Minimum Requirements

What you need to fly with us

There are a number of minimum requirements pilots must meet to be able to fly one our aircraft. Those minimum requirements below marked with asterisk may be waived; however, please contact us in advance to see if we can accommodate you.

  • A valid Class 2 or greater medical.
  • A valid South African PPL or higher (foreign license holders please see below).
  • A checkride with either an instructor or representative of FCRS regardless of experience on type.
  • Minimum of 100hrs total time if wanting to fly SLG4 or SLH4 aircraft. No minimum required for SLG2.
  • Cross border trips will require a minimum of 10 hours on type prior to leaving the borders of South Africa.

We have a few things you'll need to fill and sign:

  • We have a master contract that governs our general agreement with you. This lays out the various terms and conditions as well as rights and responsibilities. Most schools and clubs have similar documents and if you read ours carefully you'll find it is more permissive and pilot-friendly than those of most other places.
  • We have an ad-hoc contract. When you intend to just fly locally, then it is not necessary to fill in the ad-hoc contract. We need it filled in at least once so we can save all your details for the future. When you do longer fly-aways including any overnight flight then there is an appendix with some route and other details that needs to be filled. In general you will not sign something every flight.
  • We have an operations manual. This covers how things are done and what limitations regarding the usage of the plane you agree to be bound to. This needs to be read signed to acknowledge you have read and understood it.
  • Lastly, we have a pilot questionnaire. This captures certain things details about your aviation career. Please answer it truthfully and understand that because you mention an incident, it does not mean you cannot fly with us, we just need to discuss it in a bit more depth. This questionnaire is also required for the insurer.

We also need the following from you:

  1. Pilots license (including the digital page showing your types breakdown if applicable.)
  2. Aviation Medical
  3. Proof of Pilot Excess of R20 000.00 (You can buy online from DJA.) SLG4 and SLH4 requires R40 000.00 pilot excess on type for the first ten hours. Pilot excess requirements may be higher for cross border flights.
  4. Copy of ID or Passport (including visa/permit if applicable).
  5. Last three pages of your logbook and the pages showing the endorsement for the type you wish to fly. If you do not yet have it then we need a copy of the page once your differences training has been done.

It feels like a lot of paperwork at first, but once this has been handled, very little to no paperwork is required in the future and you will experience a largely seamless experience.

ZU-OMG, ZU-MND & ZU-ALS all operate on a named pilot basis for insurance. Please ensure all of your documents are provided and submitted to us at least 2 weeks prior to your intended rental. ZU-MCA is on an open pilot policy and is much more flexible in this regard; however, is normally a little less flexible when it comes to bookings for longer periods of time.

Requirements for a Foreign License Validation

If you do not have a South African license, a Foreign License Validation will be required to be able to fly a South African registered aircraft. Most of the paperwork and preparation can be done in advance of your visit allowing you to get the required validation within only a few days of your arrival here. Please contact us so we can discuss the specifics of your situation and requirements prior to your visit to ensure we provide the most pertinent information to your situation. Applications for foreign license validations should be done at least 6 weeks prior to arrival in South Africa.

VFR

There are two kinds of VFR foreign license validations. A 28 day validation and a 5 year validation. The 5 year validation requires passing of additional exams and is recommended for those who wish to visit South Africa again in the future.

  • A briefing conducted by at least a Grade III flight instructor at an approved Aviation Training Organisation on the differences in:
    • Airspaces and terminology within South Africa
    • Performance planning taking into account the effect of density altitude
  • Write and pass the South African Civil Aviation Authority PPL Air Law examination at an approved examination centre (5 year validation only.)
  • Have a skills test conducted by a qualified Grade II instructor. A 5 year validation requires a short navigation component to be added. This rarely adds much time to the standard skills test.
  • Pay the appropriate fee to the CAA and submit all required documentation.

It is possible to apply for both your 28 day and 5 year validation simultaneously. This allows you to continue with your planned trip on the 28 day validation, and have a 5 year validation that would make future visits and trips effortless. There is no additional cost other than the examination fee for this purpose.

A validation is handedly promptly on the South African side; however, foreign aviation authorities have been known to be slow. Plan to start the validation process at least 8 to 10 weeks prior to the start date of your trip. It is occasionally possible to get them done faster; however, we would recommend you start the process well in advance.

We expect those looking to do their validations, or to have the type added to their logbook if it is their first time flying the specific type to arrive at least 3 full business days prior to their planned start date of the trip. This is to account for weather, instructor availability or other unforeseen problems. We will not be held liable for the processing of the validation but will assist in explaining the process and providing the necessary documents, forms and contact details.

IFR

We do not allow the use of our aircraft for IFR operations, especially not by those who do not hold a South African IFR rating. We would also discourage anybody seeking to fly in South Africa on a foreign licence validation from seeking the IFR endorsement or flying IFR.

ATPL Holders

If you hold an ATPL, please note you may be required to undergo additional training for the rental of any of our aircraft. As informed by our insurer, ATPL holders have a disproportionately higher risk profile and incident rate when flying within South Africa and neighbouring countries. It is our belief that this stems from being disconnected from smaller general aviation operations, procedures, and risk mitigation strategies in addition to a deterioration of stick-and-rudder skills. This is complicated by the largely uncontrolled airspaces and airfields found within the region and the nuances of their use.