PPL in Dubai UAE
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PPL in Dubai UAE
Hello,
I am a British citizen currently residing in Dubai and was wondering whether one can do a PPL here, and if so, its validity in the UK?
I've searched online but haven't found much, other than the commercial flying school from Emirates.
Many thanks
I am a British citizen currently residing in Dubai and was wondering whether one can do a PPL here, and if so, its validity in the UK?
I've searched online but haven't found much, other than the commercial flying school from Emirates.
Many thanks
Jazirah Aviation in RAK offer training for light sport aircraft which you can then hire to fly solo. You’d have to talk to them about the licence you get and how easy or difficult it is to convert it. But that’s only for three axis microlights, and if you want to fly for a hobby in the UAE it’s your only real option. I think you can theoretically do a PPL at the Fujairah Aviation Academy, but according to their website it works out at £15,000 for a 45 hour PPL course on a Cessna 172.
In either case, if you got the licence any form of private flying is massively restricted because of military paranoia, so where you can fly is really restricted, and you’re not about to head of to Al Ain or DXB or DWC on a Friday morning for a bacon butty and a Mug of Tea. I’d suggest saving the money and trying to do a concentrated ppl course in the U.K. next time you get a chance to be home for a while would be more sensible, unfortunately.
In either case, if you got the licence any form of private flying is massively restricted because of military paranoia, so where you can fly is really restricted, and you’re not about to head of to Al Ain or DXB or DWC on a Friday morning for a bacon butty and a Mug of Tea. I’d suggest saving the money and trying to do a concentrated ppl course in the U.K. next time you get a chance to be home for a while would be more sensible, unfortunately.
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Hey Controlz,
I did my PPL here with Emirates Aviation Academy (EAS), which has no affiliation with the Emirates airline. Their head office is located at T2 at DXB next door to DHL.
So this my experience with them.
Ground school.
I had to do 105hrs of ground school covering all the topic areas, I got a slight dispensation as id already passed my PPL exams in the UK with a local flying school. To be fair the level of instruction I had was good and the depth of knowledge of the instructors was pretty high. You have a lot of hoops to jump through before you can take your PPL exams at the GCAA building near Festival city, the in house mock exams were way harder than my actual ones you do and I was more than ready to take them. Each exam is about AED200, ex VAT, so just the exams alone are pretty steep. You'll have to do your radio license test and an English proficiency test that's valid for 2 years (which I thought was a joke) which you'll have to pay extra for.
As I had to do adhoc lessons on weekends due to work, I paid a lot extra. But it meant I had the instructor or the whole weekend to myself, so we went at my pace. It Tok me near enough a full summer to crack ground school.
Flying
The flying portion takes place at DWC, which is bizarre. The planes are kept at the end of a taxiway surrounded by 747s and lots of 737 MAXs.
I had around 20hrs when I started here. I did get some credit for previous experience, but not much. After a hiccup with my first instructor, who I didn't gel with. I was paired up with the same people who did my ground school so we had continuity. I have to say the level of training is good, they teach you like you are a student doing CPL. So the standards were really high, it was commented on back in the UK on a check out flight with an senior instructor from CTC that id been taught the same as a commercial student (so take that as you will).
Flying out of DWC is a ball ache as you're paying to do a lot of taxing around the airfield to get to the runway. Then expect to be held at any time and duration for any big boy traffic coming in or out of DWC... which you pay for. The whole of the UAE is ATC controlled so you're always talking to someone (which is good practice), but bad for training as you can be denied at any time.
I spent alot of time navigating between DWC, Al Ain and RAK for my land aways.... but you can't stop, its all touch and goes.
The big bonus was doing my night rating as a bolt on to my PPL, flying at night around Dubai is fantastic. Ive spent many nights at 500ft up and down the coast of Dubai sight seeing.
Now the bad part, its very easy to mess up and infringe on airspace. Or over fly a palace, stable or anything, So to that end unless you were on a recognised course you were not allowed to just rent and go. An instructor has to be in the front of the plane with you, I believe this is due to an accident years ago, I think you go search it on here.
Overall. the training is good The planes are all glass Garmin 1000. But its eye wateringly expensive, you can do it way easier and cheaper back in the UK. Now I'm trying to transfer my license to a EASA/UK one at the moment. To do that I've got to pass a few exams again, and do a skills test with an examiner and get used to proper navigation. Nav here is way too easy.
Hope this helps?
I did my PPL here with Emirates Aviation Academy (EAS), which has no affiliation with the Emirates airline. Their head office is located at T2 at DXB next door to DHL.
So this my experience with them.
Ground school.
I had to do 105hrs of ground school covering all the topic areas, I got a slight dispensation as id already passed my PPL exams in the UK with a local flying school. To be fair the level of instruction I had was good and the depth of knowledge of the instructors was pretty high. You have a lot of hoops to jump through before you can take your PPL exams at the GCAA building near Festival city, the in house mock exams were way harder than my actual ones you do and I was more than ready to take them. Each exam is about AED200, ex VAT, so just the exams alone are pretty steep. You'll have to do your radio license test and an English proficiency test that's valid for 2 years (which I thought was a joke) which you'll have to pay extra for.
