Learn To Fly

What Learn To Fly does

Learn To Fly is a privately held flight training school operating primarily at Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne, Australia, founded in 2013 by Hong Kong investors to serve Asian — predominantly Hong Kong, Singaporean, and Taiwanese — students seeking internationally recognized commercial pilot qualifications. The school delivers a full ladder of CASA-accredited courses ranging from trial introductory flights and starter sets through Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL), Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), and Flight Instructor Rating (FIR), packaged primarily as two RTO-certified diploma programs: the AVI50222 Diploma of Aviation (CPL, 60 weeks, AUD $89,950) and the AVI50519 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating, 13 weeks, AUD $38,500).

Core training infrastructure comprises a 28-aircraft fleet (Diamond DA40/DA42, Cessna 172, Piper Seminole, Sling LSA, Super Decathlon, Foxbat) equipped with Garmin G1000 glass cockpit avionics, supplemented by four flight simulators (TRC 472, ALSIM AL42, Boeing 737-800, X-Plane 11), over 55,000 sq ft of training facilities, an on-site maintenance hangar, and company-owned student accommodation near the airport. The school holds CASA Part 142 accreditation (via partnership with Australian Pilot Training Alliance) and dual RTO/CRICOS registration, enabling it to issue qualifications recognized across all 191 ICAO member countries and to enroll international students on student visas.

Revenue is generated through multi-year course tuition (the dominant stream), usage-based aircraft rental by the hour, recurring student accommodation, and one-time trial flights and experience packages. Go-to-market combines a community-led approach in Hong Kong with regional consultant offices in Singapore and Taiwan, online direct enrollment, in-person information sessions, and Chinese-language content marketing. Since 2017, a partnership with Prepared Consultancy Australia has added airline interview coaching, and the school claims 250+ graduates placed at major carriers including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, and Virgin Australia.

Name

Learn To Fly

Legal name

Learn To Fly

Website

https://learntofly.com.hk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Learn To Fly is a Hong Kong-owned, Melbourne-based flight training school delivering CASA-accredited pilot licensing and diploma programs primarily to Asian students from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan seeking commercial airline careers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flight Training

NAICS

Flight Training (611512)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services (THABAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

Keywords

• Flight training courses
• Pilot licensing programs
• Aviation education services
• Commercial pilot training
• Flight school

Headquarters

HQ city

Moorabbin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Flight Training Courses: Comprehensive aviation diploma and pilot licensing courses including CPL, PPL, RPL, and instrument ratings. Revenue generated through course fees for full-time diploma programs and individual course enrollments.
2. Flight Training Hours: Aircraft rental fees charged per flight hour for students requiring additional practice or building flight time. Students pay hourly rates to rent aircraft for solo flights or extra training.
3. Student Accommodation: On-campus student housing providing accommodation services for international students. Revenue generated from nightly and monthly rental rates for student dormitories near Moorabbin Airport.
4. Trial Flights and Experience Packages: Introductory flight experiences and add-on services including GoPro video recording, 360-degree video, and flight certificates for recreational customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Learn To Fly runs a professional flight training school at Moorabbin Airport, Melbourne, delivering individual pilot licensing courses (RPL, PPL, CPL, ICAO licence conversion), CASA-accredited Diploma of Aviation programmes (AVI50222 CPL and AVI50519 Instrument Rating), and a suite of endorsements and ratings on Diamond DA40 and DA42 aircraft fitted with Garmin G1000 avionics. Revenue is generated through tuition for full-time diploma programmes and individual courses, hourly aircraft rental, and recurring student accommodation near the training base.

