2 min read
Becoming an airline pilot in France: the complete path, step by step
Entry requirements, medical certificate, ATPL theory, practical training, APS MCC: what you really have to complete to work as an airline pilot.
Read the article+20 years of expertise • Airline pilot training exclusively
Become an
Airline Pilot in 24 months
Join France’s leading flight school and follow an outstanding post-A-level programme, 100% in English, to become an airline pilot and join the world’s major airlines.
Ryanair Partner
Future Flyer Academy
As Ryanair’s exclusive partner in France, Astonfly offers you the Ryanair FFA programme — a fast track to the cockpit of Europe’s No.1 employer of pilots to launch your career.
- Ryanair job offer before training begins
- 737 type rating funded by Ryanair
- Astonfly guarantee: Pass or Get a Refund
Train for the airline of your choice
With the Multi Airlines programme, shape your airline pilot career and prepare to join the airline that matches your ambitions. Astonfly supports you all the way to your first job.
- Preparation for airline selection processes
- Astonjob access • Pilot jobs & alumni network
- Ratings maintained for 24 months after training
- Astonfly guarantee: Pass or Get a Refund
Careers & opportunities
Our graduates fly all over the world
Our graduates are selected and build their careers in the cockpits of the world’s leading airlines.
More than a flight school...
6 reasons to choose Astonfly
A proven track record, a unique financial safeguard, professional-grade resources and a teaching approach designed to prepare you concretely for your first airline job.
Behind the scenes
Reasons to choose Astonfly
- 01Experience & leadership
France’s leading airline pilot trainer
Since 2004, Astonfly has trained more than 2,000 airline pilots, to a level designed to meet the standards of the largest airlines.
- No.1 in France
- 20+ years’ experience
- 2,000+ pilots trained
- 02Pass or Refund Guarantee
Unique financial protection in case of failure
Astonfly is the only school in Europe to refund all the sums paid for the theory training in the event of failure at the end of the nine-month theory phase. During the practical phase, unused flight hours are also refunded in case of interruption.
- Theory fully refunded
- Unused practical hours refunded
- 03Fleet
24 modern aircraft dedicated to your training
Astonfly relies on a consistent fleet made up of a single single-engine model, the Cessna 172S, and a single multi-engine model, the Diamond DA42. All are fitted with the most advanced avionics available on a training aircraft, the Garmin G1000. Each aircraft is configured with four seats for paired training.
- 24 aircraft
- Garmin G1000
- 4 seats
- 04Paired training
Fly, observe, analyse
Each session is prepared by two students with their instructor. While one flies, the other observes from the back seat, listens to the exchanges, analyses the decisions and takes part in the debrief. The roles are then swapped from session to session. This setup increases each student’s learning exposure: they learn during their own flight, but also by actively observing their partner’s.
- 2 students + 1 instructor
- Swapped roles
- Active observation
- 05Pilot instructors
Instructors connected to the profession
Several Astonfly instructors work as airline pilots or have operational airline experience. They pass on the knowledge needed for the exams, but also the working methods, rigour, communication and behaviours expected in a professional cockpit.
- Operational experience
- Airline culture
- Passing on the craft
- 06Career
A path designed for employment
The Ryanair Future Flyer Academy programme prepares students for Ryanair’s standards and selections, with a conditional job offer. The Multi Airlines programme prepares students for the recruitment of different airlines and supports them in their applications, tests and interviews, with 12 months of career follow-up and coverage of the IR/ME revalidation in the year after graduation.
- Selection preparation
- Support towards employment
Our training network
Training centres suited to every stage
Depending on the stage of your journey, your training draws on the Astonfly campuses and partner centres across Europe, within a unique learning environment.
External content disabled
This content comes from an external service and is only loaded after your consent to third-party content.
Paris-Saclay-Versailles
Astonfly campus
Astonfly’s historic campus, 20 minutes from Paris, hosts an essential part of the course, including the theory phase and most of the practical phase.
Phases available on site
- Theory phase
- Practical phase — Block A
- Practical phase — Block B
- Practical phase — Block C
Events
Meet us
Whether you are just starting to think it over or already ready to apply, our events let you meet Astonfly’s career advisers — and, above all, talk with students currently in training or discover the journeys of some of our alumni, now airline pilots. A chance to ask all your questions and picture your future career concretely.
Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in Frankfurt
Hilton Frankfurt City Centre
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM GMT+2
Open Day
Discover Astonfly’s Airline Pilot Training Programme
Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM GMT+2
Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in Dublin
The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD)
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM GMT+2
Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in London
Sofitel London Heathrow T5
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM GMT+1
Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in Frankfurt
Hilton Frankfurt City Centre10:00 AM – 4:00 PM GMT+2Open Day
Discover Astonfly’s Airline Pilot Training Programme
Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport10:00 AM – 6:00 PM GMT+2Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in Dublin
The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD)10:00 AM – 4:00 PM GMT+2Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in London
Sofitel London Heathrow T510:00 AM – 4:00 PM GMT+1
Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in Frankfurt
Hilton Frankfurt City Centre
Open Day
Discover Astonfly’s Airline Pilot Training Programme
Paris-Saclay-Versailles Airport
Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in Dublin
The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD)
Exhibition
Meet Astonfly in London
Sofitel London Heathrow T5
Our finest showcase
They became pilots
They chose Astonfly; today they fly for the world’s leading airlines. Discover their journeys.
Ryanair
Having joined Astonfly in 2020, the training played a key role in building my aviation path. There I found a demanding and supportive environment, driven by passionate instructors deeply invested in their students’ success, along with modern training resources. I was able to join Ryanair quickly after finishing training and I thank all the staff who made this experience unforgettable. If I had to do it again, I would choose Astonfly without hesitation.
Ryanair
“Do it well, or don’t do it.” That is Astonfly’s motto. I finished my integrated course at Astonfly in September 2020. This school near Paris was growing fast, with quality service and a state-of-the-art fleet similar to airliners. Also renowned for its theory and practical teaching, it enabled me to meet airlines’ requirements right at the end of my training, such as safety and adaptability.
Air France
A former Astonfly student for my ATPL training from 2018 to 2020, I greatly enjoyed my two years at the school, thanks to which I was able to reach the standard to join an airline. Throughout the course, the various instructors who trained me and the teaching team gave me all the skills needed to pass the exams, but also the selections. It’s the quality of the training level that enabled a smooth transition to the type rating and the line.
Ryanair
A former Astonfly student who completed airline pilot training, I was fortunate to receive high-quality training, with a professionalism that matched the demands of the job, on a fleet of modern aircraft, with skilled and demanding instructors. Thanks to this quality training, I had the chance to pass my Boeing 737 type rating then be selected immediately by Air Baltic. I am currently continuing my career at Ryanair.
Air France
I was lucky to have wonderful instructors who taught me the profession through flights and simulators. I started in business aviation, then joined Air France on the A320.
The Astonfly journal
All newsNews
Admissions, training, the profession and careers: our insights and guidance to build your airline pilot project.
