In this guide, we will look at a list of the best aero clubs in Île-de-France, how to travel to the region, licence requirements, and more.
Île-de-France is a region in north-central France that surrounds the universally famed capital, Paris. Known as an international centre for culture and jaw-dropping scenic views, the region’s landmarks include the Louvre, home to da Vinci’s "Mona Lisa," the iconic Eiffel Tower, and Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Even the surrounding areas of Île-de-France are full of forests, grand châteaux, and farms, making it one of the best places for private pilots to visit. Located roughly 830km from Sherburn, Île-de-France should be one of the top destinations for any pilot looking for a vibrant aviation community along with scenic views.
In this guide, we will look at a list of the best aero clubs in Île-de-France, how to travel to the region, licence requirements, and more.
What UK Pilots Need to Know Before Travelling to Île-de-France
UK pilots can fly outside of UK airspace, however, there are a few legal aspects that they need to keep in mind for a worry-free journey.
Here are some of the top requirements to keep in mind post-Brexit:
Licence Requirements
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), all UK pilots must get their licences validated before entering Île-de-France. Due to Brexit, UK pilot licences are no longer valid in the EU.
UK pilots must hold an EU-issued EASA licence or a UK Part-FCL licence that can grant them access to flights in EU airspace. Additionally, UK pilots may be required to apply for a French conversion for UK PPL licences or fly with an acceptable permit.
For the best experience, we recommend that you speak with a consultant at your aero club. Top-tier aero clubs, like Sherburn Aero Club, provide services that can make it easier to fulfil the minimum requirements for licence validation. Through these services, pilots can not only plan but also get approval for their flight plan in the shortest time possible.
Documentation
When crossing international borders, you may need to produce a comprehensive flight plan and all the necessary documents to authorities, if needed. UK pilots can submit their flight plan including the entry and exit points through Eurocontrol.
Customs Forms
As per recent regulations, UK pilots will be required to fill out customs clearance forms when they enter or exit foreign airspace. Please keep in mind that while these forms are readily available at larger airports, they may not be available at smaller airfields which is why you need to plan your entry and exit points appropriately.
Additional Certificates
UK CAA-issued medical certificates may not be valid for flying as per the recent EASA policies. To avoid problems, UK pilots may need to obtain or validate their medical certificates according to the EU standards. The best way to go about this is to consult with experts at your aero club. These experts can highlight all the requirements and help you through the process so that you can plan your trip without problems.
Best Aero Clubs in Île-de-France
Île-de-France is known for its scenic routes, breathtaking geographical features, beautiful coastal lines, and awe-inspiring manmade and natural structures. These qualities make Île-de-France one of the best places to fly!
Here is a list of some of the best aero clubs that you can visit in Île-de-France:
Aéroclub Les Ailerons (Enghien-Moisselles)
Located around 20 km from Paris, Aéroclub Les Ailerons is known for its historical importance and friendly atmosphere. The club provides bespoke flying lessons, private pilot licences (PPL), and even discovery flights.
The club operates from a dedicated aerodrome, which ensures minimal waiting time for takeoff and the benefit of several amenities that can enable visiting pilots to network more freely. The club has a fleet of around 9 aircraft and provides flight training at a highly competitive price which makes it an excellent choice for beginners and experienced pilots.
For the best experience make sure that you book your arrival in advance, have all the necessary documentation, and follow the specific policies for visiting pilots. Some clubs may have noise abatement policies that need to be followed, or pilots can face penalties and embarrassment.
Aero Club Paris Sud (Toussus-le-Noble)
Located just 15 minutes from Paris, Aero Club Paris Sud emphasises advanced pilot training offering PPL, night flying qualifications, and multi-engine operations.
The club has a well-maintained fleet including iconic aircraft such as the Cessnas, which are known for reliability and performance in various flying scenarios. The club has a strong emphasis on building foundational skills for aspiring pilots, and since it is ideally located in scenic geographical features, you can bet that you will get your money’s worth by visiting this aero club from Sherburn.
