How to pay for pilot training
We understand your pilot training course is a significant investment. And we take your finances very seriously. It’s our mission to fully prepare you for a new airline career, in the best way possible, without unnecessary or unexpected costs.
So, we are committed to delivering rigorous training standards, ideal classes, individualised training, professional development courses, and exceptional value for money.
The course fees and payment plans are detailed below. There are no hidden extras. To make managing the fees more straightforward, we’ve made our integrated LEAP course an all-inclusive package. There’s one straightforward price and every element of your training, plus accommodation at our Oxford and Alhama Campuses, a BSc degree, a Training Guarantee and even your uniform is included – so you know exactly what to budget for.
Student Loans
If you are studying our LEAP course, then you will also be studying for a BSc degree too – this is an accredited full-time undergraduate degree which means that you maybe be eligible for student finance from the SLC (Student Loan Company).
If this is your first degree, you could be eligible for tuition fee loans of £18,500 (2 years at £9,250 per year). These are credited directly to your course fees (as noted in the next tab on this page).
Dependent on your circumstances, you may also be eligible for maintenance fee loans of up to £19,412 (£9,706 per year for 24/25). These loans are means-tested and further information, including a student finance calculator, is available at the SLC. If eligible, they are paid to you.
The SLC site also contains information on when & how your loans will need to be paid back and how to apply.
Student Budget Case Study
For some student pilots, joining a flying academy will be their first time living away from home, so there’s much to learn and plan for. Most students find it best to work to a budget, you don’t want to run out of money! You’ll find below a few tips on budgeting and a list of things to consider budgeting for.
Create a budget
Your budget could be as simple as the total monthly spend you can afford, or you can go into a little more detail. You could even track your spending on a spreadsheet, it’s totally up to you. But whatever you decide, stick to it.
Must have treats
There are some things you must save your budget for, such as food, toiletries and laundry. Other things such as going out and takeaways might have to fall a little further down your priority list. But, if you work to a budget and are careful not to waste money, you might be able to afford a few treats too.
Not quite essential!
You might also want to budget for a few extras such as nights out, takeaway food & treats, a gym membership, and clothes.
You probably want to budget between £250 and £500 per month. You may also have other costs to consider such as the upkeep of a car or occasional train fares home, don’t forget to include this in your budget and consider adding in a contingency each month to cover anything you might have forgotten.
So how much do you need?
The budget below gives examples of the types of things you might want budget for, but everyone is different, so you’ll need to think about your own circumstances. And don’t forget, you’re training to be a pilot, so you’ll need to present yourself professionally, so save a little for haircuts and shoe polish too!
Sample monthly budget
| Essentials | ||
| Food & groceries | £80-120 | As well as your breakfast & evening meals, don’t forget your lunches. Taking in your own food will be a lot more cost effective than buying sandwiches every day. |
| Transport | £20-40 | Leading Edge provide transport to and from your accommodation to the academy each day, but you might want to put money by for buses, taxis or fuel for weekend. |
| Laundry | £10-30 | |
| Memberships | £10-20 | |
| Toiletries | £5-10 | |
| Haircuts | £20 | |
| Mobile phone | £10-30 | |
| Total | £155–270 |
LEAP Course Fees
Leading Edge Aviation are approved with both the UK CAA & EASA to deliver Flight Training and can offer you either the chance to attain a UK CAA licence, or the chance to maximise your employment opportunities and hold both.
