Flight Training London
UK private flight school founded in 2012, based at London Elstree Aerodrome, offering pay-as-you-fly pilot training from trial lessons through to commercial licences and instrument ratings, with a diversified fleet and simulator.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersElstree, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Flight Training London does
Flight Training London is a UK private flight school founded in 2012 and headquartered at London Elstree Aerodrome (Hogg Lane, Elstree). It delivers pilot training across the full recreational-to-commercial spectrum, including trial lessons, NPPL, PPL, CPL, IMC Rating, Instrument Rating (IR/CBIR/MEIR), Multi-Engine Piston Rating, Night Rating, Complex Aircraft Checkout, Flight Instructor Course (FIC), licence conversions and revalidation/renewal services. Co-founder and Chief Flying Instructor Ivan Kurbanov, a CAA Examiner with over 12,000 hours of instructional experience, anchors the instruction team. Technology assets consist of a diversified fleet (Cessna 152, Piper PA28 Warrior/Archer/Arrow, Diamond DA40, Diamond DA42 NG twin) and an Alsim DA42 NG FNPT II flight simulator used for instrument training.
Revenue is generated through usage-based flight and simulator instruction, self-fly aircraft hire, ground school (PPL £40/hr, FIC £45/hr, MEP/CPL/MEIR/CBIR £55/hr), annual membership (general £195/year; commercial-course £30/month or £195/year), trial-lesson and gift-voucher sales via a WooCommerce webshop (£100–£1,000 denominations), and CAA exam/administrative pass-through fees. The pricing model is uniformly pay-as-you-fly with no large upfront course contracts. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: website + webshop for discovery and gifting, open days and organic social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok) for top-of-funnel, and in-person conversion at the Elstree aerodrome.
Customer segments are primarily individual recreational pilots and aspiring commercial pilots, with secondary segments for UK-only NPPL candidates, foreign-licence holders (Part-FCL conversions) and frequent flying passengers (Co-Pilot Course). The funnel is anchored on the trial lesson, after which the majority of the PPL value chain is captured internally; cross-sell into ratings, advanced training and self-hire provides downstream revenue per customer.
Flight Training London firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Flight Training London
- Legal name
- Flight Training London
- Website
- https://flighttraininglondon.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- UK private flight school founded in 2012, based at London Elstree Aerodrome, offering pay-as-you-fly pilot training from trial lessons through to commercial licences and instrument ratings, with a diversified fleet and simulator.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Flight Training London industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aviation Training Services
- NAICS
- Flight Training (611512)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services (THABAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Flight Training London is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elstree
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Flight Training London business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Flight Training Instruction: Core revenue stream from providing flight instruction across multiple licence and rating programs. Customers pay per hour for instruction with aircraft, with rates varying by aircraft type and rating being pursued. Payment is made after each flight session (pay-as-you-fly model).
- Aircraft Self-Hire: Licensed pilots can hire aircraft when not requiring instruction. Prices are based on tacho time plus a per takeoff/landing charge. Provides independent flying opportunities for qualified pilots.
- Trial Lessons and Experience Flights: Introductory flight experiences sold as vouchers for 30-minute and 60-minute flights in various aircraft. Counts as first lesson toward PPL/NPPL. Sold through e-commerce shop.
- Membership Fees: Annual membership at £195/year for general members, or £30/month or £195/year for commercial course members. Provides access to facilities and reduced friction for ongoing training.
- Examinations and Administrative Fees: Ground exam fees (£45-55), flight exam fees (£250), and other CAA administrative charges for licence issuance.
- Gift Vouchers and Merchandise: Pre-paid vouchers in £100, £250, £500, and £1000 denominations. Also sells pilot merchandise including branded mugs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Lessons - Cessna 152 (2-seater) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Lessons - Piper PA28 (4-seater) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Lessons - Diamond DA40 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Lessons - Diamond DA42 NG Twin-engine |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | PPL Training - C152 |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | PPL Training - PA28 Warrior |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | PPL Training - PA28 Archer |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | PPL Training - Diamond DA40 |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | ME IR / MEP Training - Diamond DA42 NG |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Self-Hire Aircraft Rental |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ground School |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Gift Vouchers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Flight Training London product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Flight Training London is a private flight school based at London Elstree Aerodrome that provides pilot training from trial lessons through to commercial licences and instructor ratings. It offers pay-as-you-fly instruction using a diverse fleet of general aviation aircraft (Cessna, Piper, Diamond) and an FNPT II simulator, alongside aircraft self-hire and licence revalidation services for individual pilots.
