Johannesburg Flying Academy | Aviation School | Johannesburg
Experience the Thrill of Flight!
Johannesburg Flying Academy is an approved Civil Aviation Flight school, specialising in National and Private Pilot Licences, based at Panorama Airfield, Brackendowns.
Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to take to the skies and fly like a bird or to take control of an aircraft?
If you have not flown a Light Sport Aircraft before, it would be advisable to go for an introductory flight before deciding on a licence or the type of aircraft to train on.
Johannesburg Flying Academy was established by the “Gregson Brothers” Protea flying team, out of pure passion and the love of flying.
We are a SACAA and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) approved Flight training school situated South of Johannesburg, South Africa and are in the Johannesburg Helicopter General Flying area therefore no time is wasted flying to and from the GF or on the ground waiting for flight clearances. Your training at JFA starts as soon as you are airborne, resulting in our Students going solo and obtaining their licences in minimum time.
Johannesburg is an ideal location for flight training, owing to our year round favourable flying conditions and internationally proven and recognized quality of training in South Africa.
JFA offers high quality, professional training by dedicated and passionate instructors for National Pilot Licence (NPL/LSA or WCM) Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), in a relaxed and fun environment.
All our courses are individually tailored to suit your needs.
We look forward to hearing from you!





Vital Stats
-
-
15 minute to 1 hr demos are available
-
Must be over 13 yrs old and under 100kg
-
-
Absolutely
-
The school is open 7 days a week. Best times to fly are early morning or late afternoon - from 16h00 onwards
-
Club facilities and catering are available if required
-
Fair Deal
-
No
-
Yes
-
No
Click to See Additional Info on this Adventure
We offer flight training for:
- National Pilot Licence (WCM/ LSA)
- Learn how to fly a Microlight (WCM), it is a fun, thrilling experience, almost like a motorbike in the sky. Feel the wind in your hair, the air beneath your feet. This is the most cost effective way to learn how to fly or learn to fly a light aircraft (LSA), this is a recreational licence.
- Private Pilot License (PPL) Aeroplane
- A Private pilot’s license allows you to fly more than 1 one passenger (depending on Aircraft type and the relevant rating) and is the first step in obtaining a CPL.
- Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
- The Commercial Pilot License is for the individual who wishes to make a career from flying. A CPL enables you to fly for remuneration in a commercial environment.
- Hire and Fly
- At JFA, you can do a conversion or renewal on our modern low time Sling aircraft then hire it for scenic flights, fly aways or hour building.
We also offer:
- Night and instrument ratings
- Introductory flights
- Basic Co-Pilot and passenger safety courses
- Conversions
- Renewals
- Owner training
- Hire and Fly
- Hour building
- Aircraft sales
- Special requests such as Aerial Photography, team building etc. can be organised
National Pilot License
This is a recreational licence, it is limited to Pilot plus 1 passanger and restricted to daytime flying only.
National Pilot Licence (Weight Shift Controlled Microlight – WCM)
This is a fun flying, thrilling experience, almost like a motorbike in the sky. Feel the wind in your hair, the air beneath your feet.
This is the most cost effective way to learn how to fly. A Weight Shift controlled Microlight is a very light Aircraft with a maximum all up weight of 450kg, it is limited to 2 people (Pilot and passenger)
We can also assist you with license renewals, introductory flights and aircraft sales.
National Pilot License (With a Light Sport Aircraft rating– LSA)
This license is for recreational, local and long distance flying.
Training is carried out on our 2 seater, locally designed and manufactured Sling Light Aircraft. It has a sports car feel, “glass cockpit” almost a 360° scenic view. With its smooth maneuvering it is an easy aircraft to fly.
This license enables you to fly an aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of 600KG; the minimum requirements to complete a LSA License are 35 hours of flight time. The NPL can be upgraded to a PPL at a later stage.
Private Pilot License – (PPL) Aeroplane
A Private pilot’s license allows you to fly more than 1 one passenger(depending on Aircraft
type and the relevant rating) and is the first step in obtaining a CPL.
At Johannesburg Flying Academy we use South African designed and manufactured Sling Aircraft. With its light handling, sports car feel and full glass cockpit, it makes it the ideal way to start familiarising the Student with the instrumentation of larger, more complicated Aircraft.
The minimum requirements to complete this license is 45 hours of flight time.
A full time PPL course takes about 3 months to complete, but all courses are tailored to fit the individual’s requirements.
Night Rating
A night rating can be completed after you have finished your PPL. The rating allows you to fly at night.
It will introduce you to using basic instrument flying of the Aircraft.
