How much does it cost to learn to fly in France?

A private pilot licence (PPL) package at a flight school in France typically costs €7,750. Half of the 13 schools that publish a package price charge between €6,000 and €9,000. The lowest published price is €2,350 and the highest is €10,600.

A trial flight (also called a discovery or introductory flight) typically costs €120. Half of the 51 schools that publish a price charge between €100 and €145.

What a PPL costs in France

Among the 13 French schools in our directory that publish a PPL price, the typical figure is €7,750, and most are between €6,000 and €9,000. A trial flight typically costs €120, based on 51 schools.

Most flight training in France happens at aéroclubs: not-for-profit associations affiliated to the French aeronautical federation (FFA), of which there are more than 600. Many clubs charge by the flight hour, on top of a yearly membership fee and the FFA licence, which includes insurance. A published PPL price is therefore often an estimate based on the minimum hours rather than a fixed package.

Minimum hours under European rules

France follows the European (EASA) licensing rules. The PPL(A) needs at least 45 hours of flight instruction, including 25 hours with an instructor and 10 hours of supervised solo flying, with a solo cross-country flight of 270 km (150 nautical miles) that lands at two other airfields.

The Light Aircraft Pilot Licence, LAPL(A), needs at least 30 hours, and a LAPL holder can upgrade to the PPL with 15 more hours. For the PPL you need a Class 2 medical certificate (the LAPL has its own lighter medical) and passes in nine theory subjects.

Help for young pilots

The FFA runs grants for young pilots, called “Objectif Pilote”, for those under 21 on 1 January of the season: €350 at the first solo flight and €700 on gaining a PPL or LAPL, paid towards flight hours at an FFA-affiliated club.

Prices across France

Published PPL prices in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur are typically €5,500. Trial flights cost about €125 in Île-de-France, €135 in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and €130 in Normandy.

Prices by region

Lowest published PPL packages in France

Lowest published trial flight prices in France

How we worked this out

Prices come from the schools’ own websites, checked in September 2026. For each school we take its lowest package price for the PPL course and its lowest trial flight price, leave out figures that look like single lessons or exam fees, and convert the few prices quoted in other currencies. “Typical” is the median: half of schools charge less and half charge more. “Most schools” is the middle half.

Cite this data: BookFlightSchools, “Cost of learning to fly in France: PPL and trial flight prices (2026)”, September 2026. https://bookflightschools.com/flight-schools/france/cost

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