1. How early can one start flying?

When beginning your PPL training, bear in mind that you can only be sent on your initial solo on reaching the age of 16. If you begin your training before you are 16 you will be ready to go solo long before your 17th birthday. The problem here is that it becomes costly to maintain your flying skills while waiting until you are 17. In these circumstances you have to fly far more hours than are required.

2. Is it a good idea to start my license while still in school?

Definitely. In the aviation industry one needs to take every opportunity possible. If you are thinking of making a career in aviation, you need to aim at qualifying as a Commercial Pilot as early as possible. If you can finish your PPL and Night Rating whilst still at school, you will be ready to qualify for your Commercial License in the first year after you matriculate. This means you could be a Commercial Pilot and possibly an instructor at the age of 18 or 19, an obvious advantage.

3. If I start my PPL while still attending school, how frequently should I fly?

Taking 1 training flight a week is ideal. However, Keep in mind that the more regularly one flies, the quicker the learning process

4. Will I miss out on lectures and ground school if I am still a scholar?

Not at all. The PPL ground school is mainly conducted after school from 2pm to 4pm.  The subjects consist of :

1. Principles of Flight
2. Engines and Airframes
3. Air Law
4. Meteorology
5. Navigation
6. Radio Telephony

All other PPL training lectures are given as a one-on-one between student and instructor.

5. How long will it take me to complete my PPL if I do it part-time?

Ground school lasts about two terms. Once your have completed the ground phase, you can commence with the flying phase.  At WFTC, we structure it in such a manner that you benefit to the maximum extent.  This maximizes the experience you gain in this time, rather that just flying on an ad-hoc basis and in effect achieving very little.

6. How many hours do I need for a private pilot license?

By law, a minimum of 45 hours is required. This consists of 25 hours dual instruction and 15 hours solo flight, with further 5 hours simulator instrument training. This, though, is the legal minimum. Additional hours may be needed to complete the syllabus depending on the student’s aptitude and progress.

7. Can I budget for flight training on a month to month basis?

Yes, you can. Packages will be tailor-made to suit the individual's needs. This depends on how often you want to fly and how much you can afford. You can meet the Chief Flying Instructor to discuss your needs with regard to working out an individual package.

8. When can I start training?

Training will be started at beginning of the school term 2009.

9. If I do my instructor rating, how much will I be able to earn?

As an instructor you will earn between R6500 and R12000 per month right after you have completed school. You can earn more, depending on how hard you are willing to work.

10. Is the Namibian PPL accepted internationally?

Yes, in most countries. However, the medical examination, Air Law examinations and the PPL flight test must be re-done in that country. The requirements are similar to those applicable to an overseas pilot wishing to fly in our country.

11. Can the course be completed successfully?

It is possible to complete the course in the planned 45 hours. However, the secret is to fly regularly and to read up as much as you can about learning to fly prior to commencing the PPL course. A home-based flight simulator program like Microsoft Flight Simulator, if you practice regularly, may well keep to a minimum the flying hours you need to qualify.

12. Does age play an important role in learning to fly?

Not really, as long as you are fit enough to pass the medical examination. However, the statistics do show that younger pilots tend to complete the course in fewer hours than those of more mature years.

13. How regularly can I fly?

WFTC operates 6 days a week. However, you can only fly up to 6 days a week with a maximum of 2 sessions a day.

14. Does WFTC make regular dual progress checks?

Yes, all dual checks are carried out by the chief or senior flying instructor. These checks are made to ensure that you are given a high standard of training throughout your course.

15. How often are the dual progress checks made?

At least every 10 flying hours, where after you (the school and learner) will receive a progress report on performance.

16. How much ground briefing do I recieve during my training at WFTC?

At WFTC we believe that proper ground training reduces flying training, thus saving you money.

17. If I wear spectacles, can I still become a pilot?

Yes, you most probably can. Many pilots wear either spectacles or contact lenses. We suggest that you have the medical examination prior to commencing or committing to any payment.