If you would like to take advantage of the chance to hold both a UK CAA and DUAL UK CAA & EASA Licence, the additional cost is – £6,000
Single UK CAA Licence
- Deposit – on signature: £10,000 (non-refundable)
- Initial Payment: £20,250 (30 days before start date)
- 2nd Payment: £20,250 (4 months after start date)
- 3rd Payment: £20,250 (8 months after start date)
- 4th Payment: £20,250 or £11,000 with SLC* (10 months after start date)
- 5th Payment: £20,250 or £11,000 with SLC* (12 months after start date)
Total Programme Fees £111,250 or £92,750 with SLC tuition fee loan*
Dual UK CAA & EASA Licence
- Deposit – on signature: £10,000 (non-refundable)
- Initial Payment: £21,250 (30 days before start date)
- 2nd Payment: £21,500 (4 months after start date)
- 3rd Payment: £21,500 (8 months after start date)
- 4th Payment: £21,500 or £12,250 with SLC* (10 months after start date)
- 5th Payment: £21,500 or £12,250 with SLC*(12 months after start date)
Total Programme Fees £117,250 or £98,750 with SLC tuition fee loan*
*As our LEAP course is an accredited full-time undergraduate degree, student finance may be available. See tab 1 on this page for more information and links to the SLC (Student Loan Company).
Included
- Theoretical Knowledge training
- Initial flight training
- Advanced flight training
- Fair-Weather Base in Alhama, Spain
- Advanced Upset Prevention Recovery Training
- APS-MCC Course
- BSc Degree
- Training Guarantee
- Accommodation
- Uniform
- iPad
- Padpilot ATPL ebooks
- Training materials & flight bag
- Question bank access
- ATPL (A) qualifying exam fees
- Flight test fees
- Wellbeing services
- Graduate employment services
MAP Course Fees
- Full-time ATPL Theoretical Knowledge Course (Ground School): £7,500 (UK CAA) / £8,500 (UK CAA and EASA dual licence)*
- Combined MECPL/MEIR/A-UPRT/APS-MCC package (single licence): £55,000**
- Combined MECPL/MEIR/A-UPRT/APS-MCC package (dual licence): £60,000***
- A-UPRT (Advanced Upset Prevention and Recovery Training): £2,350
- APS-MCC (Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation): £7,250
- Graduate Employment Services Workshop: £1,150
Please note that accommodation is not included and is subject to availability.
*Includes UK CAA exam fees, Padpilot theory ebooks, iPad
**Includes UK CAA skills test fee
***Includes UK CAA and EASA skills test fees
uMAP Course Fees
UK CAA
- uMap course base price – £59,710.00
Hour Building Package:
- 50 hrs solo / 5 hours dual – +£13,000.00
- 100 hrs solo / 8 hrs dual – +£24,780.00
- 110 hrs solo / 14 hrs dual – +£28,540.00
Dual Licence
- uMap course base price – £65,710.00
Hour Building Package:
- 50 hrs solo / 5 hours dual – +£13,000.00
- 100 hrs solo / 8 hrs dual – +£24,780.00
- 110 hrs solo / 14 hrs dual – +£28,540.00
Based on FWB flying for hours building and includes accommodation.
Bespoke hours building price is available on request.
Included:
- Theoretical Knowledge training
- 13 ATPL theory exams*
- Up to 124 hours of hour building
- 31 hour ME CPL (Multi-Engine Commercial Pilot Licence Course)
- CPL (Commercial Pilot Licence) skills test*
- MEIR (Multi-Engine Instrument Rating)
- Instrument rating skills test*
- A-UPRT (Advanced Upset Recovery & Prevention Training)
- APS-MCC in our A320 simulator (Airline Pilot Standards-Multi-Crew Cooperation)
- Accommodation
- Return flights out to our fair-weather base**
- Uniform
- iPad
- Padpilot ATPL ebooks
- Access to VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)
- Wellbeing services
- Graduate employment services
*First attempt included within fixed fees, retakes and additional training after first sittings are chargeable
**Where required
Training Guarantee
As part of our LEAP course, you will receive a training guarantee (subject to passing our skills assessment).
This means that throughout your time at Leading Edge Aviation any extra fees in regards to training, for things such as additional exams or extra training, will be paid for by us. That way you can be confident that you won’t be charged for any extra training and can know exactly what to budget for.
Please note, the training guarantee will not cover any additional costs due to a lack of effort, poor general attitude and/or a failure to attend training.
