Light Aircraft Flying Lessons and Experiences in South Africa

Johannesburg Flying Academy is operated by a father and son team, offering both flying experiences and training for a variety of pilot licences in Gauteng. For as little as R900 you can get in the pilot’s seat of a Sling Light Aircraft, benefitting from expert tutelage as you soar thousands of feet above the earth on a 20 or 60-minute private lesson. The instructors have been training pilots for years, so even if you just want an introductory taster, you’re guaranteed to get top quality, professional teaching. As well as the Sling, JFA also has a vintage 1942 Piper L4 Grasshopper for military aviation enthusiasts, and a microlight Raptor trike for a different kind of flying lesson. These can all be purchased as experience gift certificates, so you really can’t go wrong!

Have a look at their website for more information – or purchase a flying lessons gift voucher today.

Established in 1981, Johannesburg School of Flying is one of the oldest training academies in the country. JSF pride themselves on giving students more flying time than other schools, and have graduated over 3000 people from their program, covering a range of licence types. Although students must be 16 to obtain a licence, you can start training from as young as 14, making this academy perfect for ambitious youngsters who want to start a career in flying – or maybe just want the half-hour introductory experience! The school is based at Rand Airport, making it centrally located for those in and around Gauteng, and providing pilots with aerial views of Johannesburg South, Alberton, and all the way out to Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve.

Book an introductory lesson and find out more information on their Johannesburg School of Flying website.

Being located at Cape Town International Airport, you know you’re getting the real deal with Cape Town Flying Club. Not only do they offer introductory flying experiences for first-timers, they also offer Foreign License Validations, Private Pilot Licences, and even Commercial Pilot Licenses for those who are serious about their future in flying. With huge airline carriers dotted around and instructions from Air Traffic Control coming in over the radio, a flying lesson with CTFC is a far cry from hopping in an old Cessna on a dusty airfield. Not only that, but students will also get to take in incredible views of the Cape Town skyline and gaze out over Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, all while controlling a light aircraft thousands of feet above ground.

Find out more information by visiting the Cape Town Flying Club website.

Situated on farmland between Durbanville and Malmesbury, Aerosport Flight Training is a small but well-established flying school offering a range of courses and lessons. Being one of the few academies to offer flights in a Gyrocopter, Aerosport stands out amongst the rest in terms of its range of services and personable instructors, with a passion for aviation that is evident every step of the way. Get behind the controls of a Cessna 172, weight-shift Microlight, or an innovative Gyrocopter for an introductory flight – or try all three! Being a flying school, of course Aerosport also offer training courses to start your journey towards a pilot’s licence, so you can work towards a Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, and many more all in the scenic surroundings of Western Cape.

Aerosport Flight Training can be found online on their website.

With ten top instructors, full-time and part-time courses, and availability from sunrise to sunset, Morningstar Flight Academy is perfect for first-time flyers who want to fit lessons around a schedule. Choose from a 30-minute or 60-minute introductory experience in their fleet of planes for a taste of the pilot life or opt for a more intensive course towards a licence – MFA have it all! Located only 25km north of Cape Town, Morningstar benefits from great weather and unparalleled views across the landscape, without the restrictions and limitations associated with flying in built-up areas. They’re also in the General Flying Area which means lessons are done efficiently and with more actual hands-on flying, so you come away with a greater sense of achievement and desire to do it all over again.

You can book flights or contact Morningstar on their website.

For our first flying school in KwaZulu-Natal we have Virginia Flight School, established in 1989. VFS is a highly reputable institution in the world of aviation, forming a community of pilots that goes beyond introductory flights or basic licence training, but involves support, encouragement and high-quality instruction to ensure students make the most of their time training at the academy. If it’s just the opportunity to fly a plane you’re after, then VFS offers an intro-flight that includes 30 minutes in the air with an expert pilot, and the chance to take control of the aircraft. If that gets you hooked, you can move on to more advanced courses and start working towards a licence! The thing that really sets Virginia Flight School out amongst the rest is their dedication to safety and regulation standards; their self-developed management system is one of the best in the country and they constantly strive to improve measures.

See for yourself on the VFS website.

Based at Virginia Airport, Durban Aviation Centre has been leading the way in piloting courses for the last thirty years, making them one of the oldest flying academies in South Africa. If you’re interested in gaining a pilot’s licence, whether it’s a Private Pilot Licence, Flight Instructor Rating, Commercial Pilot Licence, then Durban Aviation Centre is a great place to start. Their mission is simple, to provide dedicated one-on-one instruction to students from all walks of life, from expertly trained professional instructors with years of experience in the field. Being so centrally located, students benefit from top quality equipment and a well-established infrastructure that gives DAC an edge over other schools – and their large fleet of aircrafts means you can get to grips with a variety of controls and really build up your hours!

Call, email, or visit Durban Aviation Centre for more information.

You may have noticed that so far in this article, the price of flying lessons in South Africa has remained mostly shrouded in mystery. There are a couple of reasons for this; firstly, the pricing can be complicated depending on what you want to get from the lesson, so it’s easier to leave it out and discuss it with you directly, but secondly, lessons can often be expensive, and schools don’t want to put you off. Not Madiba Bay School of Flight though, they are the only academy in the country that advertises their prices online, claiming to be the cheapest flying school in South Africa! The school is located at Port Elizabeth International Airport, which they assert is the ‘best airport in Africa for training’, and it’s run with the students’ best interests at the core of the program.

View prices and find more details on their flying lessons, here.

Yes, light aircraft flying lessons in Mpumalanga do exist, and they’re actually some of the best in the country! Due to the flat landscape of the Mpumalanga Lowveld, the weather remains consistent and therefore perfect for flying, with very little chance of unexpected changes that could disrupt a training flight. Lowveld Aero Club, located at Nelspruit Airport, prides itself on being one of the more laidback flight schools, giving as much dedicated support to the students who want to fly for fun compared to those working towards a licence. As well as their fleet of aircrafts, LAC also has a high-tech flight simulator for those rainy Nelspruit days, so the training never has to end. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better flying school in Mpumalanga, and maybe even South Africa, as Lowveld Aero Club happens to be the oldest active aero club in ZA established in July 1956!

Western Transvaal Flying School is what you might call a no-frills academy. Based out of P.C. Pelser Aerodrome in Klerksdorp, the school was run by one instructor for the first fifteen years of its operation, before expanding its fleet and services but still maintaining a personal, ‘no strings attached’ approach to flight training. What you see is what you get with Western Transvaal; a dedicated team of professional pilots committed to furthering your flying career, or just as a means of fulfilling your dreams of flying an aircraft, all in the picturesque settings of the North West province. Whether it’s your PPL, CPL, Night Rating, Computer Based Training, or any other qualification you’re after, Western Transvaal has you covered!

View more information on the Western Transvaal Flying School website.