Learn to Fly in France!
Flying Lessons in the Limousin
Flying Lessons in English, at a French Flight School, to gain a British JAR PPL!
Key facts:
- No need to speak French - all training is conducted in English;
- JAR Approved Flight School - there are no hidden conversions to comply with UK rules;
- PPL possible within 4 weeks assuming a residential stay;
- Membership of the Club & French Aeronautical Federation obligatory and are Eu 90 & Eu 65;
- Aircraft Hire charges range from Eu 96 to Eu 138 an hour depending on the type of aircraft - this makes us competitive with the USA;
- Instruction and accommodation costs are additional - please enquire for details;
- No Landing Fees at Bellegarde;
- All additional equipment provided - although you will have to buy a chart before your first solo. We also offer discounted pilot supplies here via Pooleys;
- Active community of pilots who share their experiences and success stories on our blog.
See also our "FAQs" compiled by one of our students.
Our aircraft at a glance:
- Robin HR 200/120
- Robin DR400-140
- Robin DR400-180
- Cessna 172
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Robin HR 200/120 The Robin HR 200 is a two-seat 120 horsepower 115 knot (cruise) general-purpose aircraft ideally suited for training with excellent all-round visibility, crisp, well balanced controls and excellent handling for a student. Endurance 4.5 hours. Price excluding instruction is Eu 96 per hour. *Note this aircraft is not always available due to its attractive price and we will, on occasion, have to upgrade to keep flying!
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Robin DR400-140 July 2011 - Please note F-GZYA is not available for several months due to maintenance. We will remove this notice when back on line! Apologies. A four-seat 160 horsepower 120 knot (cruise) general purpose aircraft for students who want to progress to a more powerful four seat aircraft and for touring. Fitted with GPS. Endurance 4.5 hours. Price excluding instruction is Eu 120 per hour. |
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Robin DR400-180 A four-seat 160 horsepower 125 knot (cruise) general purpose aircraft for students who want to progress to a more powerful four seat aircraft and for touring. Fixed-pitch prop. Endurance 5 hours. Price excluding instruction is Eu 138 per hour. |
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Cessna 172 A four-seat 160 horsepower 120 knot (cruise) general purpose aircraft for students who want to progress to a more powerful four seat aircraft and for touring. Fixed-pitch prop. Endurance 4.5 hours. Price excluding instruction is Eu 120 per hour. |
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About us
Flying lessons and air-experience flights are hosted at the Aéroclub de Limoges (at Limoges International Airport) whose rates are significantly lower than most UK flight schools. Landing fees are not charged to club members and throughout France - if charged at all - are generally trivial compared with those of UK airfields. Learning to fly in France at Limoges is truly a low cost option in easy reach of the UK: the weather's great and you benefit from the superior facilities of an international airport.
Sue Virr is a British Qualified Flying Instructor and Flight &Ground Examiner, fully approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) to offer English pilot training in the UK and France.
All the training is conducted in a relaxed atmosphere , confidence building is a major part of the training, the motto here is that "FLYING SHOULD BE FUN".
What is available?
- Trial Flights
- Private Pilots License (PPL)
- Hour building
- Night Rating
Trial Flights
For trial flights, you will be covered by the instructor's insurance and club membership though follow-up formal lessons will require you to join the club. Your trial flight may be entered in your log book towards your PPL training.
From Bellegarde International Airport, you can fly over the local hills, valleys, lakes and mountains. Each trip can be a different experience with breathtaking views every time. You could just enjoy the scenery, as you wish, but we are happy for you to 'have a go' at flying the aircraft yourself.
If you wish to photograph your own house from the air just arrive with your camera.
Normal format is a pre-flight briefing followed by a half hour local flight but we can tailor the flying time and mission to meet your requirements.
Subject to 'weight and balance' considerations, two back-seat passengers may be carried at no extra cost.
If you haven't flown before, don't worry. Before your first flight, we will brief you with all of the information required so that you can enjoy the experience of flying a plane.
What does it take to become a pilot?
To enjoy the freedom of the skies, you will need to gain a JAR (Joint Aviation Requirements) Private Pilot Licence (PPL).
