Requirements for a PPL

In the UK to Acheive a PPL(A) (Private Pilot Licence(Aeroplane)) the student must have acheived the following:

- A total of 45 hours flying time, of which at least 10 hours must be supervised solo time and at least 25 hours must be dual instruction time.
- Solo flight time must include 5 hours solo cross-country time
- At least one qualifying cross-country flight of a minimum of 150nm (nautical miles) which includes two full landings at airfields which aren't where you took off from (i.e. you have to fly a triangle).
- Pass a skills test - a bit like the practical bit of the driving test, but in 3-dimensions!) including any questions the examiner wishes to throw at you.
- Pass a medical
- Pass the following written exams:
- Air Law
- Principles of Flight and Aircraft General Knowledge
- Navigation
- Meteorology
- Flight Performance and Planning
- Human Factors
- Radio Communication

Phew!

And that will allow you to fly a single-engined, simple aircraft, in good weather, in daylight, and within sight of the ground.

If you want to fly outside those boundaries, then that means more hours, more training and (potentially) more exams!

If this level of regulation was applied to the roads, two things would be achieved:
- there would be much less congestion on the roads.
- there would be a lot fewer accidents.
But I guess the automotive industry would suffer, so cars would cost as much as planes!