Product overview

Learn To Fly is a Hong Kong-owned flight school operating at Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne, Australia since 2013, offering a comprehensive portfolio of pilot training programmes and aviation services. The core offering consists of progressive pilot licence courses: Trial Introductory Flight (TIF) for体验 flight, Learn To Fly Starter Set for beginners, First Solo Flight Course, and full licence pathways including Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL), Private Pilot Licence (PPL), and Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). These are complemented by two diploma programmes — AVI50222 Diploma of Aviation (CPL, 60 weeks, AUD $89,950) and AVI50519 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating, 13 weeks, AUD $38,500) — both RTO-certified (Code 45684) and CRICOS-registered. Advanced endorsements and ratings cover Night VFR, Multi-Engine Class Rating, MECIR, Formation Flying, Aerobatics & Spinning, Tailwheel Undercarriage, and Flight Instructor Rating with Grade 1/2 upgrades. Career-oriented products include the Future Cadet Pilot Program (FCPP) with airline interview coaching and Boeing 737 simulator experience, plus standalone Airline Interview Coaching sessions via Prepared Consultancy Australia (PCA). Theory delivery spans RPL, PPL, CPL, and IREX examinations through classroom, Zoom, or self-paced online formats. Supporting infrastructure includes a 28-aircraft fleet (Sling LSA, Cessna 172, Diamond DA40, Diamond DA42, Piper Seminole, Super Decathlon, Foxbat), four flight simulators (TRC 472, ALSIM AL42, Boeing 737-800, X-Plane 11), and on-campus student accommodation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence - Aeroplane) AVI50222 60-week full-time integrated CPL diploma programme covering 153.5 flight training hours; priced at AUD $89,950 and targeted at aspiring commercial pilots seeking international airline careers.
• Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating) AVI50519 13-week full-time programme combining Multi-Engine Class Rating and MECIR training; includes 50.9 flight training hours and is priced at AUD $38,500.
• Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Licence programme enabling pilots to fly for commercial purposes, combining 150 hours of flight training, theory, and simulator training.
• Private Pilot Licence (PPL) Licence enabling pilots to fly anywhere within Australia with up to 5 passengers; combines 30 hours of flight training and navigation skills.
• Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) Entry-level pilot licence allowing pilots to fly aircraft up to 1,500 kg MTOW with up to 3 passengers within 25 nautical miles of the departure airport.
• ICAO Pilot Licence Conversion Course converting ICAO-issued PPL or CPL licences to Australian CASA-recognised licences through theory exams and flight tests, for pilots from other ICAO member countries.
• Flight Instructor Rating (FIR) Instructor qualification including 35 hours flight training and PMI theory with Grade 3 Training Endorsement, enabling pilots to teach flight training and accumulate PIC hours.
• Future Cadet Pilot Program (FCPP) Comprehensive cadet pilot preparation programme combining flight training, airline interview coaching, aviation English, and Boeing 737 simulator experience, offered in Lite (5 hrs), Solo (15 hrs), and RPL (25 hrs) options.
• Airline Interview Coaching Session Standalone airline interview coaching session covering HR interview preparation, technical questions, group exercises, and team practice, delivered with former airline captains via Prepared Consultancy Australia.
• Trial Introductory Flight (TIF) Introductory flight experience of 30 or 60 minutes under instructor supervision, with add-ons such as GoPro video, 360-degree video, and flight certificates for recreational customers.
• Learn To Fly Starter Set Entry-level flight training tier combining theory, simulator, and 3 to 10 hours of flight training in Lite, Standard, and Plus packages.
• First Solo Flight Course Dedicated 15-hour professional flight training course combining theory and simulation training, designed to take students to their first solo flight.
• RPL Theory Course Theory course covering aerodynamics, meteorology, aircraft general knowledge, human factors, aviation law, navigation, and flight planning, with classroom, Zoom, or self-paced online options.
• PPL Theory Course Advanced theory course building on RPL knowledge, covering flight planning, navigation, weather, aircraft systems, and aviation law, delivered online or face-to-face.
• CPL Theory Course Comprehensive theory course covering all seven CPL theory modules: Aerodynamics, Meteorology, General Knowledge, Human Factors, Air Law, Navigation, and Flight Planning & Performance.
• Instrument Rating Examination (IREX) Theory Course Theory preparation for the IREX exam covering IFR principles, radio navigation, GNSS, PBN, meteorology, departure/arrival/approach procedures, and human factors.
• Night Visual Flight Rules (NVFR) Rating Rating enabling pilots to operate aircraft in dark environments, extending operational flexibility for longer flights that may end after sunset.
• Multi-Engine Class Rating Rating allowing pilots to operate multi-engine aircraft on the Diamond DA42 Twin Star with Garmin G1000 avionics, covering VFR operations and engine failure procedures.
• Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating (MECIR) Advanced rating combining simulator and aircraft training on Piper Seminole and Diamond DA42 to fly multi-engine aircraft in adverse weather under IFR.
• Student Accommodation Double-storey student housing at 5 Kallista Court, Cheltenham, 15-minute walk from Moorabbin Airport and the training base, with utilities and high-speed internet included.
• Aircraft Rental (hourly) Hourly rental of training aircraft such as the Sling LSA for solo flight hours and extra practice, priced per flight hour.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ students successfully joined airlines since 2017
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prepared Consultancy Australia (PCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017PCA provides airline interview coaching services in collaboration with Learn To Fly. The partnership delivers specialized interview preparation programs led by former airline captains, contributing to over 250 successful airline placements since 2017. PCA founder John Sabato provides interview training while Learn To Fly provides flight training integration.
• Australian Pilot Training Alliance (APTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with APTA enabled Learn To Fly Melbourne to achieve CASA Part 142 certification, providing accreditation for comprehensive flight training programs. Part 142 status indicates higher regulatory standards and quality assurance for integrated training programs.
• Griffith UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation pathway partnership allowing Learn To Fly graduates to pursue Bachelor of Aviation degree at Griffith University with 80 credit points advanced standing. Students can complete diploma programs at Learn To Fly then continue to university degree.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ATP Flight School: Largest flight school in the United States with structured airline-oriented career pilot programs. Comparable integrated training-to-airline model, though operating in a different geographic and regulatory market.

Broad incumbents

• FlightSafety International: Global aviation training giant offering pilot training across multiple aircraft types for airlines, governments, and individuals. Adjacent competitor with broader portfolio and deeper resources, particularly for advanced/type-rating training that may eventually overlap with LTF's career development programs.
• BAE Systems Flight Training: Large defense contractor with flight training operations globally, serving military and commercial customers. Comparable in scale of training infrastructure and end-to-end pilot development pathways, though more defense-skewed.

Direct peers

• Australian National Aviation College (ANAC): Australian CRICOS-registered flight training provider offering diploma and CPL pathways similar to Learn To Fly's integrated programs. Competes directly for the same international student segment.
• Airways Aviation: Flight training academy with operations in Australia and Europe offering integrated CPL and ATPL pathways targeting international students. Highly comparable value proposition: airline-track pilot training with cadet program support.
• Flight One Australasia: Australian flight training school operating from Moorabbin Airport with a comparable fleet of Diamond and Cessna aircraft. Directly competes with Learn To Fly for the same Australian and international student pilot pool.
• CAE (Oxford Aviation Academy): CAE acquired Oxford Aviation Academy to become one of the largest global pilot training organizations, offering integrated ATPL/cadet programs with airline placement. Directly comparable to Learn To Fly as an integrated training-to-airline pathway provider, though at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Singapore Flying College: Singapore-based flight training organization serving regional cadets and major Asian airline partners. Regional peer serving a similar Southeast Asian student pipeline that Learn To Fly targets through its Singapore office.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/LearnToFlyMelbourneMoorabbinAirport
• Instagraminstagram.com/learntoflymelbourne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Learn To Fly