18. What about my grades at school?

Of course, any airline that will consider giving you a flying position will make a careful study of your CV and school grades. However, it is recommended that mathematics, science and geography be taken at school, though these subjects are not compulsory.

19. Do I have the co-ordination and ability to become a pilot?

No one is born with the ability to fly an aeroplane. Learning to fly must be practiced over and over, hence the 45 hours minimum for the PPL.

20. How do I get the right instructor?

Our Operations Manager will interview you on arrival from which she will asses your goals and decide on the most appropriate flying instructor to suit your personality.

21. How much studying will I have to do?

For the Private Pilot license, most of the course is focused on the practical aspects. WFTC offers a ground school course every week (2hours) for the different PPL subjects

1. Principles of Flight
2. Engines and Airframes
3.  Air Law
4. Meteorology
5. Navigation
6. Radio Telephony

22. Am I guarenteed to pass?

No, unfortunately WFTC cannot guarantee that. However, where there is a will there is a way. Learning to fly takes a lot of practice, willpower and dedication. It doesn't often happen that a student cannot complete the course.

23. What clothes or uniform do I have to wear?

It is not compulsory to wear a uniform at WFTC. However, “pilot wings” will be compulsory for the learners, after completion of the PPL, when starting to work towards the Commercial Pilot License, we recommend that students wear navy blue pants with a white pilot shirt and pilot wings.

24. Will there be any financial support for doing my CPL / Instructos after I've done my PPL?

No.  However, an Excellence bursary at WFTC of N$100,000 will be given to the learner with excellence performance.

25. Will there be any cost savings as a Windhoek Gymnasium learner?

Split time with other learners in training can greatly reduce costs. This can be especially cost-effective for the flight time you need to accumulate for your commercial license.

26. Will there be a further career in aviation for me after I've completed my PPL?

By choosing a career in the aviation industry, you have the opportunity to pursue a whole bunch of careers. From being a pilot of a 747 to an air traffic controller on the ground, the choice is yours. To give you an idea, the aviation industry is made up of passengers and cargo airlines, air traffic and airport management, as well as, economic and safety regulators.
There is a career in aviation for you!

27. Why become a pilot?

The pilot shortage is relatively recent. It is the result of extraordinary air traffic growth in Africa, the Persian Gulf, China and India; the rise of lucrative low-cost carriers in Europe and Asia; and the sustained recovery of the U.S. airlines from the industry recession caused by the 9/11 attacks.

"There is a giant sucking sound, luring pilots to rapidly expanding airlines such as Emirates and Qatar and the budget carriers", said William Voss, head of the Flight Safety Foundation.

"The result is that experienced pilots from developing countries in Asia and Africa are leaving in droves for places like the Gulf, and (those nations) are left with no choice but to recruit pilots fresh out of flight school."

Around Asia, flyers from national airlines, such as Garuda, have deserted for better paying jobs with new and successful budget carriers, such as Malaysia's Air Asia, leaving companies no choice but to employ graduates fresh out of flight school.

That helps to explain why airlines everywhere are aggressively recruiting pilots. India and China alone will need about 4,000 new pilots a year to cope with their growth.

By comparison, Germany's Lufthansa — one of the world's largest airlines — employs a total of just over 4,000 pilots.

On average, airlines need 30 highly trained pilots available for each long-haul aircraft in their inventory. For short-haul planes they need less, between 10-18 flyers.

Traditionally, new pilots come up through flight training academies with a strict regimen of ground school and 50-60 hours flying for a Private Pilots License, then 250 hours plus a battery of tests for a Commercial Pilots License, which includes instrument and multi-engine ratings. A total of 1,500 hours of flight are required for a license that would qualify a pilot for the support seat.

According to the latest available figures, there are 1.2 million pilots worldwide. But most hold private or commercial licenses while just 14 percent have the professional Airline Transport Pilots License that allows holders to fly for airlines.

In an effort to retain experienced pilots, aviation authorities in some nations — including the United States — have extended the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65 years. "It makes no sense to force experienced, qualified and healthy pilots to retire while airlines are scrambling to fill those seats"