Aéroclub Dassault Île-de-France (ACDIF)
Aéroclub Dassault Île-de-France is one of the premier flight schools in the region. Known for its prestigious and professional training, the club features an ideal learning environment with friendly but competitive alumni. The club also regularly participates in aviation events which attract pilots from all around the region.
Furthermore, the club also offers a range of activities from initial training to advanced pilot certifications making it one of the best all-in-one aero clubs in the region. With a rich aviation culture and modern facilities, we think that this club will prove to be a great spot for visiting pilots.
Aéroclub de Paris
Located at the Toussus-le-Noble Aerodrome, Aero Club De Paris is perhaps one of the oldest aviation centres in the region. The club provides advanced private pilot training, scenic flights, and a well-maintained fleet. Since it is ideally located near manmade and geographical features, you can get scenic views and jaw-dropping horizons, which makes this club a great choice for visiting pilots who are bored of routine flights.
Aéroclub Paris-Est (Les Goélands)
This club is located at Lognes-Emerainville Aerodrome which itself has a longstanding and rich history in aviation. The club has been active since 1936! Being one of the oldest aviation centres in the region, it has accumulated a pool of expert trainers and facilities for flight training. Not only does this club provide comprehensive pilot training, including night and instrument ratings, but it also offers a variety of aircraft for various flying scenarios.
Aéroclub de Versailles
Situated at the Saint-Cyr-l'École aerodrome, Aéroclub de Versailles is known for its happening and friendly atmosphere making it a great place for visiting pilots. The club specialises in private pilot licences and light aircraft pilot licences, so you are bound to find new and even veteran pilots at the club. Furthermore, the club also features aerobatic flying experiences for those seeking a thrill. If you have been looking for something out of the ordinary, then we can’t recommend this club enough.
Aéroclub de La Brie
Located at Melun-Villaroche, this club offers excellent flight training and even aircraft rentals for people seeking a bit more control over how they fly. The club is known for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere and since it is located near manmade structures and scenic geographical features, we think that this club should be at the top of your list!
Aero Club Basics
Aero clubs are more than just community spaces where pilots get to meet and fly planes together. They are also full-fledged schools that are tasked with training next-generation pilots. This is why when you pick a flight school for commercial or private training, you need to make sure that you start with the best so that you can quickly obtain your licence.
Here are some important aspects that you need to keep in mind when picking an aeroclub:
Private Vs Commercial Pilot Training
Aviation has centred flight training in two categories: Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL).
In a nutshell, private pilot licences are for people who want to fly as a hobby and not take up a career in aviation. With this licence, you can fly under VFR conditions (or more if you have the right certifications) and enjoy custom flights depending on your needs or mood. On the other hand, the commercial pilot programme is for people looking to monetise their skills and earn from their passion for aviation. This licence produces capable pilots that can carry cargo and people. CPL holders are held to a higher standard and have stricter training requirements necessary to make them highly capable pilots.
Private pilots operate smaller lightweight aircraft called flex or fixed wings. These aircraft are agile and provide better handling which leads to a thrilling flight experience making it perfect for recreational flying.
Commercial pilots go on to operate larger aircraft. As mentioned above, these pilots are held to a completely higher standard due to their responsibilities. They are provided with in-depth training that exceeds the curriculum for private pilots. Furthermore, CPL holders also need to log more flight hours than private pilots. This level of advanced training makes them highly capable and allows them to safely operate large aircraft with precious cargo and lives on board.
In the context of costs, private pilot training is relatively cheaper than commercial training, but the benefit for commercial pilots is that they usually get jobs easily and can earn back from their training providing an efficient Return on Investment (ROI). They also follow a typical career ladder with increasing benefits as they progress in their career.
Don’t know where to begin? Then we recommend that you start with what you ultimately expect from your pilot licence. If you wish to fly light aircraft recreationally, then you should go with a Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) or a Private Pilot Licence (PPL).
