Hour building is the gap between your PPL and CPL — the 100 hours of Pilot in Command time that EASA requires before you can take your commercial licence skills test. It is also where the biggest cost differences appear depending on where and how you fly. The spread between the cheapest and most expensive options is enormous: from €50/hr in an owned aircraft to €170+/hr at a UK flying school. This guide breaks down every method and every major destination, with real prices from pilot reports and school data.
Hour Building Summary
- Modular students need ~100 hours of hour building after PPL — budget €10,000–€20,000 depending on country and aircraft.
- Cheapest hour building: Poland (€80–€110/hr), Spain (€90–€120/hr), Portugal (€90–€130/hr). UK/Germany: €150–€200/hr.
- Group flying (2–3 pilots sharing costs) can cut per-person costs by 30–50% — but needs coordination.
- Hour building abroad (Crete, South Africa, USA) combines lower costs with guaranteed VFR weather — factor in accommodation.
- Quality matters: log PIC time on diverse routes (cross-country, controlled airspace) — not just circuits at your home field.
EASA Hour Building Requirements
Before planning where to fly, understand exactly what EASA requires. The rules are in Part-FCL and they are specific.
For a modular CPL, you need 200 hours total flight time, of which at least 100 hours must be as PIC (Pilot in Command). Your PPL training hours count toward the 200-hour total, but most of those were dual (with an instructor), not PIC. After PPL, a typical pilot has 45-55 hours total with perhaps 10-15 hours solo PIC. You need to build the remainder to reach 100 PIC.
You also need a qualifying cross-country flight: at least 540 km (300 NM) with full-stop landings at two aerodromes different from the departure point. This must be completed before the CPL skills test. Many pilots combine this with their hour building — planning a multi-leg touring flight that ticks the box.
All PIC hours must be on Group A aircraft (single-engine piston aeroplanes, MTOW up to 2,000 kg). Standard trainers like the Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Piper PA-28, Tecnam P2002, and Diamond DA20/DA40 all qualify. Night flying hours also count.
Hours on N-registered (US) aircraft are generally accepted by EASA states for hour building, but policies vary. Check with your specific national aviation authority before committing to a US-based programme. South African SACAA hours also require validation by your EASA authority.
Costs by Country
This table shows realistic hourly rental rates and total costs for 100 hours of hour building. Prices reflect school rental rates and pilot-reported costs. "Wet" includes fuel; "dry" means you pay for fuel separately.
| Country | Typical Rate | 100hr Total | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | €75-120/hr | €7,500-€12,000 | 300+ VFR days/yr |
| Portugal | €75-110/hr | €7,500-€11,000 | 280+ VFR days/yr |
| South Africa | ZAR 2,050/hr (~€100) | ~€10,000 | 300+ flying days/yr |
| USA (Florida/Arizona) | $80-140/hr | $8,000-$14,000 | 300+ VFR days/yr |
| Greece | €100-130/hr | €10,000-€13,000 | 250+ VFR days/yr |
| Poland | €90-120/hr | €9,000-€12,000 | 180-200 VFR days/yr |
| France | €110-150/hr | €11,000-€15,000 | Varies by region |
| Germany | €120-160/hr | €12,000-€16,000 | 170-190 VFR days/yr |
| UK | £130-170/hr | £13,000-£17,000 | 150-180 VFR days/yr |
Rates are approximate and vary by aircraft type, school, and season. C152 is typically cheapest; C172/PA-28 costs 10-30% more. Living costs are additional. Sources: school websites, PPRuNe pilot reports, Airmappr school database.
Spain and Portugal: The European Sweet Spot
Spain — particularly Mallorca, Granada, and Sabadell (Barcelona) — is the most popular European hour building destination. Operators like Fly EPT Spain offer Tecnam P2002 aircraft at €75/hr dry (you pay for fuel separately).
With fuel, total cost is roughly €90-100/hr. The weather is outstanding: 300+ VFR days per year, open airspace, and cheap landing fees (€6-15). Portugal (Cascais near Lisbon) offers similar rates with G-registered aircraft for UK CAA licence holders.
South Africa: Best Value Outside Europe
South African flight schools offer rates around ZAR 2,050/hr (approximately €100/hr at current exchange rates). With 300+ flying days per year and English-speaking instruction, it is a popular choice for EASA pilots willing to travel. Schools like 43 Air School in Port Alfred are SACAA-certified with ICAO-compliant training. The main consideration is that SACAA hours need validation by your EASA authority — check acceptance before booking.
USA: Cheap Flying, Licence Considerations
Florida and Arizona offer Cessna 152 rentals from $80/hr wet — among the cheapest rates globally. Year-round VFR weather and massive airspace make it an efficient building environment.
However, you need an FAA licence validation or conversion to fly N-registered aircraft. Hours on N-reg are generally accepted by EASA states, but confirm with your authority. An FAA instrument rating earned during US hour building adds value to your CV without additional EASA cost.
