Continental Aero Flying School · CAAP ATO 84-11

International Student Onboarding Sequence

The order that saves months. The true first CAAP step is your PEL number — no PEL, no Medical. Then the chain runs PEL → Medical → SPL. NTC and ELP are not first — they happen during flight training. And for foreign students, the SSP starts on day one, in parallel, because your SPL application needs it.

Before you fly — the acceptance & payment order

These three happen from your home country, in this exact order, before you book flights to Cebu.

ALetter of AcceptanceIssued by CAFS after your application is approved — before any payment
→
BFirst tuition instalmentWire using ONLY the payment instructions that accompany your Acceptance Letter
→
CConfirmation of EnrollmentIssued on receipt of payment — your seat and intake date are locked

Safety rule: Continental Aero never asks for money before your Letter of Acceptance, and payment details always arrive together with it — if you receive payment instructions any other way, verify with info@continentalaero.com first.

Milestone (PEL / licences) Sequenced step FOREIGN Foreign students only GATE Unlocks on a condition

The critical chain — do these strictly in order

Each link is locked until the one before it is done. This is where students lose the most time.

STEP 0Enrolment + NBI + Form 541 Documents, photos, 3 specimen signatures
→
MILESTONE · PELPEL Number Pilot licence number — required before Medical
→
MILESTONE · MEDClass 1 Medical CAAP-accredited AME · Manila or Cebu
→
MILESTONE · SPLStudent Pilot Licence Unlocks first solo & training
Parallel ‖ Foreign SSP (Special Study Permit) — start at arrival via the Bureau of Immigration (Liaison assists). It runs alongside the whole chain because the SPL application requires the SSP copy.
0

Before you travel — at home

Home country

Remove surprises and cost before you commit to the trip.

✓
Basic medical self-check
General health, eyesight and hearing against Class 1 standards. Not the official medical — just peace of mind before investing.
✓
Documents & entry visa FOREIGN
Passport (6+ months), education records (translated & apostilled), home-country police clearance, and the right entry visa (9A tourist or 9F student, by duration).
1

Arrival — enrol & open the files

Week 1

Everything downstream depends on these being lodged early.

1
Enrol
CAFS registration form + registration fee / first tuition.
2
Core documents — needed as soon as possible
NBI Clearance (foreign → NBI Main, Mandaue), PSA birth certificate, passport & visa copies, diploma/TOR, photos (10× 2×2 & 1×1), 3 specimen signatures, CAAP Form 541.
‖
Start the SSP FOREIGN DAY ONE
Bureau of Immigration via the CAFS Liaison Officer. Slow to process — begin immediately, in parallel. Needs NBI, passport+visa copies, photos.
2

The dependency chain

Weeks 1–3 · strict order

PEL → Medical → SPL. Each is locked until the previous one is complete.

①
PEL Number MILESTONE
Pilot licence number, processed by school admin. Needs: Form 541 · signatures · birth cert · passport+visa · photos.
②
CAAP Class 1 Medical MILESTONE
CAAP-accredited aeromedical examiner (Manila on arrival, or Cebu). Locked until → PEL number issued.
③
Student Pilot Licence (SPL) MILESTONE
Needs: Form 541 · Medical · NBI · birth cert · SSP copy · passport+visa · photos. Unlocks training toward first solo.
3

Ground school gate & during PPL

Training phase

These attach later — do not treat NTC / ELP as early steps.

4
Ground-school checklist
Confirm complete before ground school: NTC form · Medical · PEL/SPL · ELP form · Gen Av ID · SSP (foreign). Then Airport ID.
5
NTC Radio Licence
Apply together with the PPL knowledge exam.
6
ELP (ICAO English Language Proficiency) GATE · 40 HRS
Requires ~40 flight hours before you can sit it. Taken with NTC and the PPL exam.
4

Training ladder

Cadet · integrated

Zero to airline-ready, in one cohort.

PPL→ CPL→ Instrument→ Multi-Engine→ ATPL theory→ Flight Instructor

Medical = Class 1, from the start Policy

Airline-bound students take Class 1 immediately. Class 1 covers Class 2, so there is no need to take Class 2 for the SPL and re-do it later for the CPL. One medical, done once.

SSP first, in parallel Policy

Foreign students begin the SSP at arrival, not after the SPL. The SPL application itself requires the SSP copy, so a late SSP stalls the whole chain.