As I had to do adhoc lessons on weekends due to work, I paid a lot extra. But it meant I had the instructor or the whole weekend to myself, so we went at my pace. It Tok me near enough a full summer to crack ground school.
Flying
The flying portion takes place at DWC, which is bizarre. The planes are kept at the end of a taxiway surrounded by 747s and lots of 737 MAXs.
I had around 20hrs when I started here. I did get some credit for previous experience, but not much. After a hiccup with my first instructor, who I didn't gel with. I was paired up with the same people who did my ground school so we had continuity. I have to say the level of training is good, they teach you like you are a student doing CPL. So the standards were really high, it was commented on back in the UK on a check out flight with an senior instructor from CTC that id been taught the same as a commercial student (so take that as you will).
Flying out of DWC is a ball ache as you're paying to do a lot of taxing around the airfield to get to the runway. Then expect to be held at any time and duration for any big boy traffic coming in or out of DWC... which you pay for. The whole of the UAE is ATC controlled so you're always talking to someone (which is good practice), but bad for training as you can be denied at any time.
I spent alot of time navigating between DWC, Al Ain and RAK for my land aways.... but you can't stop, its all touch and goes.
The big bonus was doing my night rating as a bolt on to my PPL, flying at night around Dubai is fantastic. Ive spent many nights at 500ft up and down the coast of Dubai sight seeing.
Now the bad part, its very easy to mess up and infringe on airspace. Or over fly a palace, stable or anything, So to that end unless you were on a recognised course you were not allowed to just rent and go. An instructor has to be in the front of the plane with you, I believe this is due to an accident years ago, I think you go search it on here.
Overall. the training is good The planes are all glass Garmin 1000. But its eye wateringly expensive, you can do it way easier and cheaper back in the UK. Now I'm trying to transfer my license to a EASA/UK one at the moment. To do that I've got to pass a few exams again, and do a skills test with an examiner and get used to proper navigation. Nav here is way too easy.
Hope this helps?
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Interesting, thanks. Also Dubai-based, I did my PPL back in the UK in 2019 with plans to build hours and experience with various trips out of the UAE. Given up on that for now with Covid and so ended up not flying since my skills test. Do you know if EAS do hour-building or hourly rental, even with an instructor? Can't see much on their website. I know it's going to be eye watering here, but thinking an hour a month of circuits or simple local flight, just to blow off the cobwebs. I'm assuming landing fees anywhere round here aren't going to be pleasant either?
What's your plan now you have the licence, if you don't mind me asking?
What's your plan now you have the licence, if you don't mind me asking?
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g109, really why? It worked for me with the time and availability that I had. If you factor in flights, accommodation and limited vacation days. Learning in the UAE was actually a better option.
Ipflyer, I believe that you'd have to transfer your license or start the process to transfer to a GCAA one to fly. And get a GCAA medical, which are easy enough to sort out. As for renting a plane, you just book in and they reserve you a slot. It was all done over WhatsApp with their flight operations. I ended up just staying current doing 3 TO and Landings every 90 days, when covid kicked in that put paid to that as I'm in Abu Dhabi and getting across the border was, and still is, a pain in the nose!
Future plans are to transfer my license to a UK compliant one and fly there. More freedom and cheaper prices. And I can take my family along with me in the front, without an instructor.
Ipflyer, I believe that you'd have to transfer your license or start the process to transfer to a GCAA one to fly. And get a GCAA medical, which are easy enough to sort out. As for renting a plane, you just book in and they reserve you a slot. It was all done over WhatsApp with their flight operations. I ended up just staying current doing 3 TO and Landings every 90 days, when covid kicked in that put paid to that as I'm in Abu Dhabi and getting across the border was, and still is, a pain in the nose!
Future plans are to transfer my license to a UK compliant one and fly there. More freedom and cheaper prices. And I can take my family along with me in the front, without an instructor.
I already had the benefit of a UK issued EASA PPL when I was "posted" to Qatar from 2008 to 2010 but managed to do a bit of flying with the Qatari Aviation College (a division of Qatar Airways).
After the usual round of collecting a series of "no objection" letters to get even into the college building and then the same plus a £20 fee for an airside pass, I was allowed to fly with an instructor as neither my PPL nor my FAA 61.75 were recognised. I did eventually get issued a Qatari Student License but still wasn't allowed to fly solo. Just as well probably as I'd have been shot down for being with 20 miles of the royal palace.
Then there was the constant interruptions for VVVVIP traffic, and flying stopped at +50 C which typically meant in the summer only the early and mid mornings were available ... then the price
.
All in all I'd probably still be there now if was trying to do an ab initio PPL.
After the usual round of collecting a series of "no objection" letters to get even into the college building and then the same plus a £20 fee for an airside pass, I was allowed to fly with an instructor as neither my PPL nor my FAA 61.75 were recognised. I did eventually get issued a Qatari Student License but still wasn't allowed to fly solo. Just as well probably as I'd have been shot down for being with 20 miles of the royal palace.
Then there was the constant interruptions for VVVVIP traffic, and flying stopped at +50 C which typically meant in the summer only the early and mid mornings were available ... then the price
.All in all I'd probably still be there now if was trying to do an ab initio PPL.
