PPL in Denmark + New member says Hello ;-)
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PPL in Denmark + New member says Hello ;-)
Hi everyone, my name is Marcel and as most you guys, I always wanted to be a pilot! 
Before starting a discussion about flying in Denmark, let me write a couple of lines about myself:
As I said, flying had been a dream of mine since early childhood. But coming from a small village in the Czech Republic with parents making about 1.5k€ monthly combined, it was just a pipe dream tat would never come true.
Fast forward 15 years, now I live in Denmark, just about to finish my MSc. while working full time as an Account Manager for a SaaS company. By working my ass off during my university studies, I jump started my non-aviation career quite well. And a couple of months ago, while getting off the plane on a holiday, I glanced to the cockpit through the open door. Suddenly I remembered my childhood dream I suppressed for past 15 years...
So here I am, almost finished with my MSc. and with a career in SaaS sales that can support my aviation dream and server as a solid back-up, should anything go wrong. Now I can pony up approx €2k /15k DKK a month for aviation (after putting some money on the side and paying fixed costs). Once I graduate in June, the number will get to €3.3k/25k DKK a month.
I started to look for a flight school to get my PPL. More than the money, the issue is the time. There is no way I can leave work for 2-3 months to complete PPL and I'd rather use the vacation for time-building somewhere cheaper than Denmark
So I am looking for aviation schools with following criteria:
So far, I found a couple of them that might be a good fit:
*Learntofly ApS* - Learn To Fly ApS :: Forside (Aalborg)
*Flight4000* - Flight4000 A/S - Flyveskole/(Roskilde)
*GreyBird Pilot Academy* - https://pilotacademy.greybird.dk/en/about-greybird/ (Aarhus)
*Air Taxi* - AIRCAT - Copenhagen AIRTAXI (Copenhagen)
Do you have any experience with these flight schools or do you know someone who studied/teaches there? I've already asked all of them for pricing, other info, and requested a trial flight, but I want to hear the experience of people who are not affiliated with them.
Thank you and happy flying!
Before starting a discussion about flying in Denmark, let me write a couple of lines about myself:
- 23 y.o. male from the Czech Republic
- based in Copenhagen, Denmark since August 2015
- BSc. in Computer Science, currently finishing MSc. in Engineering
- working as Account Manager
As I said, flying had been a dream of mine since early childhood. But coming from a small village in the Czech Republic with parents making about 1.5k€ monthly combined, it was just a pipe dream tat would never come true.
Fast forward 15 years, now I live in Denmark, just about to finish my MSc. while working full time as an Account Manager for a SaaS company. By working my ass off during my university studies, I jump started my non-aviation career quite well. And a couple of months ago, while getting off the plane on a holiday, I glanced to the cockpit through the open door. Suddenly I remembered my childhood dream I suppressed for past 15 years...
So here I am, almost finished with my MSc. and with a career in SaaS sales that can support my aviation dream and server as a solid back-up, should anything go wrong. Now I can pony up approx €2k /15k DKK a month for aviation (after putting some money on the side and paying fixed costs). Once I graduate in June, the number will get to €3.3k/25k DKK a month.
I started to look for a flight school to get my PPL. More than the money, the issue is the time. There is no way I can leave work for 2-3 months to complete PPL and I'd rather use the vacation for time-building somewhere cheaper than Denmark
So I am looking for aviation schools with following criteria:- in Demark, ideally near Copenhagen
- English instruction
- weekend/evening/distance/e-learning ground school
So far, I found a couple of them that might be a good fit:
*Learntofly ApS* - Learn To Fly ApS :: Forside (Aalborg)
*Flight4000* - Flight4000 A/S - Flyveskole/(Roskilde)
*GreyBird Pilot Academy* - https://pilotacademy.greybird.dk/en/about-greybird/ (Aarhus)
*Air Taxi* - AIRCAT - Copenhagen AIRTAXI (Copenhagen)
Do you have any experience with these flight schools or do you know someone who studied/teaches there? I've already asked all of them for pricing, other info, and requested a trial flight, but I want to hear the experience of people who are not affiliated with them.
