Known by name
A member, not a number
We take the time to know you and your goals, and your instructor follows your progress personally, from your first flight to your skills test.
Private Pilot Licence
PPL Training from Brighton City Airport in Shoreham
Learn to fly with Private Pilot Licence (PPL) training at Brighton City Airport in Shoreham, serving Brighton, Hove and the wider Sussex area. Whether you're starting from zero or picking up where you left off, we give you a clear, structured path to becoming a qualified pilot, taught by real people who care how you get there. Not sure yet? Start with a flight experience to get a feel for flying.
At a glance
40 hrs
CAA minimum flight time (UK Part-FCL)
EGKA
Based at Brighton City Airport, Shoreham
1-to-1
Instruction tailored to your pace
9 exams
Theory, with ground-school support
More club than classroom
A proper flying club, first and foremost
From your very first lesson you're part of the club, not just a booking reference. Adur Aviation is run by enthusiasts and professionals who fly because we love it, and we want you to love it too. You'll be known by name, welcomed in the clubhouse, and supported by instructors who genuinely care whether you're enjoying it and making progress. High standards, real warmth, and people who are always happy to help.
Enthusiasts & professionals
People who love flying
A friendly community of pilots and instructors who take the flying seriously and the welcome warmly: the best of both.
Always happy to help
We genuinely care
Questions, nerves, a tricky lesson: there's always someone in your corner who wants to see you succeed and enjoy it.
The course, step by step
Your journey to a licence
Everyone's pace is different, but the path is the same. Here's what training with us actually looks like, from your first taste of flying to the day your licence arrives. The UK minimum is 40 hours, and your instructor guides you through every stage.
Step 1
Get started
A trial lesson or flight experience to see if it's for you, then join the club and we set up a training plan around your goals.
Step 2
Handling the aircraft
Your early lessons build the core skills: effects of the controls, straight and level, climbing, descending and turning.
Step 3
Circuits and first solo
Take-offs, approaches and landings in the circuit, working towards the milestone every pilot remembers: your first solo.
Step 4
Navigation and cross-country
Planning and flying trips away from the airfield, including your qualifying solo cross-country to two other airfields.
Step 5
Theory exams
Nine written subjects, from air law and navigation to meteorology and human performance, with ground-school support so you're never on your own.
Step 6
Skill test and licence
A final flight test with an examiner, then you apply to the CAA and your PPL is yours. After that, keep flying with the club.
Overview
What is a PPL?
The Private Pilot Licence is your ticket to flying light aircraft for pleasure and travel. With it, you can:
- Fly single-engine aircraft as pilot in command
- Take friends and family flying with you
- Explore the UK and Europe by air
- Open the door to a whole world of further ratings
- Your foundation for a lifetime of flying
Structure
What Training Includes
- Minimum 40 flight hours (UK CAA Part-FCL requirement)
- One-to-one flying with a dedicated instructor
- Aircraft handling, circuits and your first solo
- Navigation and cross-country flying
- Radio work and everyday airmanship
- Ground-school theory to support the nine exams
- Full preparation for your final skills test
Why Adur
Why Train with Us?
- Professional instruction
- Flexible and practical training approach
- Excellent coastal location at Shoreham
- Known by name from your very first lesson
- A friendly club of enthusiasts and professionals
- Instructors who genuinely care how you're getting on
- A welcoming clubhouse and community to be part of
More than lessons
Your whole flying journey, in one place
Training with us doesn't stop when you land. We built our own booking and member system, with a mobile app for Android and iPhone, so your whole journey stays together and you always know what comes next. It's the kind of thing you only really appreciate once you have it, and it's rare to find at a club our size.
Book in a tap
Flying, without the faff
Check the calendar and book your next lesson in seconds, from your phone or your desk. No back-and-forth.
Never miss a thing
Notifications that matter
A nudge when something important is coming up, like a medical or licence due for renewal, so nothing slips by.
Every flight
Your routes on the map
The track of every flight saved and replayed on the map, so you can look back on exactly where you've flown.
Coming soon
Your progress, tracked
Follow your journey through the syllabus lesson by lesson, so you always know what's next. Rolling out soon.
Get the Adur Aviation app
Free on Android and iPhone.
Optional · Coming soon
Intensive Ground School, in one focused week
Every PPL includes nine theoretical knowledge exams. Most students work through them steadily alongside their flying, and that suits plenty of people. If you'd rather clear the theory in one concentrated push, though, we're planning an optional intensive ground-school week that covers the whole syllabus in a single focused block. It's a great fit for career-changers and anyone who wants fast, structured progress, and it's a genuine advantage to have here on the south coast, where dedicated ground-school courses are hard to come by.
It's entirely optional, and it isn't running yet. If a focused week would suit you, let us know and we'll keep you posted on dates.
What it is
A focused theory week
A structured, tutor-led week working through the PPL theory, with time to ask questions, practise exam-style questions and build real understanding, not just memorise answers.
What it covers
The nine PPL exam subjects
- Air Law
- Operational Procedures
- Human Performance
- Meteorology
- Navigation
- Principles of Flight
- Aircraft General Knowledge
- Flight Performance & Planning
- Communications
Why a week
Momentum, not months
- Clear the theory in one concentrated block
- Weather-independent, so it runs whatever the sky is doing
- Learn as a group, with support and structure
- Keep your flying and your exams moving together