AEFA is an association that represents most Spanish pilot training schools and their students. We represent their interests before the Spanish administration and the aeronautical sector in Spain. We are also a member of IAAPPS (International Association of Aviation Personnel Schools).

An ATO (Approved Training Organisation) is a Flight School approved by the  EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) under European regulations Part-FCL of EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).

Those schools have a certificate issued by AESA which indicates the ATO number and the courses they have authorized. They can only teach courses that are authorized on their ATO certificate.

A School that does not have an ATO certificate is not authorized to start any course recognized for the issuance of a European license or rating.

To receive approval, AESA sends Inspectors to the Schools, who carry out continuous supervision, and with which they verify that they comply with all the requirements of the Standard. AESA has a list of all approved ATO Schools..

The objective of the ATO is to train future pilots to obtain licenses that will allow them to develop professionally in any type of aircraft or aerial work. Mainly, to train as Commercial Airline Airplane pilots.

All ATOs that have been certified by the aeronautical authority have received approval to teach pilot courses and are continually supervised by said authority.

The differences between them are:

– Fleet composition and types of aircraft and simulators
– Geographic location
– Courses offered
– Training offers

The selection of one school over another must first be based on the verification that it is indeed a school approved by the administration and, from this point onwards, look for the one that best responds to the personal objectives sought by each student.

The European regulation applicable to pilot courses is Part-FCL and can be consulted on the EASA web site.

The training courses are made up of:

– Theoretical Training: exhaustive training in which the student receives all the necessary information to be able to carry out their work safely and efficiently

– Simulator training: In which flight maneuvers are performed much more efficiently and effectively than in real flight

– Real flight training: The basic part of the training in which the student takes the controls of various types of aircraft until they have full control of how they operate safely.

INTEGRATED TRAINING AND MODULAR COURSES

INTEGRATED:  This is the most direct, safe and high-quality option for accessing an airline. You start without prior experience and follow a path regulated by the European Authorities that allows direct access to airlines upon completion of the training.

Schools offering the integrated course must meet strict requirements, with highly qualified personnel and top-level means verified by the Authorities. An ATO that offers integrated training offers a guarantee and commitment to quality guaranteed by demanding internal audits and inspections and by the Aeronautical Authorities.

In integrated training, the supervision and support of the student is constant, and the ATO must adapt immediately to all the improvements that the sector demands at any given time. We could say that this route is designed to directly access the airline with the most demanding quality.

MODULAR: The modular route requires first obtaining a private pilot’s license (it is not a professional license). It is designed for those private pilots who, once they have acquired the experience required by the Authorities, can, if they wish, continue training at an ATO to obtain other licenses and qualifications. This process is longer and less audited and supervised, as a large part of the flight hours are carried out in a self-taught and unsupervised manner.

This AESA page specifies the courses that each center can teach.

In short, integrated training is ideal for those students who have the time and dedication necessary to train and directly access an airline. Modular training is aimed at those sports pilots who, once they have gained experience, decide to learn to fly twin-engine aircraft for leisure, fly on instruments or obtain a commercial pilot’s license to spray or do aerial photography. Of course, it is also for those people who do not have the time or dedication necessary to enroll in an integrated training program and must progress through modules, with what this implies in terms of continuity and quality.

Nowadays, English is essential for training as a pilot. Airlines require a clear command of the English language and professional pilot theory exams are already conducted in this language.

This does not mean that a student must have a very high level to be able to start the courses, but a certain level will be necessary to be able to complete the theoretical training and be able to pass the airline tests.

There are two types of exams to pass: theoretical and practical.

The theoretical exams certify that students have acquired the necessary level and they must pass all exams with a minimum grade of 75%.

Flight tests consist of demonstrating to an examiner approved by the administration that the student has mastered all aspects of flight correctly. Tests in different types of aircraft may be required during the courses.

A private pilot can only fly for leisure while a commercial pilot has obtained the necessary licenses to be able to work as a pilot in any air discipline, mainly as an airline pilot.

AESA conducts between 5 and 6 annual exam sessions, including PPL, ATPL, CPL and IR. The exams are held at different locations in Spain or at the schools themselves, both under Spanish and foreign authority.

Currently all ATPL exams are conducted in English only. PPL exams may be conducted in the national language.

For candidates for a modular ATPL course with an ICAO Annex 1 ATPL Licence or with a CPL(A)/IR Licence according to FCL, a credit of 250 hours of theory can be applied, leaving the course at 400 hours. For the rest of candidates – minimum PPL(A) according to ICAO Annex 1 – the course will be 650 hours. It should be noted that these are different courses and it is not a question of accepting 250 hours later for the former in courses that are taught to the latter.

For a candidate with an ATPL Licence according to ICAO Annex 1, the minimum flight hours for the CPL modular course will be 5 hours and for the IR modular course it will also be 5 hours (these hours do not include flight exams).

For a candidate with a CPL(A) Licence according to ICAO Annex 1 and with 500 flight hours experience, a maximum credit of 50% of flight hours of the CPL modular can be applied.

For a candidate with a CPL(A)/IR Licence according to ICAO Annex 1 and with more than 100 hours of IFR flight experience in command, an assessment may be carried out by the school in order to take the competency-based IR course.

All of these credits are maximums and it is the ATO’s responsibility to carry out appropriate prior checks to determine exactly what credit is appropriate for each candidate.