Which aircraft are the first flights flown on?

The first practical phases are mainly flown on the Cessna 172S, a single-engine aircraft suited to learning to fly and to navigate.

Are the aircraft fitted with glass cockpits?

The Cessna 172S and Diamond DA42 used in the course are fitted with Garmin G1000 avionics.

Why is the training organised in pairs?

While one student flies, the other observes from the back seat. They benefit from the exchanges, the briefing and the debriefing, which reinforces the learning of every flight.

What is the Diamond DA42 used for?

The Diamond DA42 is used for multi-engine training and instrument flight, in particular for the MEP and IR-ME ratings.

Why is an aerobatic aircraft used?

The Mudry Cap 10 is used for the UPRT course, to learn to recognise, prevent and recover from unusual situations. It is not aerobatic training.

What is the difference between an FNPT II simulator and a Boeing 737 simulator?

The FNPT II is used mainly for procedures, instrument flight and single- or multi-engine configurations. The Boeing 737 simulator is used for crew work and standardisation as part of the APS MCC.

Is the APS MCC carried out at Paris-Saclay-Versailles?

Depending on the programme, the APS MCC is carried out in a simulation centre in Dublin or Berlin.

Can the aircraft be seen before enrolling?

Yes. Campus visits let you discover the training environment and, depending on operational conditions, some of the aircraft and simulators.

Astonfly Cessna 172S Skyhawk F-HLAG in flight over the countryside

Aircraft & simulators

An aircraft suited to every stage of your training.

From your first solo flight to crew work on the 737, you progress on aircraft and simulators chosen to build, step by step, the skills expected of a future airline pilot.

Astonfly aircraft and simulators

24 aircraft + 5 simulators

Three aircraft types and two simulator types, each with a specific role: learning to fly, working on procedures, flying multi-engine, mastering unusual situations and discovering crew work. The resources are used according to the goal of the session, not in a fixed order.

The aircraft fleet

Single-engine15 aircraft
Cessna 172S G1000
The most common aircraft in the fleet: basic flying, navigation and solo flights.
See details — Cessna 172S G1000
Multi-engine8 aircraft
Diamond DA42 G1000
The fleet's twin-engine: instrument flight, radio navigation and multi-engine ratings.
See details — Diamond DA42 G1000
Aerobatics1 aircraft
Mudry Cap 10
The aircraft dedicated to advanced safety: recognising and recovering from unusual attitudes.
See details — Mudry Cap 10

The simulators

ALSIM AL250
FNPT II (3 simulators)
The tool for procedures and instrument flight, in single- or multi-engine configuration.
See details — ALSIM AL250
BOEING 737
FNPT II - MCC (2 simulators)
The airliner cockpit: crew work and multi-pilot procedures in APS MCC.
See details — BOEING 737

The fleet composition may change according to operational and training needs.

Astonfly Cessna 172S Skyhawk F-HLAG in flight, airline pilot training aircraft

Training single-engine

Cessna 172S Skyhawk

The aircraft of flying fundamentals.

People on board4
Avionics
Engine power180 hp
Cruise speed124 kts
Take-off distance320 m
Range680 Nm
Maximum altitude13 000 ft
Landing distance440 m

Cessna 172S Skyhawk instrument panel fitted with Garmin G1000 avionics

Student pilot walking to the Cessna 172S F-HAPD on the tarmac before a flight

Student pilot in a flying lesson during their first flights on a Cessna 172S

The single-engine on which the basics are built.

Stable, versatile and designed for learning, the Cessna 172S is the most common aircraft in the training fleet. It is where basic flying, navigation and decision-making are built.

It serves for the first feel of flying as well as flight preparation, navigation, night flight and solo flights.

Garmin G1000
4 seats
Single-engine

What you learn

Flight preparation and handling
Basic flying
Take-offs and landings
Navigation
Night flight
First solo flights
CPL preparation

Garmin G1000 cockpit
Learn from the first hours to read, prioritise and interpret the information of a modern glass cockpit.
Paired training
Two students prepare the session with their instructor: while one flies, the other observes and analyses from the back seat.