Thank you and happy flying!
Hi Marcel and welcome!
You might consider Roskilde Flying Club's flight school: Roskilde Flyveklub.
That's where I learnt to fly, and I have only positive things to say about it, good instructors, reasonable prices on both rent and instruction.
You might consider Roskilde Flying Club's flight school: Roskilde Flyveklub.
That's where I learnt to fly, and I have only positive things to say about it, good instructors, reasonable prices on both rent and instruction.
Living in Copenhagen, your only close (and essentially only) option is Roskilde Airport. Hope you have a car, though! "Learn to Fly" and "Greybird" are in Jutland, so I'd rule those out. Aircat has been around for about 40 years or so, that could be an indication of it being good. In Roskilde there's also Ikaros ( Forsiden ), which has been around for a similar amount of time. While the Evektor and Tecnam aircraft offered by some are great and cheap little aircraft, they may not be so easy to find for rent elsewhere, and they do handle a bit differently than your standard C152, C172 or PA-28.
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Hi Marcel,
first and maybe most important question, are you a club or a school guy?
If you get along with the dependencies and caveats in a club, you can trade money for being part of a klubben, but you have to like it. Sharing interest in airmenship in the boundaries of a club may save substantial money by having buddies introduce and train you. I.e. I am a school guy, I need to get myself and brain independent of socializing pressure into club structures.
Stroll around Roskilde, but also at flyvepladse nearby like Avedøre, Ølstykke, Fredtoftegård, or even on the swedish side Vellinge and Fridhem Gaard are worth getting people to know.
first and maybe most important question, are you a club or a school guy?
If you get along with the dependencies and caveats in a club, you can trade money for being part of a klubben, but you have to like it. Sharing interest in airmenship in the boundaries of a club may save substantial money by having buddies introduce and train you. I.e. I am a school guy, I need to get myself and brain independent of socializing pressure into club structures.
Stroll around Roskilde, but also at flyvepladse nearby like Avedøre, Ølstykke, Fredtoftegård, or even on the swedish side Vellinge and Fridhem Gaard are worth getting people to know.
You can't stroll around Roskilde anymore, you need an access badge (spent hours as a kid in the 70ies doing that while my Dad was taking lessons... not possible anymore). Joining the KZ & Vintage Aircraft Club at Avedøre is a great idea to get hands-on contact with aircraft, get to know people and scrounge flights in interesting aircraft (I did that before the original poster was even born; grew up 10 min walk from there). However, don't expect to fly any of the aircraft operated by the club there from that "runway" anytime soon. For actual training nowadays in Denmark, you need an approved training facility. Very few clubs in Denmark can offer that, Roskilde Flyveklub being one of the exceptions.
PS! There's a Danish forum, pilots.dk, where you might get more accurate replies..
PS! There's a Danish forum, pilots.dk, where you might get more accurate replies..
When recommending Roskilde Flying Club I had forgotten your requirement about instruction in English, which I don't think they do.
Also, you might also check to see if the exams are at all available in English. The relevant authority is Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority.
Also, you might also check to see if the exams are at all available in English. The relevant authority is Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority.
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Having lived in Danmark, I expect that it would be quite a bit cheaper to fly to Englandf or a few days at a time in order to take lessons in English. There is a wider choice here.
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Thank you for the useful pointers, guys!
Gargleblaster: You are right, the instruction cannot be done in English.
EDMJ: Thanks for the tip, I've sent them a message. Regarding the schools in Jutland - this is not necessarily an obstacle, I can work 3 hours onboard a train on the way there. That is easily manageable for me if it's not every working day.
Gray Bird told me they have instruction in English but only commercial otherwise the exams are Danish, so I asked for clarification from the and also Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority because I need to understand what the reality is.
As for the training in UK:
It's a great thing that Ryanair flights to UK are dirt cheap (80-200 DKK to Luton, Stansted and Edinburg).
Do you have any recommendation of flights schools there with weekend or even better - distance/online, theory module?
Gargleblaster: You are right, the instruction cannot be done in English.
