Microlight Pilot Guidance
Contents
- Student Pilots
- Official Exams
- Licensed Pilots
Student Pilots - The Requirements
The details below cover all Microlight Courses from UK NPPL(Microlight) and NPPL(PP) [Powered Parachutes]. Even if you are a pilot of an aircraft that does not need a licence (e.g. Paraglider or Single Seat Deregulated Aircraft [SSDR]) you will still need to know some of the subject matter detailed below from an Air Law perspective!
There are some hoops you need to jump through in order to complete the necessary requirements for your licence and in addition to your flying training.
These relate to the study for and taking of the necessary official theoretical knowledge exams, and are explained as concisely as we can below.
You will need to study for, and pass a total of five official (BMAA) exams. The subjects are as follows (click to get more information):
- Air Law for Microlights
- Aircraft Technical Knowledge for Microlights
- Human Performance & Limitations
- Meteorology
- Navigation
In addition, if you wish to use a radio, you will also need to pass the following:
The pass mark for each exam is 75%. This is also the pass mark for our own on-line exams associated with these courses.
All of the exams must be passed within a period of 24 months prior to the application for the licence.
You may only sit exams at a location registered with the BMAA.
These locations will also have approved Ground Examiners who will act as invigilator.
The exam location will normally be the same as your flight training organisation.
Student Pilots - How to Study
As is often the case, you can make life easy, or you can make life difficult for yourself.
We have an in-depth understanding of the level and type of knowledge required for each of the subjects you need to study for your goal.
You probably ought to take a look at our Article on "How to Study" which offers some expert advice on how to go about the task of learning for these theoretical exams.
The amount of knowledge you need to assimilate is dependent upon the subject in question. Some subjects also complement each other, so studying them in a certain order can be beneficial from both a learning convenience and understanding perspective.
Taking all these factors into account, along with our knowledge of training and learning abilities, we highly recommend you take note of our suggested study guide and exam order strategy below to assure yourself every chance of success.
| Study Order | Course |
|---|---|
| 1 | Air Law for Microlights |
| 2 | Aircraft Technical Knowledge for Microlights |
| 3 | Human Performance & Limitations |
| 4 | Meteorology |
| 5 | Communications * |
| 6 | Navigation |
* There is also a Communications Practical (Oral) Exam with a Radiotelephony Examiner. You will need to have a separate revision/preparation session for this exam. We have put together our own (and highly successful) RT Practical Exam Preparation package for you! We regularly get feedback from RT examiners and students alike on how well this prepares pilots for this particular examination. You can find out more about our one-to-one tuition package on our RT Practical Examination Preparation page.
Visit the Microlight Pilot Courses page for further information about all relevant courses.
Official Exams Introduction
Before you are allowed to sit an official exam, you will need to be in possession of an Exam Readiness Certificate. To find out more about this first, click here.
You will be required to sit our on-line exam for the course in order to obtain your Exam Readiness Certificate. By doing this exam, you will stand absolutely every chance of passing the official exams for that subject.
Rule number one: Don't Panic.
The Official Exams are in a written format (multiple choice answers), taken at your Training Organisation. You will have to provide your answers on the answer sheet provided.
You indicate your answers against each question number on the answer paper provided by placing an "X" in the correct box using a pen (not a pencil). If you change your mind over an answer, you must block out the box and place the "X" in the box associated with your new choice.
Number of Questions & Duration
The number of questions and the time you have available to answer them depends on the subject of the exam. Generally speaking, if you know your subject, you will not be time constrained. We've listed the information below for reference. The pass mark for each exam is 70%.
| Subject | No. of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Air Law | 20 | 30 minutes |
| Aircraft Technical | 50 | 75 minutes |
| Meteorology | 25 | 60 minutes |
| Human Performance & Limitations | 10 | 20 minutes |
| Navigation | 20 | 75 minutes |
| Communications (Radio Telephony) | 12 | 20 minutes |
R/T Practical Exam
In addition, you will also need to pass the following practical (oral) exam:
| Subject | Duration |
|---|---|
| Communications (Radio Telephony) | Approx. 30 minutes |
This is an oral test with a Radiotelephony Examiner. You will need to have a separate revision/preparation session with us for this exam. We have put together our own (and highly successful) RT Practical Exam Preparation package for you! We regularly get feedback from RT examiners and students alike on how well this prepares pilots for this particular examination. You can find out more about our one-to-one tuition package on our RT Practical Examination Preparation page.
Top Tips
You will do well to read these tips before undertaking any of the official exams.
- Read the question carefully. Note in particular what actually requires answering.
- Make sure you read all the answers before selecting. Remember you need to select the most correct answer.
- If you have difficulty with a question, leave it, and come back to it at the end.
- If unsure of the correct answer, try to definitely decide which of the choices are wrong. This then gives you better odds at guessing from what's left!
- Remember that an exam with less questions means each question is worth more percentage mark, so you must answer more questions correctly to pass. In other words, you must know all of the subject material to be able to answer questions in any area.
Licensed Pilots - More Information
Often, once a person gains their NPPL Microlight or Powered Parachute Pilots Licence, they might think that the goal has been achieved.
Well, actually, it's only the FIRST goal!
Once a licence has been obtained, it is imperative that a pilot keeps their knowledge of rules, regulations and procedures, and their skill-set up to date.
Many more ratings are available, plus many more highly recommended courses available (from both a theoretical knowledge and a flying training perspective)!
We have put together a collection of courses for the Licensed Pilot to highlight the courses that we HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Visit the Microlight Pilot Courses page for further information.
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