Instrument Rating
An instrument rating will allow you to fly in reduced or poor visibility.
Both of the above ratings are included in the CPL Licence but can be carried out separately and then later used towards the CPL Licence.
Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
The Commercial Pilot License is for the individual who wishes to make a career from flying. A CPL enables you to fly for remuneration in a commercial environment.
The minimum hours required for this license is 200 hours of flight time; this would include your PPL flying hours.
The CPL can be broken up into sections as follows; PPL, Night Rating, Instrument rating, Hour Building, CPL and test.
Each section would include theory as well.
A full time CPL course takes about 9 months to complete, but all courses are tailored to fit the individual’s requirements.
All our quotations are based on the TAF Sling 2 seater light aircraft intitially, our Sling trainers are modern, agile and fun to fly with full glass cockpits. Our
advanced trainer will be a Piper Arrow or similar and our ME will be a Piper Seneca or similar.
All our quotations are based on minimum times required and could vary according to student ability, inflation etc.
You don’t need to know anything about flying prior to starting your licence. Let us take
you on a journey to discover the thrill of flight.
Our enthusiastic and experienced instructors will train you in all aspects of the licence, including lectures, briefings etc.
All course materials are included. We have a online SACAA approved exam centre at the school, which makes writing your exams more convenient.
All our courses are individually tailored to suit your needs and requirements. Before starting your training, you will need to check the following;
You are medically fit
You have a good understanding of English
You have a good understanding of Mathematics and Science, as most of the theory is based on this.
Company overview
Johannesburg Flying Academy (JFA) is owned and managed by father and son Roy and Marc Gregson, also known as “the Gregson Brothers” Protea flying team.
Our passionate and suitably qualified instructors fly introductory flights and Pilot training with a Raptor Trike (Microlights), locally designed and manufactured Sling light Aircraft.
We have onsite a SACAA Approved Exam centre and offer all the necessary lectures.
We are situated in the Johannesburg Helicopter General Flying area therefore no time is wasted flying to and from the General Flying area or on the ground waiting for flight clearances.
Pilot Training Demo / Introductory Flights
- Provides a non-pilot or prospective student the opportunity to experience the thrill of flight with an experienced instructor.
- Flights are 15 minutes to an hour in duration and take place over the scenic Kliprivier Valley and Suikerbosrand area.
- Ideal for aspiring pilots or a a gift for a loved one.
- Flights are offered in a Weight Shift Microlight, Sling Light Aircraft and L4 Piper Grasshopper.
- Tours of the Sling factory can also be arranged.
Passenger Safety Course
Allows for an unlicensed pilot to gain basic flying skills, which could be used in the event of an emergency, whilst flying with a rated pilot.
We offer aircraft specific conversions to type, as well as conversions to different categories, for example: PPL to WCM or WCM to CCM/LSA/PPL and vice versa.
Renewals
We conduct license renewal flight tests as well as renewal training in the event of an expired pilots license.
Our biggest asset is the fact that we are situated in the corner of the General Flying Area where we complete all of our Training. Most other airfields require a 10 to 15 minute flight from the Airport to the General Flying Area. This is 20 to 30 minutes of your valuable training time (per flight) – additional cost and unnecessary expenditure. We are right there, no time wasting driving around the airport waiting to get airborne.. No spending 15 minutes on the ground waiting to get into the air, Our school is right by the runway reducing your time on the ground increasing the amount of productive time you are spending in the air.
All of our Training is offered on aircraft that is practically Brand New. A locally Developed and Manufactured Aircraft the ‘Sling’ is slowly taking the Aviation world by storm. We currently use the Sling with its light handling, Sports car feel and full glass cockpit, the ideal way to start to learn to fly; familiarising you with the instrumentation of larger Aircraft as you train. Most other schools teach you to fly on aircraft that are 30 or 40 years old! Our Aircraft are practically Brand New!!
We currently have students getting solo in the circuit in the minimum time, passing their License with the minimum time and this translates into lower costs saving you money.
Whilst you are looking for a place to learn to Fly or if you are already training and looking for a way of saving you money on your training, contact us and ask us what we can do for you.
All of our training courses are individually tailored to suit you at the best pace you wish to learn.
Special requests such as aerial photography, team building events and scenic flights can also be arranged.
Call us with any request you have, arrange to come and see our facilities or book an introductory flight. Your aviation dream starts here…
Address
{-26.327284513199203,28.067446391696762}Panorama Airfield, Kromvlei Road, Alberton, 1448
Directions
No directions available
GPS Co-ordinates
S 26° 20' 21.004'' E 28° 4' 1.416''