You'll discover everything you need to know about learning to fly with our expert advice covering costs, training, exams, medical requirements and more across six comprehensive sections. Start to Fly is here to help.
Try our 4 free tools including the Pilot Training Cost Calculator, Can I Become a Pilot? Checker and Which Pilot Licence Do I Need? to get instant personalised help.
Licence Requirements
Age Requirements You can start taking flying lessons at any age, but there are minimum age thresholds that matter. You cannot log flying hours until you...
Navigation for the Private Pilot
Private pilots need proper navigation skills to plan cross-country flights accurately and avoid ending up miles off course.
Parascending and Hang Gliding
Parascending and hang gliding let you take to the air from age 14, with no flying experience or medical checks needed, just proper clothing and fitness.
Pilot Training Cost Calculator (Free Tool)
Work out what learning to fly really costs: get a realistic UK estimate for your licence, broken down into flight hours, instruction, exams, medical and test fees, so there are no surprises.
Can I Become a Pilot? Checker (Free Tool)
Wondering if you could become a pilot? Answer a few questions about your age, eyesight and health and find out whether you can fly, which medical you need, and the route that suits your goal.
Choosing and Joining a Flying Club
Most people choose their first flying club the obvious way: they pick the one they have heard of, know how to reach, and assume is broadly similar to any...
Choosing the Right Aviation Sunglasses
There is a certain image that comes to mind when you think of a pilot: the confident stance, the flying jacket and, of course, the sunglasses. But for...
Training to Become a Commercial Airline Pilot
Find out what it takes to become a commercial airline pilot, from the costs and training requirements to whether it's right for you.
Human Performance and Limitations
```html The human mind is a remarkable but imperfect instrument. On the ground, we rely on it constantly and largely trust what it tells us about the...
Aircraft General and Principles of Flight
Most student pilots, and plenty of qualified ones, will at some point look out of the cockpit window and wonder what exactly is keeping the aircraft in...
Limitations of Your Pilot's Licence
```html Before you book your first lesson, it is worth understanding what a pilot's licence actually allows you to do, and where its limits lie. The two...
Tests and Exams for Obtaining Your Licence
You'll need a medical exam before flying lessons, then pass written and practical tests to get your pilot's licence.
Radio Telephony and the Private Pilot
Picture the scene: you climb into a light aircraft for your first lesson, work through the checklist with your instructor, and then watch as they pick up...
Introduction to Gliding
Gliding is one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to take to the skies in the UK. Without an engine, you rely entirely on your own skill and an...
Flying and Meteorology
Weather is responsible for a significant proportion of General Aviation (GA) accidents in the UK every year. It affects your safety, your comfort and...