Astonfly Diamond DA42 Twin Star F-HING in flight at dusk, multi-engine training

Training twin-engine

Diamond DA42 Twin Star

Two engines, instrument flight and the precision of a more demanding cockpit.

People on board4
Avionics
Engine power2 × 168 hp
Cruise speed150 kts
Take-off distance745 m
Range800 Nm
Maximum altitude18 000 ft
Landing distance735 m

Student pilot and instructor in front of a Diamond DA42, multi-engine training

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View from the Diamond DA42 cockpit in flight, instruments and horizon

The reference twin-engine for pilot training

The Diamond DA42 is the fleet's twin-engine aircraft. It gives access to instrument flight, radio navigation and the skills required for multi-engine ratings.

Two engines, more parameters to manage and performance to anticipate: it is the aircraft of the most technical training sessions.

Garmin G1000
Twin-engine
4 seats

What you learn

Multi-engine flying
Performance management
Instrument flight
Radio navigation
Failure management
Preparation for MEP and IR/ME ratings
Decision-making in a more complex environment

Astonfly Mudry Cap 10 F-GIPU in flight over Le Castellet

Advanced safety — UPRT

Mudry Cap 10

The aircraft dedicated to unusual situations.

People on board2
Engine power180 hp
Cruise speed135 kts
Take-off distance320 m
Range650 Nm
Maximum altitude16 000 ft
Landing distance360 m

View from the Cap 10 cockpit during an unusual-attitude recognition exercise

Student in a UPRT flight suit and instructor in front of the Mudry Cap 10 after a session

Cap 10 in an unusual attitude seen from the back seat during a recovery exercise

Learning to keep control in unusual situations.

The Mudry Cap 10 is the aircraft dedicated to UPRT training. Its airframe allows attitudes the other fleet aircraft don't: students can feel them, recognise them, prevent them and recover control methodically.

2 seats
UPRT

What you work on

Recognising unusual situations
Loss-of-control prevention
Recovery
Stress management
Precise handling
Fast decision-making

The aim is not to train for aerobatics, but to build essential safety reflexes.

Procedural training

FNPT II simulator
ALSIM AL250

The environment that lets you repeat each procedure until you master it.

The FNPT II simulators are used for procedures, navigation, instrument flight and managing complex situations, in both single-engine and multi-engine configurations.

Their value is repetition: a sequence can be replayed, analysed with the instructor and repeated until the method becomes a reflex.

Single-engine configuration
Multi-engine configuration

What you can train

Normal procedures
Radio navigation
Instrument flight
Flight preparation
Coordination and anticipation
Failure management
Repeating specific situations

In the simulator, you take the time to understand before making it automatic.

Student in a session on the FNPT II ALSIM AL250 flight simulator

Instructor at the ALSIM AL250 console while a student flies the session

AL250 virtual tourExplore the simulator in 360°

Multi-pilot environment

FNPT II - MCC simulator
BOEING 737

The airliner cockpit and crew work.

During the APS MCC, students discover how an airliner cockpit works, how roles are shared and the methods of crew work. This phase links individual training with the operational environment of an airline.

It introduces a new logic: coordinating, communicating, standardising actions and sharing decisions.

Full-flight CAE 7000XR Boeing 737 simulator used for the APS MCC

Full-flight simulatorSimulation centre in Dublin or Berlin depending on the programme

Student at the controls of the Boeing 737 simulator during an APS MCC session

Pilot Flying
Flies the trajectory, manages the controls and the aircraft's energy.
Pilot Monitoring
Monitors the parameters, handles the radio and checklists, and supports the conduct of the flight.

APS MCC

What you learn

Crew teamwork
Task sharing
Cockpit communication
Multi-pilot procedures
Coordination Pilot Flying / Pilot Monitoring
Workload management
Collective decision-making
Standardisation

You no longer fly alone. You learn to make a crew work.

The Boeing 737 simulator is not a real aircraft and the APS MCC is not a type rating. The APS MCC is carried out in a simulation centre in Dublin or Berlin depending on the training programme.

What each aircraft is for