Flying

Flying has always fascinated me, but I kept on looking at it as something unreachable. Recently, my life path has taken a new direction, and I discovered that with dedication and passion one can literally touch the sky.

In Oct, ‘21 I started my journey to become a private pilot, and in June ‘23 I passed the checkride for the PPL(A) SEP Land license. I am currently enrolled in a course to obtain the Basic Instrument Ratings (BIR).

Sunset on the D-IIKM Beechcraft King Air C90A over Alsace, France

Medical certification

Before enrolling in a flight school, one needs to take a Medical Class 2 examination. There are only a handful of possibilities in canton Zurich, and I ended up choosing the Airport Medical Center. They offer the service for a reasonable price (around 350 CHF). The examination covers the eye- and ear- tests (necessary for IFR ratings), urine test, ECG, blood pressure, and a blood sample. At the end of the tests, a balance and coordination examination, and a psychological test are carried out by a certified physician.

Training material

Here is the list of official FAA books to learn the theory of flying. They are tailored for FAA certification, but the theoretical content is the same for EASA PPL.

• Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: FAA-H-8083-25B
• Weight and Balance Handbook: FAA-H-8083-1B
• Airplane Flying Handbook: FAA-H-8083-3C
• Instrument Flying Handbook: FAA-H-8083-15B
• Instrument Procedures Handbook: FAA-H-8083-16B
• Advanced Avionics Handbook: FAA-H-8083-6

I ended up downloading all of them and ordering paperback copies, as well. The overall costs for the paperback versions is about EUR 100.00 (Amazon)

Online trainings

The Udemy course below covers the content of the “Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge” (Ground school) in a serie of online lectures.

1. Part 1 - Introduction to flight training, Aircraft Structure, Systems and Flight Instruments
2. Part 2 - Basic Aerodynamics, Aerodynamic Forces, Weight & Balance, and Performance & Limitations.
3. Part 3 - Regulation, Inspections & Documents, Aeromedical Factors, Aeronautical Decision Making
4. Part 4 - Weather Theory, Weather Services, Airport Operations, Radio Communications.
5. Part 5 - Airspace, Charts, Navigation, Flight Computer & Cross-country planning.
6. Part 6 - Course review, Practice Exams, and Written Endorsement

Another interesting course that instead mixes theory with simulated practice is the following:

1. Learn to Fly - Private Pilot Maneuvers

For a more comprehensive course, the following iOS application should suffice. Jason is a great certified flight instructor who will not get bored to remind you about standards and best practices: The finer points

Schools

I have been evaluating the possibility of applying for a flight schools in the surroundings of Zurich, and the following ones are potential candidates:

1. CH: Flugschule Basel at the International Airport Basel-Mulhouse
2. CH: Flugschule Grenchen
3. CH: Swiss Flight Accademy

I did my first test flights here:

1. DE: Ardex Flight Training Center
2. IT: Aeroclub Brescia at the International Airport of Montichiari (BS)

Simulators

Tools