Best time to learn to fly in the Netherlands
How often the weather allows training flights in each month, from weather reports at 14 airfields with flight schools in the Netherlands.
Across 14 airfields, 63% of daylight hours have weather suitable for training flights. The best months are May, June, and August. December is the most difficult month, at 37%.
Share of daylight hours each month with weather suitable for training flights (cloud base at least 3,000 ft, visibility at least 5 statute miles / 8 km, wind no more than 20 knots, no thunderstorms, freezing conditions or snow).
The flying year in the Netherlands
At the typical Dutch airfield (14 airfields in our data), the weather allows training flights in 63% of daylight hours. From April to September the figure stays at about three-quarters, peaking at 80% in August.
Winter is difficult: December (37%) and January (41%) are the lowest months, with frequent low cloud, fog and strong wind over the flat, open country.
Planning your training
Differences between airfields are small, with Hilversum and Noord-Brabant slightly ahead. The practical choice is when to fly: plan the flying from April onwards and use the winter for theory.
Flying weather by month
| Month | Typical airfield | Most airfields |
|---|---|---|
| January | 41% | 39–42% |
| February | 47% | 46–54% |
| March | 61% | 55–63% |
| April | 73% | 71–77% |
| May | 75% | 71–77% |
| June | 77% | 73–79% |
| July | 75% | 72–79% |
| August | 80% | 75–80% |
| September | 73% | 72–76% |
| October | 62% | 59–65% |
| November | 53% | 49–54% |
| December | 37% | 34–39% |
By region
| Region | Whole year | Best months | Airfields |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noord-Brabant | 65% | June, July, and August | 3 |
| Noord-Holland | 60% | April, June, and August | 4 |
Airfields with the most flyable weather in the Netherlands
| Airfield | Whole year | Best months |
|---|---|---|
| Hilversum Airfield (EHHV) Noord-Holland | 71% | June, July, and August |
| Eindhoven Airport (EHEH) Noord-Brabant | 67% | May, June, and August |
| Oostwold Airport (EHOW) Groningen | 65% | June, August, and September |
| Breda International Airport (Seppe) (EHSE) Noord-Brabant | 65% | June, July, and August |
| Woensdrecht Air Base (EHWO) Noord-Brabant | 65% | June, July, and August |
| Rotterdam The Hague Airport (EHRD) Zuid-Holland | 64% | April, May, and August |
| Lelystad Airport (EHLE) Flevoland | 63% | May, June, and August |
| Teuge International Airport (EHTE) Gelderland | 63% | May, June, and August |
| De Kooy / Den Helder Airport (EHKD) Noord-Holland | 60% | April, June, and August |
| Groningen Airport Eelde (EHGG) Drenthe | 60% | May, July, and August |
How we worked this out
Based on hourly weather reports (METAR) from 2016 to 2025 in the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive, at the weather station closest to each airfield and no more than 30 km away. Only daylight hours count. For each month we show the typical (median) airfield, with the middle half of airfields as the range.
Cite this data: BookFlightSchools, “Best time to learn to fly in the Netherlands: flying weather by month”, 2016–2025. https://bookflightschools.com/flight-schools/netherlands/weather