Product overview
Flight Training London operates as a flight school offering a comprehensive portfolio of aviation training products and services. The core offerings include trial/experience flights and structured licence programmes (PPL, CPL, NPPL). The company provides modular add-on ratings including Night Rating, IMC Rating, Instrument Rating (IR & CBIR), Multi-Engine Piston (MEP), Complex Aircraft Checkout, and Flight Instructor Course (FIC). Additional services include licence conversions for international pilots, revalidations and renewals, and self-fly hire for licensed pilots. An online shop sells gift vouchers, training sessions, and branded merchandise. The school operates from London Elstree Aerodrome with a fleet including Cessna 152, Piper PA28 (Warrior/Archer/Arrow), Diamond DA40, and Diamond DA42 NG twin-engine aircraft, plus FNPT II simulator.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trial Lessons / Experience Flights
- Private Pilot Licence (PPL) Training
- Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Training
- National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL) Training
- IMC Rating (Instrument Meteorological Conditions)
- Instrument Rating (IR & CB-IR)
- Multi-Engine Piston Rating (MEP)
- Multi-Engine Competency-Based Instrument Rating (MECBIR)
- Night Rating
- Complex Aircraft Checkout Transition training for pilots moving to higher performance aircraft such as the PA28R/Arrow; minimum 3 hours covering high-performance systems, procedures, emergency handling and navigation to different airfields.
- Flight Instructor Course (FIC) Training programme teaching instructional techniques for aspiring flight instructors; 30 hours flight training plus 125 hours of theoretical study, concluding with a skills test; no written exams required.
- Licence Conversions Conversion programme for non-EASA pilot licences to Part-FCL PPL; includes training tailored to individual experience, an Air Law exam, PPL skill test and language proficiency demonstration.
- Co-Pilot Course Training for passenger flyers wanting to assist pilots with navigation, radio and emergency procedures; no exams required; hours count towards PPL if continued.
- Revalidations and Renewals Currency maintenance services for UK, EASA and FAA pilot ratings including MEP, MEIR, SEIR, FI Rating, IMC and FAA Flight Reviews.
- Self Fly Hire Aircraft rental service for licensed pilots to fly independently; includes checkout flights for new pilots to Elstree, cross-Channel checkouts to Le Touquet, and guidance for UK/European flights.
- Online Shop (Gift Vouchers, Training Sessions and Merchandise) WooCommerce-powered e-commerce platform selling flight experiences, training sessions, gift vouchers (£100-£1,000) and merchandise including pilot mugs and voucher extensions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduates have gone on to fly for Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways, BA CityFlyer, Jet2, Loganair, TUI Airways, and Wizz Air
Companies that use Flight Training London
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Flight Training London technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Flight Training London partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Flight Training London competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Flight Training London social profiles
Digital presenceFlight Training London financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Flight Training London leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Flight Training London funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Flight Training London M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Flight Training London
What does Flight Training London do?
Flight Training London is a private flight school based at London Elstree Aerodrome that provides pilot training from trial lessons through to commercial licences and instructor ratings. It offers pay-as-you-fly instruction using a diverse fleet of general aviation aircraft (Cessna, Piper, Diamond) and an FNPT II simulator, alongside aircraft self-hire and licence revalidation services for individual pilots.
Is Flight Training London a public or private company?
Flight Training London is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Flight Training London founded?
Flight Training London was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Flight Training London based?
Flight Training London is headquartered in Elstree, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Flight Training London make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Flight Training Instruction is the primary driver. The others are aircraft Self-Hire, trial Lessons and Experience Flights, membership Fees, examinations and Administrative Fees and gift Vouchers and Merchandise.
Does Flight Training London have an API?
No public API is recorded for Flight Training London.
What industry is Flight Training London in?
Flight Training London's product category is Aviation Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABALAC, Aviation & Aerospace, with a secondary code of THABAFAJ, Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services. Its NAICS code is 611512 and its SIC code is 8200.