Training Phases

Phase One: The PPL (Private Pilot Course)

From your very first lesson you will receive flight training designed to you to be a professional pilot. The approach at Fuze is to build solid foundations in the early stages of the training which will stand the student in good stead for the rest of their flying career. You will learn that piloting is a multi-disciplined skill and that the quality of your preparation and your attitude are paramount to success.

Besides the minimum of 50 hours of flight training the PPL Course includes a number of theoretical courses and examinations. At Fuze you will receive extensive ground lectures at all stages of the training, we believe in solid preparation before flight. As well as these scheduled one to one briefings you will attend a Radio Course for the Restricted Radio License, an English Proficiency Test, and PPL ground school in preparation for the eight PPL examinations. Students lacking in English proficiency will be accommodated with further tuition.

Besides the minimum of 50 hours of flight training the PPL Course includes a number of theoretical courses and examinations. At Fuze you will receive extensive ground lectures at all stages of the training, we believe in solid preparation before flight. As well as these scheduled one to one briefings you will attend a Radio Course for the Restricted Radio License, an English Proficiency Test, and PPL ground school in preparation for the eight PPL examinations. Students lacking in English proficiency will be accommodated with further tuition.

Phase Two: The Night Rating

As part of the PPL students receive a minimum of five hours of Instrument training. The Night rating begins with an additional five hours of IF training in preparation for night flight. At this stage of the training we have included modules on more advanced aspects of Instrument flight procedures as a precursor to the Instrument Rating training. 

At least three hours of this training will be conducted on our approved flight simulator. Of course, the Night rating includes circuits and navigation exercises to be flown at night. Once the student has passed the written examination, they will then undertake a flight test with an experienced examiner.

Phase Three: Advanced Flight Training & Hour Building

The syllabus at this stage of training is broken down into seven modules each of which includes a combination of solo General handling, Solo Navigation, solo Night Flying and dual checks. The dual checks are designed to  monitor the progress of the student, considering that the majority of this training is solo flying. Some dual checks will be conducted on the simulator in order to consolidate and to learn new Instrument flying skills.

There are a number of compulsory navigation flights built into the course including international and flights to the busy airspace around Johannesburg. These flights are designed to build the right kind of experience and expose the student to challenging situations. Students will be paired off and encouraged to fly together on the more challenging navigation flights. Instruction will be given on basic multi crew cooperation and students will be expected to work together as a team in the cockpit.

During the briefing in preparation for this course the skills test forms for the Instrument rating and the CPL test will be reviewed. The objective here is to begin preparation for the final flight tests by considering the exercises to be flown and the allowable tolerances. During solo flight training exercises the student can work toward achieving the high standards required in the final flight tests. An important aspect of this phase is the involvement of your instructor who will mentor you through the course. As well as the regular dual checks there are a number of important briefings in the course. These regular meetings between student and instructor allow the trainee pilot to touch base with the instructor. The instructor will check the student’s progress and guide them through the training process.

On completion of each solo flight the student will fill in a self evaluation of his or her performance including a summary of their flying hours. This part of the course includes important modules on Crew Resource Management (CRM) which explores human aspects of piloting. Briefings will be conducted on topics such as Stress Management, Communication Skills and Situational awareness. During this phase of the training the student will attend CPL ground school in preparation for the written examinations. It is compulsory for the student to pass the written examinations before the final phase of the training is commenced.

Phase Four: Simulator Training & Practical Ground School

The flights on the simulator are designed to be as comprehensive as possible developing skills such as procedural instrument approaches, CRM, engine and fuel management, instrument flying and radio/ATC factors to name a few. Good preparation here will allow for a smooth transition into the aircraft. 

Extensive briefing on law and in particular low visibility procedures and Instrument Procedural law prepare the student for the real world. During this phase of training the student will be exposed to a multitude of emergency simulations, preparing for real world emergencies. What sets Fuze apart from other flight schools is this attention to detail and preparation of pilots for the real world.

Phase Five: Commercial Flight Test Preparation

Phase five consist of flight training in the one of our advanced aircraft as well as the FNPT II flight simulator. Again students are paired off and will sit in the back of the aircraft during training flights as an observer. This extra exposure is invaluable experience as the student learns from the mistakes of his peers.

The training includes precision and non-precision approaches at Newcastle, Ladysmith, Pietermaritzburg, and King Shaka International airports. On-line training is conducted on flights to nearby Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg where there are two non-precision approaches available. Besides the procedural instrument training, this phase includes general handling lessons, night flying and a series of rigorous pre-test flights and mock oral tests and is concluded with a CRM course. The flight test will be conducted by a CAA appointed designated examiner.

Course Description

This learning program takes the candidate from zero experience and prepares them to hold a Commercial Pilot Licence with Instrument and Multiengine Rating. Whilst our learning programmes meet the requirements of the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) they go a step further. in line with our philosophy toward nurturing and equipping our cadets with skill sets that the industry requires we include modules in Quality Management, Crew Resource Management, Commercial/Airline Operations, Communication Skills and Risk assessment which make our flight training product unique. The full time Professional Pilot program is designed to be completed in 18 months

Entry Requirements

  • Applicants will be required to pass a pre-enrolment assessment, this is conducted at Fuze Aviation Academy and includes a mathematics, English language, aptitude test, interview and simulator check ride. This assessment uses internationally proven criteria designed to assess the suitability of a candidate to act as a pilot.
  • Learners may enrol at the age of 16 but may not test for the Commercial Pilot Licence until they are 18 years of age. Applicants should be able to converse, comprehend and write fluently in the English language.
  • Applicants should be proficient in Mathematics and Science.
  • Applicants are to pass a Class one medical with an approved aviation Doctor.

Qualification upon graduation

  • SACAA Commercial Pilot Licence with Instrument and Multi Engine Ratings.
  • General Radio Licence.
  • Quality Management Certificate.
  • Crew Resource Management Certificate.

Module One: Private Pilot Licence

  • 35 Dual flight hours, minimum
  • 15 Solo flight hours, minimum
  • 20 Instructor briefing hours
  • Ground school lectures 8 subjects
  • Restricted Radio licence course
  • Introduction to Quality Management module QAM1
  • SOP and Flight Operations Awareness
  • Introduction to CRM module CRM1
  • 8 SACAA PPL examinations completed

Module Two: Night Rating

  • 8 Dual flight hours, minimum
  • 2 Simulator flight hours, minimum
  • 10 Instructor briefing hours

Module Three: Advanced Training and Solo Consolidation

  • 85 Solo flight hours, minimum
  • 2 Simulator flight hours, minimum
  • 10 Instructor briefing hours
  • Ground school lectures 8 subjects
  • Quality Assurance module QAM2
  • CRM module CRM2

Module Four: Test Preparation

  • 20 Dual flight hours (multi engine), minimum
  • 18 Simulator flight hours (multi engine), minimum
  • 20 Instructor briefing hours
  • Advanced systems training module AST1
  • Performance Based Navigation module PBN1