First published: May 29, 2019
Updated: June 6, 2021
Most of us harbored dreams of becoming pilots. These dreams remained just that-dreams. Fees to train as a pilot in Kenya is prohibitive for the majority of the population. However, the career is very rewarding; for example, Kenya Airways (KQ) with its many financial woes pays its Captains a staggering monthly salary of Sh1.6 million ($160 000). Flying a commercial plane is expensive especially for those who train in Kenya as KQ opts for South African trained pilots.
In a past interview on a local daily, ex-director-general of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) Mr Hillary Kioko said “pilots coming out of schools such as Kenya School of Flying, and Nairobi Flight Training find it hard to break into the commercial airlines sector since they need re-training to build up their flight hours and experience required to fly commercial planes.”
“If you were trained to fly a Cessna 182, you cannot fly an Air Bus or Embraer, and failure to keep flying after school renders you redundant,” Mr Kioko said.
Requirements in Kenya School Of Flying and Fees
Must be 16 years and above.
KCSE C+ and C+ in Mathematics, English, Geography and any one science.
A medical fitness certificate from an accredited Aviation Medical examiner.
Copies of : Academic Papers, ID/Birth Certificate/Passport.
6 passport size photos: Three Normal size and three 2cm x 2.5cm
Three internal written evaluation in Maths, English and Psychometric Testing.
Five lessons of flight assessment.
Course Period
The course takes between 4 months to 6 months and involves:
45 flying hours and revision
General flight test
Ground school instruction course
Morse code tutorial
Students will be assessed by a KCAA GFT examiner.
Fee Structure
Phase 1: PPL (Approx. 4 – 6 Months) Minimum Charges
| Item | Cost (Ksh) |
|---|---|
| Flying hours and Revision: 45 hours @ Ksh 14,360 | 646,200 |
| Ground School Instruction Course | 45,000 |
| Stationery, Equipment and Uniform | 101,600 |
| First Aid Course by St. John Ambulance | 9,500 |
| *Accomodation at Orly: 45 days @ 1,500 | 67,500 |
| *Return Ticket to Malindi/Ukunda (Approx.) | 20,000 |
| *Accommodation at Malindi: 60 days @ 1,500 | 90,000 |
| Air Navigation Service charges | 15,000 |
| TOTAL | 994,800 |
| KCAA FEES | |
| KCAA PPL GFT booking | 2,000 |
| KCAA PPL Ground Exams/RT/Eng. Prof. | 14,000 |
| KCAA PPL License Application | 3,200 |
| TOTAL | 19,200 |
| Approximate Minimum Grand Total | 1,014,000 |
| PPL KCAA Examiner Fees (Paid direct to the Examiner) = USD 200 | |
This course takes eight to twelve months, and involves:
- A further 155 flying hours
- CPL ground school
Fee Structure
Phase 2: CPL (Approx. 8 – 12 Months) Minimum charges
| Item | Cost (Ksh) |
|---|---|
| Flying 155 hours above the 45 PPL hours @ Ksh 14,360 | 2,225,800 |
| 3 hours for the General Flight Test (GFT) @ Ksh 14,360 | 43,080 |
| CPL Ground School | 60,000 |
| *Accommodation at Orly/Malindi: 90 days @ 1,500/= | 135,000 |
| *Return ticket to Malindi/Ukunda (Approx.) | 20,000 |
| TOTAL | 2,483,880 |
| KCAA FEES | |
| KCAA CPL Ground Exams | 20,000 |
| KCAA TTR C210 | 5,000 |
| KCAA Gas Turbine & Perf. A Exam | 4,100 |
| KCAA CPL GFT booking | 2,000 |
| KCAA License Application | 4,500 |
| TOTAL | 35,600 |
| Approximate Minimum Grand Total | 2,519,480 |
| CPL KCAA Examiner Fees (Paid direct to the Examiner) = USD 400 | |
This course takes six weeks. KCAA regulation 67 Part II requires 45 hours initial instrument hours broken into:
- 20 hours on approved simulator
- 25 hours on Twin Seneca PA34
Fee Structure
Phase 3: Multi/Ratings (Approx. 2 Months) Minimum Charges
| Item | Cost (Ksh) |
|---|---|
| 20 hours approved simulator @ Ksh 6,500 per hour | 130,000 |
| 25 hours on Twin Seneca PA 34 @ Ksh 42,780 per hour | 1,069,500 |
| 3 hours for the General Flight Test (GFT) @ Ksh 42,780 | 128,340 |
| Approximate Minimum Cost | 1,327,840 |
Fee Structure
Chargeable by KCAA
| KCAA TTR PA 34 | 5,000 |
| KCAA Exam Booking | 4,000 |
| KCAA Multi/IR License Endorsement | 4,000 |
| TOTAL | 13,000 |
| Approximate Minimum Cost | 1,340,840 |
| MULTI/IR KCAA Examiner Fees (Paid direct to the Examiner) = USD 500 | |
| SUMMARY APPROXIM. MINIMUM COST FOR COMPLETE COURSE | |
| KCAA Reg.67 (PEL) Part II requires 45 hours initial instrument hours broken into: | |
| Phase 1 PPL | 1,014,000 |
| Phase 2 CPL | 2,519,480 |
| Phase 3 Multi/IR | 1,340,840 |
| Approximate Minimum Cost | 4,874 ,320 |
