00
Entry · No commitment
Discovery
Flight
Tier 0 · Single fee
- Duration60 min
- Hours logged0.5 → PPL
- Prereq16+ yrs · No medical
- AfterDecide on PPL
Step 01 of 03 · Training Pathways
Two paths. One decision to make.
Cadet for the airline-bound. Modular for every other pilot. Answer three questions and we'll show you the path — and the programs — that fit your life. No email required. Nothing saved. Re-runnable.
Interactive · 3 clicks to a recommendation · ~30 seconds
Scroll to begin
The Pathfinder
Three questions.
One recommended path.
Most prospective pilots don't know the difference between PPL, CPL, IR, ME, and CFI — and schools rarely explain before asking for money. Answer below and we'll show you the combination that fits you.
1Goal
2Experience
3Time
Result
Question 01
What do you want flying to do for you?
Question 02
How much prior training do you have?
Question 03
How much time can you commit?
Your recommended path
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—
Duration
—
Prerequisites
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Investment tier
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Next step
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Goal —
Prior —
Time —
The Flagship · Airline Track
Not a program you buy.
A seat you earn.
Cadet Pilot is selective — seats are limited by airline pipeline capacity, not tuition income. Every applicant sits the CAFS aptitude screening, a one-on-one aviation interview, and medical eligibility review. Your result decides entry. A strong essay alone isn't enough; a strong payment alone isn't enough.
18months
Integrated · zero to airline
30+ airports
Cross-country network · live ATC
200+ hours
Logged · airline-ready logbook
Cadet vs Modular · Head-to-Head
Two paths. Same CAAP licenses.
One is integrated, cohort-based, airline-pipelined. The other is self-paced, modular, independent. Same fleet, same instructors, same regulatory outcome — different containers for different lives.
Duration
18–24 months full-time · integrated
Self-paced: PPL 3–6 mo · CPL 10–12 mo · IR 2–3 mo · ME 4–6 wk
Structure
Single enrollment · PPL + CPL + IR + ME + Frozen ATPL theory in one pipeline
One license at a time · stop at any rung and fly, or continue at your own pace
Pace
Cohort-locked · airline training cadence · weekend breaks limited
Your schedule · full-time, weekend, or hybrid blocks
Cohort
10–15 cadets per intake · shared classrooms · shared fleet slots
Individual schedule · 1-on-1 with instructor · join any rolling start
Airline pipeline
Direct · Skyway Airlines signed MOU · structured cadet-to-first-officer pathway
Open market · apply to airlines directly after CPL+IR+ME using your own logbook
Entry
Selective · aptitude test + aviation interview + medical review · seats limited by airline capacity
Open · any applicant clearing the medical and ICAO Level 4 English can start PPL
Best fit
"I want to be an airline pilot. Build the fastest straight line to the cockpit."
"I'll decide as I go. PPL first. The rest when life allows."
The Modular Path · Six Rungs
The Modular Ladder.
Climb at your pace.
Each rung is a complete, standalone CAAP license. Stop at any rung and fly for the rest of your life, or climb from one hour (Discovery) to airline cockpit (PPL+CPL+IR+ME+CFI). The ladder is fixed; the choice of how far you go is yours. Taking PPL, CPL and Instrument together as one package? That bundle is our Professional Pilot Program — the name you'll see on your enrolment.
00
Gateway
Discovery Flight
60 min · 1 day
Take off. Turn. Level. Land. The fee credits toward PPL if you continue within 60 days.
01
Foundation
Private Pilot
PPL · 40–60 hrs
Your license to fly — legally, with passengers, anywhere. A lifelong license that never expires.
02
Profession
Commercial Pilot
CPL · 150–200 hrs
The legal threshold between hobbyist and paid pilot. Opens charter, aerial work, and airline tracks.
03
Weather
Instrument Rating
IR · +40 hrs
Fly by instruments alone — through clouds, low ceilings, IMC. Required for every airline job.
04
Two Engines
Multi-Engine
ME · +10–15 hrs
Shortest rating — but critical psychologically. Engine-out handling in the Beechcraft Baron 58.
05
Teach to Fly Better
Flight Instructor
CFI · +25 hrs given
The only pilot license that pays you while you build hours. Typical CFI year: +500–800 hrs.
45min
Shortest Path · Discovery
3–8mo
PPL Typical Duration
18–24mo
Cadet Integrated Path
∞
PPL Never Expires
Compare Side-by-Side
All six programs,
streaming by.
Hover to pause. Tap any card for full program detail. These are CAAP minimums + realistic CAFS averages. Tiers are relative — exact pricing comes from a consultation.
How real students stack programs
Nobody picks just one
and stops.
The interesting question isn't which single program you pick — it's in what order, and over what timeline. Three realistic CAFS profiles. Scroll to watch their paths unfold.
R
Ricky Poki
Papua New Guinean · Goal: Mission Aviation Fellowship International
Day 1
Discovery Flight
First flight before any commitment
Month 1–30
Modular · PPL + CPL + IR + ME
Same fleet, same instructors, paced for the journey
Month 31
License Conversion
CAAP → PNG CASA · ICAO hours transfer
Month 33
Mission Aviation Fellowship International
Bush flying · remote villages · serving home
Why this path
Mission aviation rewards depth, not speed · modular pacing fits missionary preparation · CAAP licenses convert cleanly to PNG CASA via ICAO · Class-C airspace experience translates directly to challenging PNG terrain.
