Private Pilot Licence
Learn to fly at Zimbabwe’s oldest flight school — and take friends and family flying over the highveld on a licence that’s the foundation for every pilot career.
About the course
The licence that starts it all
A Private Pilot Licence lets you fly an aeroplane yourself — for the joy of it, to reach a farm or lodge, or to share the view with friends and family on private flights.
You’ll fly our Cessna 172s, one of the world’s most popular training aircraft. Ground school runs in an online virtual classroom you can start at any time, with five four-week classroom courses a year for recaps, questions and radio telephony practice.
What it lets you do
- Act as pilot-in-command or co-pilot on private, non-revenue flights
- Take passengers — friends and family — on private flights
- Fly at night once you add a Night Rating
- Build towards an Instrument Rating and a Commercial Pilot Licence
Using your licence
What can you use a PPL for?
With a PPL you can
- Fly for the fun of it — local flights over the highveld, or weekend trips to places like Kariba and Victoria Falls
- Take family and friends flying on private flights
- Fly yourself to a farm, a lodge, a meeting or another town — as long as nobody pays you for the flight
- Fly single-engine aeroplanes you hold a class rating for, such as our Cessna 172
- Keep building hours and experience towards a Commercial Pilot Licence
What it doesn’t cover — yet
- Being paid to flyCommercial Pilot Licence
- Flying at nightNight Rating
- Flying in cloud or under instrument rulesInstrument Rating
- Other aircraft types and multi-engine aeroplanesType & Class Ratings
To fly as pilot-in-command you also need a valid medical, a licence that’s renewed every 24 months, and recent experience: 3 take-offs and landings in the previous 90 days.
Before you start
- Be at least 16 to start training on a Student Pilot Licence, and 17 for the PPL itself
- A Class 2 medical from a CAAZ-designated Aviation Medical Examiner — we’ll point you to one in Harare
- English at ICAO Level 4 — an O Level pass at C or better is recommended
- Good general health; corrected eyesight is usually fine, as long as you carry a spare pair of glasses when flying
- A CAAZ security gate pass for the airfield: two passport photos and fingerprints taken at any police station and vetted at Morris Depot
Minimum experience
| Total flight time | 40 hrs |
|---|---|
| Dual instruction | 20 hrs |
| Supervised solo | 10 hrs |
| Solo cross-country | 5 hrs |
| Qualifying solo cross-country | 270 km (150 NM) 2 full-stop landings |
Minimums from the Civil Aviation (Personnel Licensing) Regulations, 2019 (S.I. 176 of 2019), Thirteenth Schedule (35 hrs on a CAAZ-approved integrated course; up to 5 hrs may be in a simulator). Most students need more than the minimum.
Your training journey
How the course runs
Enrol & try it
Enrolments run Monday to Friday, 08:00–13:00. Not sure yet? Book an introductory flight first.
Ground school & SPL
Start the online ground school any time and get your Student Pilot Licence. CAAZ sets a knowledge test before your first solo.
Fly to first solo
Effects of controls, circuits, stalls, forced landings and flying by instruments alone — until you’re ready to go solo.
Navigate & qualify
Dual and solo cross-country flying, including the 150 NM qualifying flight, then your skill test with a CAAZ examiner.
Ground school
Nine subjects, taught for real flying
Exams & test
CAAZ sets the knowledge exams and the pass mark is 75%. Exams are written at CAAZ Head Office, Harare International Airport, and are moving to CAAZ’s computer-based PEXO system. PPL passes stay valid for 12 months.
Skill test: flown with a CAAZ examiner over a navigation route with at least three waypoints — hold height within ±150 ft and heading within ±10°.
Afterwards: the licence is valid for 24 months and is renewed with a proficiency check.
Why it matters
Trained to understand, not just to pass
“In the absence of all other standards, maintain your own.” — the standard we hold ourselves to.
A licence is the start, not the goal. What counts is how you handle the moment something doesn’t go to plan — and that comes down to how deeply you were trained.
Over the years, Guthrie-trained pilots have gone on to fly for — and reach the senior levels of — some of the world’s most recognised airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Qatar Airways, and to serve as chief pilots for corporate operators and private families.
Training at Charles Prince (FVCP)
Learn where flying asks more of you
Charles Prince sits high on the Harare plateau. Training at altitude builds performance planning and density-altitude awareness into every flight — skills that travel anywhere.
A CAAZ Approved Training Organisation (certificate 0006), also approved by the Ministry of Higher Education (0162/98). Training here since 1995.
Your knowledge exams are written at CAAZ Head Office at Harare International Airport, a short drive across town.
Questions
Frequently asked
How long does a PPL take?
It depends on how often you can fly and on the weather. The legal minimum is 40 flight hours; most of our students need up to 50. Ground school can start at any time and should be completed within 12 months.
Can I try flying before I commit?
Yes — book an introductory flight with one of our instructors. It’s the best way to find out if flying is for you.
I wear glasses. Can I still fly?
Usually, yes. Corrected eyesight is generally acceptable, provided you always carry a spare pair when flying. Your Aviation Medical Examiner will confirm.
How long is a Class 2 medical valid?
60 months if you’re under 40, 24 months between 40 and 50, and 12 months over 50.
I already hold a foreign licence. Can I fly in Zimbabwe?
Yes. A foreign PPL can be validated by CAAZ after an Air Law exam and a proficiency check, or converted to a Zimbabwean licence. Ask us and we’ll walk you through it.
What can I do after my PPL?
Plenty. Add a Night Rating to fly after dark, an Instrument Rating to fly in cloud, or type and class ratings to fly other aircraft — such as our Cessna 182 or Cirrus SR22, or multi-engine aeroplanes. Or carry on to a Commercial Pilot Licence — your PPL hours count towards it.
Request information
Ask us about the PPL
Tell us where you are now and what you’d like to achieve. We’ll come back with the next intake, a training plan and costs.
Take the first step
Book an introductory flight or ask about the next ground school intake.