On the modular route you start with a PPL, build hours, take theory for the airline transport pilot licence (ATPL) and complete flight training for the commercial pilot licence (CPL) and multi-crew cooperation (MCC). Integrated courses to a frozen ATPL cover the CPL, ATPL theory and MCC in about two years, without obtaining a PPL along the way. According to many experienced pilots, holding a PPL beforehand offers little advantage on an integrated course or cadet programme, because classmates without experience reach the same level within a few weeks. If you want to continue on the modular route after a PPL for aeroplanes towards multi-crew commercial flying, you need a multi-engine CPL, a multi-engine Instrument Rating (IR), a night rating, MCC and ATPL theory, which together make up a frozen ATPL. After the PPL, the modular route includes a night rating, which requires at least 5 hours of night flying, 3 of them with an instructor, within 6 months. Under Part-FCL, on the modular route after your PPL you can obtain the night rating, the single-engine instrument rating, the Multi-Engine Rating with the multi-engine instrument rating, and the multi-engine CPL in almost any order, with credits between them. The path after the PPL then includes the night rating, the single-engine instrument rating, CPL, the multi-engine instrument rating and the frozen ATPL theory, each with its own theory. A logical order is night rating, single-engine instrument rating, Multi-Engine Rating plus multi-engine instrument rating, multi-engine CPL and finally MCC. For the CPL module you need 150 hours of flying experience beforehand, 50 of them as pilot in command (PIC). This is followed by ATPL theory, the instrument rating, multi-engine, the CPL with at least 200 hours in total and then the MCC. According to a student in 2022, the basic or en-route IR can be skipped when taking a full IR, but the single-engine instrument rating cannot. For IR training, 50 hours of cross-country PIC is an entry requirement. Reasons to do the instrument rating before the CPL on the modular route are that it is more useful to you as a private pilot, the Multi-Engine Rating and the multi-engine instrument rating can be done in one go in the same aircraft, and you can start sooner because the CPL requires 100 hours PIC. In 2009 one flight school had no separate selection; aptitude and progress were assessed during the PPL phase of the modular course, with part of the amount paid going towards the PPL, and at the time the school recommended an introductory course of a few hours.12345

After the PPL on the modular route, or after ATPL theory, you can choose between doing the Instrument Rating (IR) plus the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) first, or the whole frozen ATPL package straight away. An alternative modular route includes a part-time PPL in Europe, followed by an FAA instrument rating in the United States, later the EASA ATPL theory, a CPL in the United States and a CPL conversion in Europe. One modular pilot combined everything with work up to the phase at OAA, the flight school in Oxford, but the multi-engine CPL in Arizona and the instrument rating and MCC in Oxford required leave because they could no longer be combined with work.367

An integrated pilot course takes 18 to 24 months full time, and an integrated ATPL course takes an indicative two years. This comprises an indicative 9 to 12 months of ATPL theory covering 13 subjects, followed by 6 to 9 months of single-engine basic training and 6 to 9 months of advanced training for multi-engine, IR and multi-crew elements. The Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) route also takes about two years. The modular route takes about 2 to 4 years, depending on your own pace. A modular professional course can be completed in 4 to 5 years, even alongside a job. A modular route, including PPL, hour building, CPL, IR theory and frozen ATPL, often takes several years longer than an integrated course when combined with a job. Some pilots finished the modular route in 14 months, faster than colleagues on integrated courses, according to pilot discussions in 2010. In 2004 one modular pilot obtained his PPL in 21 days and completed the IR, CPL and ME-IR in 4.5 months alongside a full-time job. A pilot who followed a modular route alongside a full-time job from 2014 to 2017 did the PPL in 4 weeks in the United States, ATPL theory in 1.5 years by distance learning, and two blocks of 50 hours of time-building in the United States and South Africa. According to one applicant in 2010, ATPL theory at Orbit Groundschool could be completed in six to nine months. Orbit splits ATPL theory into two modules, each with a classroom part, while at Bristol there are three modules, each with a revision week, which takes three full working weeks plus exams. In 2024, one distance learning ground school used a standard study plan of 18 months for ATPL theory.2368910