A LAPL is an even more flexible and affordable licence than a private licence, however, since it has more relaxed requirements, it automatically places more flying restrictions and limitations compared to a PPL.
If you want to monetise your services, then the best licence for you would be the commercial pilot licence (CPL). This licence will allow you to fly large airliners and get paid for your services. You can even use your CPL for other commercial services like air ambulances, crop dusting, aerial survey services, and professional aerial photography.
The important thing to keep in mind is that not every flight school is designed to provide all types of training. Larger, more established flight schools like Sherburn are equipped with the faculty and facilities to provide both CPL and PPL training. However, most clubs focus only on private pilot training because it is more accessible and popular.
The great thing about licences is that the experience you gain from one licence can carry forward to your training. For example, if you start with a PPL, you can carry forward the flight hours and theoretical/practical knowledge towards a CPL in the future. However, if you want to pursue a CPL, then you will have to pick a full-fledged school like Sherburn to get the most out of your training expectations.
Training Services
The best way to get the most out of your flight training is to focus on a club that offers both the facilities and faculty for flight training.
Faculty is what will enable you to gain experience and build intuition while the facilities will play a supporting role that enriches training and allows you to become a capable pilot. Facilities like simulator training which is required for a CPL are mandatory and if your flight school doesn’t have the right facilities, then you may not be able to get the most out of your admission.
The quality and experience of flight instructors are also of utmost importance! Pilots trained by veteran and trained instructors are more likely to come out ahead and quickly obtain their licences than new pilots trained by inexperienced instructors.
Budgeting
Flight training is expensive – there are no two ways about it! Since flight training requires considerable real estate, facilities, additional services, and faculty, aero clubs transfer this cost to the students. This is why budgeting is so important.
Don’t worry though, most flight schools provide scholarships, deals, discounts, or other monetary incentives that can help with budgeting. However, you should keep in mind that typical flight training costs depend on the type of program you choose. Private pilot training ranges from a couple of hundred to thousands of pounds while CPL training can go for around several thousand pounds.
The right way to go about budgeting is to figure out your ceiling for training costs. Then, filter the right flight schools according to your needs and see if these schools offer additional monetary benefits that you can use to bring down costs. We also recommend visiting or speaking to someone from the club to get a better idea about the training experience, total costs, and what you can expect from the Aero Club.
WHY CHOOSE SHERBURN AERO CLUB
Sherburn Aero Club, which has been operational since 1964, is the ideal place for most of your training and flying needs. It is one of the largest flying clubs in the North of England and also one of the largest in the country.
If you wish to begin your career in aviation or wish to take to the skies as a hobby, Sherburn’s flight training school offers private and commercial licences, along with pilot medicals to ensure a smooth journey going forward.
For those who wish to experience the thrill of a flight for fun or to help fuel their aviation dreams, Sherburn offers experience flights for the newbie, as well as the veteran in various types of light aircraft.
With a large fleet of new aircraft and an airfield refurbishment with new runways, hangars, and an extended clubhouse, we cater to brand-new flyers who have just started their journey to the skies, as well as seasoned flyers who have been operating aircraft for decades.
The flight experience option is also available for people who wish to take to the skies for special occasions, even if they aren’t into aviation in the long run.
Sherburn offers a dedicated day-long Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL) course for those wishing to get the certification, running the first Sunday of every month.
In addition to that, if you are looking for a hangarage for your own aircraft, need servicing or repairs, want to buy a new aircraft or aviation equipment, or are just looking to enjoy and watch the aircraft, Sherburn Aero Club is the place to be.
Call us at 01977 682 674, email us at flightdesk@sherburnaeroclub.com, or message us via our online contact form for more information on light aircraft, training requirements, fee structure, licencing procedures, as well as experience flights and pilot training at Sherburn.
Photo by Joe deSousa on Unsplash
