to NAA approval) but are still encouraged to attend at least the revision weeks as the exams are not as easy to pass as many experienced pilots seem to think!

Our UK CAA Exam Centre is open to all comers in the conveniently located Rosyth Business Centre (KY11 2WX),  just off the M90 - near both Edinburgh Airport and Rosyth rail station.  

Bookings:

• CAA Exams - through the CAA website as usual. Early bookings advised.

Exam Slots Usually (0900, 1130 and 1400):

• Mornings:  2 slots 
• Afternoons: 1 slot

Candidates' Brief:

• Candidates' Brief.

Advice for pilots that are colour blind

Colour vision is the one thing that can hold back a potential commercial pilot when it comes to flying at night.  Testing is required to assess colour vision and you must have a CAA medical certificate. 

Our advice is to gain an aviation Class 2 Medical as the most cost-effective method.  You will then have a licence restriction ‘valid for day time only’ meaning no night flight is permitted. 

Once this is complete, a CAD (colour assessment and diagnostic) test must be taken. This will assess both red/green and blue/yellow deficiencies. It consists of a pixilated screen, where something will appear to move to one of the corners, and you select this corner over and over again until the test is complete. The following link is what you can expect - although it is must faster and more difficult than this.

https://youtu.be/MOJpZMors7A

This test must be taken in an approved centre.  There is one in London and you will have to travel to Upper Wimpole Street, within walking distance of Piccadilly Circus. The following link is to the website.

http://www.centrelineaviationmedicalservices.co.uk/services/

This is now the only valid way to remove the pilot licence restriction.  Please note that Google will mention things like the lantern test etc which is now no longer valid.

The links to the EASA and UK CAA Learning Objectives (LOs) are given below.  The 2 Comms exams are now combined. The syllabus also includes the mandatory KSA100 (Knowledge, Skills & Attitudes) assessments.  A Certificate of Completion for a satisfactory KSA100 assessments will then be needed before your last sitting of ATPL exams by both the UK CAA or any EASA NAA.

EASA LOs - ATPL(A)

Click on the "Appendix"

Current UK LOs are found in the CAA Regulatory Library Appendix to AMC1 FCL.310:FCL.515(b).  .  Link is:  https://regulatorylibrary.caa.co.uk/1178-2011-pdf/PDF.pdf

UK CAA - LOs

See pages 246-812 of the document.

External Costs not Included in Our Course Prices:

1.   Exams Centre. We have set up a new CAA and AustroControl Exam Centre at Rosyth.  You can book and take the exams at any CAA exam centre and the UK cost is £82 per exam which you pay directly to the CAA.  So, budget £1066 for all 13 CAA or AustroControl exams. 

2.  Accommodation.   If required, accommodation for our course is not included in the course price.  A number of B&Bs and Hotels are nearby within easy walking distance. Dunfermline and Inverkeithing are the nearest large towns with some bus links (better from Dunfermline).  Costs are from £400-£600 per month (all-in) for a professional room;  on-site hotels and good local B&Bs are around £40 (B&B) per night.  

3.  Equipment Needed.  The full list of CAA/NAA required equipment is on the link below.  You should have many of the items already for your PPL, but the main costs are for the CRP 5 and the book of Jeppesen Planning Charts (GSRPM  2017 edtion).  You can price and order these from any online pilot equipment store or we sell them in our shop at competitive prices.  Hard copies of 3 CAA CAPS are required.  These can be downloaded free from the CAA website and printed off by you.  However, they are very big documents with a lot of detailed graphs that must be reproduced at high quality to achieve the accuracy needed to answer the exam questions, so we have spirally bound booklets made up that most students purchase from us at cost (currently £33 for all 3).  If you do not have the items already, budget around £200 for all this equipment required by EASA and the CAA for any ATPL course - see link below for full details.

CAA Course Equipment Needed

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Note: INCLUDED IN COURSE PRICE

Other than the above items that are an extra cost, the iBook reference material (17 iBooks), all progress tests, practice exams, exam question bank access and lectures/revision weeks costs are all included in our course prices.

