
This FAQ is for reference only. Please
call our Flight Operations Department 2711-5555 during office hour or email to
Flight
Operations for the latest
information.
Q. How much does it cost
and how long does it
take??>
A. Learning to fly
is not as expensive as many people may have thought. Fixed Wing flying takes place from Shek
Kong Air Base. PLA allows us to fly only on Saturdays and Sundays. Thus duration
of training and obtaining a Private Pilot License (PPL) on a Fixed Wing aircraft
in Hong Kong may take on average 10-12 months. In our experience, it is a good
idea to take at least four lessons per month because your retention of newly
learned material will be high. With continuity in flying training it is
possible to complete PPL syllabus and obtain the License within 7-9 months
period. Helicopter training takes place from Kai Tak and Shek Kong. At Kai
Tak you can book a helicopter lesson daily. Hence you can complete PPL Syllabus
and obtain the License within 6-7 months.
Q. What are the
requirements to obtain a Hong Kong PPL?
A. Generally
speaking, you are required to complete minimum 40 hours of flying experience to
cover HK CAD syllabus. But a student may take up to 50-60 hours of flying to
achieve required standard of flying depending student's progress in flying
training. Then you have to pass a General flying Test (GFT). The GFT is flown
with a HK CAD Authorized Examiner who shall assess your flying skill and
standard. Besides the "flying" part, an applicant for a PPL is also required to
pass the following HK CAD ground examinations, as
appropriate:-
(a)
Navigation
(b)
Meteorology
(c) Aircraft
(General)
(d) Aircraft
(Type)
(e) Human Performance
& Limitations
(f) Radio
Telephony
(g) Aviation Law, Flight
Rules and Procedures (Aeroplane)
Q. Do I need to be
physically very fit?
A. Medical
requirement for a private pilot are not as strict as some people may believe, a
pilot needs to be healthy and reasonably fit. Neither is the wearing of eye
glasses restrictive but ideally you should not suffer form color blindness. You
will be required to pass a medical with a HK CAD Authorized Medical Doctor as
part of your license requirements, which is renewed every five (5) year, if you
are below 40 years old. Above 40 years old medical exam is every two (2) years.
Above 50 years old medical examination is every one (1)
year.
Q. Are there any age
limits to learn to fly?
A. You must be at
least 14 years old to join the club and start your Flight Training. To fly solo during training, you have to be at least 16 years old and must have Medical Certificate issue by a HK CAD Authorized Medical Doctor. The minimum age to get HK PPL is 17. There is no upper limit for age as long as you have
Class 1 or Class 2 Medical Certificate.
Q. What else do I need to
become a pilot?
A. Willingness to
learn and you need to be proficient in the aviation language-English and that is
about it. The club is supported by a number of very experienced local and expat
flying instructors, some of them are flying with commercial airlines. All flying instructors are
always will be on hand to assist students during their
training.
Q. I have earned my
flying license in the oversea already and I am interested to fly in Hong Kong,
how to convert my foreign license to a HK
license?
A. A Hong Kong PPL(A) may
be issued on the basis of foreign pilot license. The applicant will be required
to:?>
(a) Pass the Air
Law, Flight Rules and Procedures examinations (aeroplane);
(b) Pass an aircraft type
examination on the same aircraft in which the flight test
taken;
(c) Pass the examination
"Human Performance";
(d) Pass a PPL General Flying Test (GFT) conducted by HK CAD Examiner; and
(e) Hold a valid HK CAD
Class 1 or 2 medical certificates.
Please note that all required exam must be passed within three
attempts and a period of 9 months commencing from the end of the calendar month
in which the first examination was taken.
Q. If I don't want to convert my foreign license to the Hong Kong license, can I exercise the privilege of my oversea license in the club's aircraft?
A. Effective from 01January 2009, Foreign PPL Holder will not be able to fly Hong Kong registered aircraft in Hong Kong, unless holding a Certificate of Validation (C of V) issued by the HK CAD. To be able to apply for this C of V, you are required to:
(a) Undergo a flight test with a HKAC CAD Authorized Examiner, which is similar to the GFT;
(b) Complete a ground exam, which will be conducted by the Authorized Examiner;
This C of V will be valid for 12 months and is renewable. Details please refer to the HKAC Foreign License Holders Update.
You are also required to obtain the Attestation of ICAO-Language
Proficiency if you want to fly within HK Airspace. You may apply from your PPL issued country or refer to
RMIT English Language Testing for
Aviation
Q. If my foreign PPL
license has already expired, how can I reactive my license in
HK?
A. Please note HK
CAD is not authorized to renew Foreign License. It is recommended that you renew
your license in your country.
Q. What is the difference
between Cessna 152, 172, 172R & 182 and which aircraft type is better for
training?
A. C-152 is two seater
aircraft. C-172, C-172R and C-182 are 4 seater aircrafts. We recommend flying
training either on C-152 or C-172 aircraft.
Q. If I have a Cessna 152
license, can I fly in Cessna 172, 172R or 182? If not, how can I do the type
upgrading and how long does it take?
A. For HKAC members
with C-152 license, we can carry out a conversion program on type upgrading and
it will take approx. 5 hours. If
you have C-182 license, you can fly C-172 & C-152 but except C-172R with
Fuel Injection System, it required another type
conversion.
Reference books-
a. The Air Pilots Manuals book 1 to 4.
b. Human Factors for Pilots-Green Muir James, Gradwell &
Green.
Hong Kong Aviation Club
01 Aug 2010
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