EDMJ: Thanks for the tip, I've sent them a message. Regarding the schools in Jutland - this is not necessarily an obstacle, I can work 3 hours onboard a train on the way there. That is easily manageable for me if it's not every working day.
Gray Bird told me they have instruction in English but only commercial otherwise the exams are Danish, so I asked for clarification from the and also Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority because I need to understand what the reality is.
As for the training in UK:
It's a great thing that Ryanair flights to UK are dirt cheap (80-200 DKK to Luton, Stansted and Edinburg).
Do you have any recommendation of flights schools there with weekend or even better - distance/online, theory module?
Marsellus, forget Jutland or weekend trips to England. It won't work. You need to be on your toes when you fly and you need some degree of flexibility, particularly as far as weather goes. You live in Copenhagen => Roskilde is your ONLY choice. Only alternative is a compressed 1-2 months course in a sunny place. Believe me.
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Yeah, I understand that. I only want to cover theory on weekend trips/distance, to minimize the time off work. I certainly do not plan on flying to UK and betting on good weather there over the weekends
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I don't think you can do PPL theory in English in Denmark anymore. The Danish CAA has stopped this very recently. But check with them to be certain. We have one doing this on our school at the moment but only because he started the course when the CAA still allowed it.
If you do the theory in UK and want to fly in DK you have to be very sure that the Danish CAA will accept a UK theory. In general I don't think they will accept this as procedure has been that theory and practical must be in the same member state for a license. Again check with the CAA.
If you do the theory in UK and want to fly in DK you have to be very sure that the Danish CAA will accept a UK theory. In general I don't think they will accept this as procedure has been that theory and practical must be in the same member state for a license. Again check with the CAA.
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I suggest your principle problem may be the British weather! In which case if you can spare a week in May, June, July or September, and book a course near Luton or Stanstead, you should be able to make progress, in English. The summer season gives long daylight hours, good weather generally, and you could also do a bit of night flying! which is good practice.
For example, google Elstree airport, which has several flying schools. The usual beware, don't part with your money all at once! pay as you go, just in case the flying school runs into difficulties, lots do, in which case if you paid in a big lump for a complete course, you may end up with a loss and no license.
Speaking as a Yank who has lived in the UK since 1970, they are friendly folks and a good place to learn to fly. I did my gliding at Booker Gliding Club and went on to get the power license at the flying school at Wycombe Air Park, not far from Heathrow. But Ryanair doesn't go to LHR!
Most flying schools do advertise on the internet. And the locals will help you find a low cost place to stay.
For example, google Elstree airport, which has several flying schools. The usual beware, don't part with your money all at once! pay as you go, just in case the flying school runs into difficulties, lots do, in which case if you paid in a big lump for a complete course, you may end up with a loss and no license.
Speaking as a Yank who has lived in the UK since 1970, they are friendly folks and a good place to learn to fly. I did my gliding at Booker Gliding Club and went on to get the power license at the flying school at Wycombe Air Park, not far from Heathrow. But Ryanair doesn't go to LHR!
Most flying schools do advertise on the internet. And the locals will help you find a low cost place to stay.
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UPDATE:
Thanks for the insights, I made a final decision to save up first, and then to move to UK (Stapleford) or PL (Bartolini). I managed to leverage my talent for sales for getting an above-average salary, especially for a fresh graduate.
Looks like I need to postpone my dream till mid-2019, but then I can only focus on flying while with money for PPL->ATPL+TR, accommodation, and 15% contingency sitting on my bank account / investments.
CYA in 2019!
Thanks for the insights, I made a final decision to save up first, and then to move to UK (Stapleford) or PL (Bartolini). I managed to leverage my talent for sales for getting an above-average salary, especially for a fresh graduate.
Looks like I need to postpone my dream till mid-2019, but then I can only focus on flying while with money for PPL->ATPL+TR, accommodation, and 15% contingency sitting on my bank account / investments.
CYA in 2019!
Or you could come to Australia where the weather is great all the time.
If you want a cheap PPL, apparently USA is the way to go. You could take a holiday and get a very large block of flying in.
If you want a cheap PPL, apparently USA is the way to go. You could take a holiday and get a very large block of flying in.