Only 12 mins drive from Edinburgh Airport or 20-25 min walk (or bus) from Rosyth rail station, we are located in a flourishing Business Centre in Rosyth EuroParc near the Naval docks/ Cruise Liner terminal with full facilities and easy free parking.  It is just off the M90 near the 3 bridges Forth crossing.  There are also excellent bus and train transport links to Rosyth, nearby Dunfermline and Edinburgh (city centre and airport). Very good value accommodation is available both nearby and in Dunfermline. Typical rental for a professional room is from £400/month (all bills) or £500/mth for a 2-bed flat. Very basic rooms are availble locally from as little as £100/week.  The local Hill Park Hotel charges from £60/night for B&B (double rooms only) and there a number of other hotels and B&Bs within easy walking disance.  Often used is the 3 Bridges B&B, Rosyth within very easy walking distance.

For full detailed information on accomodation and website links, click on the link below:

Rosyth - Accommodation Guide and Website Links

Rosyth is 25 minutes by train (or Intercity bus) from the world renowned sights and attractions of Edinburgh and a 10-minute drive from Edinburgh Airport.

Directions arriving by road,  click on link below:

Directions to Rosyth Business Centre by Road

Nearest rail stations: Rosyth (20 mins brisk walk or local bus) and Inverkeithing (hourly bus link).

Bus links from Rosyth rail station and Dunfermline.

In parallel with the study for their ATPL ground exams, student pilots are encouraged to continue to develop their flying skills while on the course and maintain currency. There is a choice of several flying schools in the vicinity for hours building and flight currency requirements with few local ATC restrictions in the stunning Scottish scenery.  Also, the structure of the residential course with 2 months of self study towards the end is designed to allow time for hours building immediately before starting your CPL/IR flight training to ensure that you are fully current, not rusty!

Another option for better weather in the UK winter and for interesting flying to build P1 hours is to go to our partner flight school in Florida - Pilots' Paradise. You hire one of their aircaft for a set period and fill your boots flying around Florida!

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For UK military service leavers only, ELCAS resettlement funding is available.

Pathway is delighted to announce that approval has been obtained to deliver ELCAS-funded courses for UK Military service leavers. Please apply by email to info@ path2pilot.com or by submitting an Application Form downloaded from the "Apply Now" tab on this website or directly through the ELCAS website - link below:

http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com

The MOD's Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELC) promotes lifelong learning amongst members of the Armed Forces. The scheme provides financial support in the form of a single up-front payment in each of a maximum of three separate financial years. ELC funding is only available for pursuit of higher level learning i.e. for courses that result in a nationally recognised qualification at Level three or above on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (England, Northern Ireland and Wales), a Level six or above on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).

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Otherwise, for UK residents only, we recommend that you contact a regulated Financial Brokerage (such as Pegasus) who will be pleased to outline the options available to fit your personal circumstances.  Pathway do not provide any financing of courses directly and have no commercial relationship with any particular broker.

Click on the tab below "How to Become a Pilot"  and download our free e-Book on this subject.

HOW TO BECOME A PILOT

ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  PROFICIENCY  TESTS  for  AVIATORS

We have an in-house (or online) test capability and a qualified examiner: 

Anthony Cherfan, Examiner
(+44 7562 423198) 

anthony@path2pilot.com

•         This test is managed by us and is backed by LingAero.   LingAero Website

It meets the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) English Language Proficiency Requirements (LPR’s) for licensing purposes. 

•         It is approved by EASA and many other national authorities.

•         It is suitable for professional, private or student pilots (aeroplane or helicopter), professional or student controllers, FISOs and radio operators.  

•         Our test assesses spoken and listening abilities according to the ICAO Rating Scale.

•         It consists of a listening and speaking test with our qualified examiner who asks questions for detailed responses. It takes about 25 - 30 minutes. 

If interested, the cost is Euros 165 (incl VAT) payabe directly to LingAero, France.  Our on-site (Rosyth) contact name to book your test and for further details is:

Anthony Cherfan, ELP Examiner
(+44 7562 423198) 

anthony@path2pilot.com