A pilot who took the modular route warns that the challenge lies in budgeting realistically for the practical training. An integrated pilot course costs an indicative EUR 80,000 to EUR 130,000, while the modular route costs an indicative EUR 65,000 to EUR 100,000 (2026 prices). According to one candidate in 2018, the price difference between a Transavia MPL and an integrated course was about EUR 30,000, with an integrated course costing around EUR 120,000. Renting an aircraft for time-building costs at least about EUR 150 per hour, more realistically EUR 175 or more in 2023. Owning your own aircraft for time-building easily costs EUR 30 to EUR 50 per hour in fuel, plus maintenance, depreciation and insurance (according to pilot discussions in 2023). Some modular students buy a share in a flying group, build many hours in six months and then sell the share on for almost the same price. Hours on a touring motor glider (TMG) or micro-light aircraft (MLA) count only to a limited extent towards modular EASA flight training, so they do not reduce the cost of time-building much. Suitable slots for night training can book up quickly, which can leave modular students with everything except the night rating.2311

To prepare for ATPL theory, practise each subject three times in a question bank such as Aviationexam.3

Time-building starts straight after the PPL because the subsequent courses contain no solo hours, but newly licensed pilots too often fill the hours required for the CPL by repeating the same short flight instead of flying varied trips. The hour requirements for a CPL are a legal minimum, and varied experience with plenty of cross-country, night and hours under instrument flight rules (IFR) matters more than the number of hours alone. Fill the hours required for the CPL with as much variety as possible, preferably abroad in countries such as Greece, Spain, Poland or Sweden. Frequently recommended locations for time-building are Eastern Europe, South Africa and the United States or Canada, especially the southern United States from November to May. A pilot who took the modular route recommends Jerez for time-building in Europe because of its almost constant good weather for visual flying and easy access via Seville. An experienced captain advises keeping a good mix, with plenty of landings (around 10 circuits per hour) and longer trips, for example in the United States, where landings are free. A Florida-California round trip for time-building is about 50 hours and can be completed in 14 days, including licence conversion and check-outs, or in 20 to 21 days with rest and bad-weather days. Take someone with similar experience along. Use the cross-country hours to practise radio navigation, such as fixing your position with two radials, inbound/outbound tracking, wind correction and holds. A simple PC simulator can help you learn to work out hold entries and intercepts. Keep separate tallies for the FAA and EASA cross-country definitions if you are considering a conversion, and plan landings at airfields 52 to 53 nautical miles away to absorb chart and measuring errors. Modular students can use time-building as motivation during ATPL theory by splitting it into two blocks: a flying holiday after the first seven subjects and a second trip after the last subject, followed directly by CPL training.3

Choosing a training route, such as modular or integrated, depends on the investment you want to make, the time available and your airline ambitions. It is advisable to visit open days, talk to pilots from different routes and draw up a realistic financial plan. A common approach for career changers is to work in phases: first selection and the medical examination, then theory alongside a current job, and only then full-time flying. This approach limits the financial risk. Even if you choose the modular route, you can first try selection at an integrated school. Flight schools and airlines base their selections on different principles: a school checks if you can finish the training, while an airline looks more broadly, such as whether you could later become a captain and are a pleasant colleague. According to a pilot in 2010, the hardest part with airlines is not the selection itself but being invited at all. In 2010 an experienced pilot advised candidates to obtain at least an upper secondary diploma, because some airlines require one and a higher level of prior education improves your chances in the paper selection, also with a modular course. A higher-education degree is better than an upper secondary diploma alone, also as a fallback.279