S
Sarah
Architect · Goal: own a Cessna, fly on weekends with family
Weekend 1
Discovery Flight
Brought her husband · he was convinced
Month 1–8
PPL (weekends only)
2–3 hrs/weekend · pay-as-you-go
Month 9
Night Rating add-on
Evening flying unlocked · optional
Year 2
Owns a Cessna 172
Family weekend recreational flying forever
Why this path
No career goal · PPL is lifelong license that never expires · weekends-only pace respects full-time career and family · total cost 1/5th of full Cadet · full schedule control.
P
Paulo
Filipino · Goal: airline First Officer
Month 1–18
Modular · PPL + CPL + IR + ME
Self-paced · pay-as-you-go around work
Month 19
Flight Instructor (FI) Rating
Qualified to teach
Month 20–36
Flight Instructor at CAFS
Built airline-grade hours while earning
Hired
Cebu Pacific · First Officer
Into the airline first-officer pool
Why this path
Modular spreads the cost and fits around income · instructing at CAFS builds airline-grade hours and pays while you do · all CAAP — no license conversion needed for a Philippine airline · a proven CAFS-to-airline route.
Frequently Asked · About Choosing
Questions about
which program to pick.
General questions about becoming a pilot live on our full FAQ. These five are specific to choosing between programs.
Honestly? Both produce working airline pilots. The Integrated vs Modular debate is amplified by schools that sell Integrated (higher margin). What airlines actually evaluate: total hours, checkride performance, sim assessment during interview, aviation English, and your answers under stress. Integrated offers a single continuous record and airline partnerships; Modular gives you licenses as you earn them and lets you work full-time while training. Either path graduates captains.
Yes. CAAP licenses convert to FAA (US) through foreign-license verification + theory exam; to EASA (Europe) through 14 theory exams + flight check. Logged flight hours are accepted internationally via ICAO mutual recognition. Many CAFS PPL graduates transfer to US schools for the CFI hour-building phase to accelerate.
Industry standard: PPL → Instrument → Commercial → CFI. Reasons: IR knowledge is foundational to CFI teaching material; most CFI positions require instrument-rated instructors; you'll teach more effectively if you've recently been through IR yourself. Reversing is possible but uncommon.
Technically, yes — with full-time flying 5 days/week in dry season and zero weather cancellations. Realistically, full-time students complete in 4–5 months. Part-time students (weekends only) complete in 6–9 months. The fastest CAFS PPL on record was 72 days; the average is 170 days.
Cadet bundles 18 months into a single enrollment: airline partnership interview, integrated syllabus (no re-learning between programs), guaranteed aircraft schedule, dedicated instructor team, housing + meals included. Modular lets you hold each license as you earn it and pause between programs — perfect if your timeline is flexible, or if you want to stop after PPL. Cadet's single-track continuity is what airline hiring panels recognize on sight; Modular's license-by-license flexibility is what working students prefer. Two paths, two commitments, one career.
Not the question you came with?
See our full FAQ — including the "what-if" scenarios →/ Career after CAFS
Airline isn't the only runway.
Most students arrive thinking "airline pilot" is the career. It is one of nine. The same CPL + IR + ME stack that takes a cadet to a First Officer seat also opens the eight paths below — and many of our graduates swap between them over a 30-year career.
Airline Pilot
Get paid to fly the world for commercial carriers. First-Officer seats at full-service flag, low-cost, and cargo operators. The cadet track is engineered for this.
Corporate Pilot
Business jets and high-end turboprops for corporations and private individuals. Smaller crews, flexible schedules, global destinations.
Charter Pilot
Point-to-point on demand. Run your own charter operation or fly for a larger one. Particularly active across the Philippine archipelago.
Aerial Mapping
Aircraft equipped with specialized sensors and cameras — cartography, urban planning, environmental monitoring. High-precision flying, specialised equipment.
Sightseeing & Tour
Scenic aerial tours over iconic landscapes. Low-altitude flying, passenger interaction, route mastery. A steady civilian pathway in tourist regions.
Agricultural Pilot
Crop-dusting, pest control, precision agriculture. Highly specialised low-altitude work paid per-contract — often hired by regional governments too.
Cloud Seeding
Disperse seeding agents into clouds to encourage precipitation. Part of water-resource management — government-contracted work in drought-affected regions.
Flight Instructor
Teach the next generation. Build hours fast, shape pilots, stay close to aviation culture. Many CAFS graduates return here between airline contracts.
Ground Instructor
Classroom and theory instruction — weather, navigation, regulations, aircraft systems. Career-long work for educators who love aviation knowledge over the yoke.
The licence is one document. What you do with it is nine different lives.
Still thinking?
That's what a first conversation is for.
Neither next step asks for tuition. Both are free. One helps you think; the other helps you feel. Start with whichever is closer to where you are right now.
Or start with a 60-minute Discovery Flight →