UK: Expensive, But Convenient
UK rates of £130-170/hr make it the most expensive option in Europe. The weather compounds the problem: 150-180 VFR days per year means cancellations stretch your timeline. The advantage is convenience — no travel, no accommodation costs, no licence validation hassles. Many UK-based pilots hour build at home on weekends and accept the higher cost for the simplicity.
Methods Compared
School or Club Rental
The most common method. You rent a school aircraft by the hour, fly it, return it. Simple and requires no commitment beyond the rental agreement.
Costs are the rates listed above. Most schools offer block booking discounts (5-15% off for 50+ hours prepaid). The downside is aircraft availability — popular schools may have limited slots, especially in summer.
Aircraft Syndicate or Group Ownership
PPRuNe users consistently identify this as the cheapest method in the UK. A PA-28 syndicate share might cost £2,000-£5,000 to buy in, with monthly fees of £100-£200 and hourly rates of £80-£100/hr — significantly below school rental. You get better availability and more flexibility. The tradeoff: you need to find a syndicate with availability, the buy-in capital, and the commitment to sell your share when done.
Aircraft Ownership
The most extreme option, but PPRuNe users report it can bring costs down to £50-60/hr. One poster described buying a cheap LAA (Light Aircraft Association) aircraft for £10,500, flying 100+ hours at approximately £50/hr in fuel and maintenance, then reselling for a similar price. The hourly cost is almost entirely fuel. You bear the risks of maintenance, insurance, and resale value — but if you buy well and sell well, it can be remarkably cheap.
Ferry Flights
Some operators offer subsidised ferry flight opportunities — repositioning small aircraft across Europe. You pay a reduced rate (sometimes just fuel cost) and gain international route experience. These are sporadic and require flexible availability, but they can provide cheap hours with genuinely valuable experience. Companies like Fly EPT Spain offer these to hour builders willing to be on standby.
| Method | Cost/hr | Flexibility | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| School rental (Spain/PT) | €75-120 | High | Low |
| School rental (UK) | £130-170 | Medium | Low |
| Syndicate (UK) | £80-100 | High | Medium |
| Aircraft ownership | £50-60 | Total | High |
| Ferry flights | €0-50 | Low (sporadic) | Medium |
Practical Tips from Experienced Builders
These tips come from PPRuNe and pilot community discussions. They represent hard-won experience from people who have done this.
Do not fly 20-30 hours per week. As one experienced poster warned: if you are a low-hour pilot, that volume is not safe. You will not have the capacity.
A sensible maximum is 3 hours per day, 5 days per week — about 15 hours per week. At that pace, 100 hours takes 7 weeks. Rushing leads to fatigue, poor decision-making, and diminished learning value.
Fly with a safety pilot. Many operators offer the option to fly with a qualified pilot in the right seat. You still log PIC (you are the handling pilot making all decisions), but you have someone to share the workload on longer legs.
This is especially valuable for cross-country and controlled airspace flying. Some companies provide this at no extra cost.
Make it count. Hour building is not just about logging numbers. Use it to build genuine skills: fly to controlled aerodromes, practice radio in busy airspace, plan and execute cross-country flights, handle different weather conditions. Pilots who hour build in interesting environments arrive at CPL training significantly more competent than those who flew 100 boring circuits at one airfield.
Use SkyDemon or ForeFlight. Professional VFR navigation software is not optional for serious cross-country work. SkyDemon is the European standard.
Learn to plan flights properly — airways, NOTAMs, weather, fuel planning. This is CPL-level airmanship practice.
Budget for living costs abroad. If you go to Spain for 6-8 weeks, accommodation costs €300-€600/month for a shared flat. Add food, transport, and incidentals.
A realistic total budget for 100 hours in Spain is €10,000-€14,000 all-in (flying + living). That is still far cheaper than 100 hours at a UK school.
Complete your qualifying cross-country flight (540 km, two different aerodromes) early in your hour build, not at the end. If weather delays it, you do not want it blocking your CPL start date. Plan a route that also ticks off interesting airspace experience.
Planning Your Hour Build
The optimal sequence for most modular students: finish PPL and night rating at home, complete ATPL theory (distance learning while working), then take 6-8 weeks off to hour build intensively in a good-weather location, then immediately start CPL/ME-IR. This minimises dead time and keeps skills fresh.
If you cannot take a block of time off, weekend hour building at your local club works — it just takes 6-12 months instead of 6-8 weeks. The total cost may actually be similar because you avoid accommodation and travel expenses abroad. The tradeoff is the longer timeline and weather dependency.
Whatever approach you choose, keep a detailed logbook from day one. Record not just times and routes but also weather conditions, airspace used, and skills practised. This documentation helps during CPL training and looks professional in airline applications.