Candidates value the flexibility of modular training, which lets you train at your own pace and at different locations, and can bring financial benefits. However, the intensity of ATPL theory can feel like a second job, and candidates often combine the route with work, which sometimes requires unpaid leave for the more intensive practical modules. One pilot who trained on the modular route in 2010 combined training with work and took a few months of unpaid leave for it. In 2024, one modular student who started in October completed ATPL theory in 10 months, taking the exams in specific modules between January and July and spreading them over four sittings, passing all subjects at the first attempt, which he described as a second job. A modular student, aged 44, completed ATPL theory in 2024 in 16 months with an average of 92%, sitting the exams at an exam centre for more flexibility, always taking 3 or 4 exams per 10 days, which he found more flexible than taking six exams in one week. A 25-year-old software developer who studied modular ATPL theory by distance learning in 2005 said that the demanding ATPL route in itself proves motivation. In 2023, one modular student started with a PPL(A), having completed 63 hours, 25 of them as PIC, and a third of ATPL theory. In 2025, one modular student did his time building within the EASA area with long trips to dozens of airfields in several countries, sometimes more than 6 hours PIC a day. One modular student started the instrument rating in November 2025, which is seen as the largest practical module of the frozen ATPL route. A modular PPL student aged over 40 found in 2022 that talking to air traffic control went well after only a handful of flying hours, partly thanks to thorough radiotelephony training, although he had been apprehensive about it beforehand. Canavia in the Canary Islands charged EUR 170 for a C150. Landings at selected airfields are free, but a familiarisation course is compulsory and accommodation plus the flight ticket add to the total cost.346712

A pilot who did part of his modular training at Singles & Twins in 2010 says modular saves a lot of money compared with integrated. Someone who followed a semi-integrated course noted that modular-trained pilots were sometimes quickly judged negatively and advised choosing an integrated course if possible. A candidate who was rejected in an academy selection in 2008 first did a selection at another school and then chose the modular route so they could keep living at home. An MPL holder who started as first officer on the A320 in 2024 says that an MPL with a small airline with an uncertain future is not a good idea, but with a large, stable airline it is certainly worth considering. According to this pilot, the biggest advantage is that after training you move on to line training without further selection and are internal early on, which gives you connections and jumpseat opportunities.56713

After modular or integrated training, the usual next step is building flying experience, since stepping straight into the right-hand seat of an airliner after the CPL is an unrealistic expectation; modular-trained pilots usually build a few years of experience first. In 2011, integrated-trained pilots generally found better-paid work, and found it faster, than modular-trained pilots. In 2010, some integrated schools offered guarantees or help with the loan as long as there was no airline pilot job yet, safety nets that are missing on a modular route. Airlines want to know whether you can handle the pressure of a fast type rating, which can count against you on a modular route followed at your own pace. In 2006 British Airways only took ab initio pilots from integrated courses at reputable schools. According to a former student, everyone who did the full modular practical training at one school in 2005 and 2006 had a job, a fair number at Ryanair and the rest on turboprops. According to one pilot who sees modular training as a last option after failing selection for a solid ATPL/MPL course with strong airline links, the chance of a job with a good airline after that is small, and you often have to pay for your own type rating. According to an instructor in 2025, modular training is the most realistic route for someone over 35, although the chance of flying large Boeing or Airbus aircraft is small. Career opportunities then lie more in private aviation, for example with companies looking for more mature pilots, such as NetJets. According to a pilot in 2025, spending money on a PPL is a waste if you want to become an airline pilot. A modular-trained pilot warns in 2025 that anything to do with AIS Flight Academy is not taken seriously by commercial airlines; he himself completed his training on the modular route abroad and has always had work. According to one source in 2025, anyone applying to KLM with experience will not be held back by a course at AIS Flight Academy, but it is then better to train more cheaply, modular or integrated, abroad and gain experience and command hours. The type of training steers the type of work: an aerial work company would rather see someone who flew analogue instruments in the US and did the multi-engine rating on a Baron or Seneca, while an airline is more likely to choose integrated ATPL students used to the Diamond/G1000 way of working.367914