This is an internationally recognized license for flying any single engined plane with a maximum weight of 5700 kg.
The privileges of the licence may be fully exercised on aircraft registered in any JAA (Joint Airworthiness Authority) country which basically covers Europe.
The licence is generally recognised for flying aircraft registered elsewhere though there may be some local restrictions.
The main requirements for gaining the PPL are:
- Completion of an approved JAR PPL course comprising a minimum of 45 hours flying experience including at least 25 hours dual and 10 hours solo
- Completion of ground examinations:(The examinations can be conducted with Sue in France)
- Air Law
Meteorology
Navigation
Human Performance and limitations
Flight performance and planning
Aircraft general
Communication (radiotelephony theory exam)
- Medical certificate issued by a JAA approved medical examiner.
This may be issued in the UK, or any JAA country and must be obtained before your first solo flight. - Please note that at present the French class 2 medical is considered a national medical and is not recognised by the Britsh CAA.
- Completion of a flying 'skill test' ( we use British approved examiners)
- Although not part of the PPL, holders of UK-issued PPL licences require a separate Radiotelephony Licence for use in the UK—by concession, pilots under training may use radio in the UK/France without an R/T licence
NB Although we operate primarily in France, all lessons and examinations are conducted in English—there is absolutely no requirement to learn or speak French.
Subject to weather conditions, students can fly an average of three hours per day which enables them to complete their PPL in a short period of time. We have had several students take their final skill test at 40 hours and had to make up the extra 5 hours for licence issue.
Qualified Pilots
If you need experience after completing your PPL or simply want a friendly co-pilot to accompany you until you are confident with flying in France, help is at hand.
We regularly fly on trips to the most beautful parts of France and of course we also know all the best restaurants too !
Tailor made trips to Corsica, Spain and Italy can be arranged for you personally
Hour Building ------ Ask for a quote.
The Aéroclub de Limoges has a variety of aircraft including Robin DR400-140, DR400-180, Cessna 172 for hire.
Despite being an international airport, Limoges is surrounded by unusually quiet airspace with very few restrictions on where you can fly.
Don't be too concerned about the language issue as French Air Traffic Controllers are all required to be fluent in English which is the international language of aviation.
Whether you are a member of the Aéroclub de Limoges or not, Sue is available for the revalidation or renewal of your JAR SEP (Single Engined Piston) PPL licence.
Own Plane?
Flying to Limoges and need somewhere to stay?
We are delighted to provide accommodation, if available, for visiting pilots.
In any event, we will be happy to help you out in any way we can—for example, by arranging a place to park your plane or introducing you to other English speaking aviation enthusiasts.
Night ratings and PPL renewals /revalidations can be conducted here in France at the Aero club.
Additional Information
NearlyHeaven is the perfect place to start or continue your training while also enjoying an amazing holiday.
You will also find lots of useful information about flying in France on the Nearlyheaven blog which is specifically targeted at English-speaking pilots.
Nearly Heaven Flying Prices (Updated May 2011)
Aircraft Type |
Hourly rate (euro) |
Sterling equivalent |
Robin DR400-140 |
€120.00 |
£106 |
Robin DR400-180 |
€138.00 |
£125 |
Cessna 172 |
€120.00 |
£106 |
HR200/120 |
€96.00 |
£85 |
Trial Flights (30 mins) |
€79.00 |
£70 |
Club Membership |
€90.00 |
£80 |
FFA Membership |
€65.00 |
£58 |
Prices shown are for solo hire (wet) and include local taxes |
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Public liability insurance is compulsory for French-based pilots and this is provided by most flying clubs through the Fédération Française Aéronautique (FFA).
The fee shown is for basic membership and there are various optional extras such as €10,000 of personal (flying) accident insurance cover and INFO-PILOT magazine.
FFA membership also allows access to various services such as Meteo France—members already holding FFA membership (for example, through another club) will not be required to pay this fee again.
Enquiries
To make an enquiry or contact us about learning to fly in France, please contact Sue on: Tel: 0033 555 481 750 or eMail: info@nearlyheaven.com.
