EASA ATPL Course Mentored by The Airline Pilot Club (APC) and powered by Aero Locarno (AeLo)

Taking advantage of the well-established and successful partnership between The Airline Pilot Club (APC) and Aero Locarno (AeLo), our mission is to attract, screen, prepare and train students to an above average standard that will make them attractive to recruiting airlines.

During the course you will receive APC quality assured training from AeLo, an APC Partner ATO. In addition, APC will provide you with mentoring during the course in the form of free access to its Preparation Zone, supporting tutorials in the form of webinars, direct messaging through the APC Discord server and on-site meetings with APC experts.

At the end of the course, you obtain an EASA ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot License) frozen integrated with the Commercial Pilot License (CPL) on twin-engine instrument aircraft (MEP IR) issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation. The course includes the AeLo APS MCC that is founded on APC’s expertise in the enhanced MCC (AMC 2.FCL.A).
APC and AeLo will use their extensive networks in the airline industry to ensure that students from the APC/ AeLo training program are presented to recruiting airlines as high quality, airline-ready, qualified pilots.

We are looking for the best students who are finishing secondary technical institutes or high schools and who have a solid academic performance. Applicants can apply to the program through a number of Gateways reflecting the multifaceted nature of the pilot training process.

• Gateway 1 Requirements: Ab initio cadets with no previous flight experience.
• Gateway 2 Requirements: Applicants who have commenced training and / or holding a PPL and wish to join a coordinated training program in AeLo, mentored by APC

All candidates must pass preselection assessments and interview. Criteria applicable to all the gateways:

• Applicants must be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Complete second level education to High School Certificate/ GCSES/ A-Levels or equivalent
• Be disciplined, highly motivated students with leadership qualities
• Hold an EASA Class 1 Medical
• Hold a valid EU/EEA Passport with the unrestricted right to live and work in the EU

All combined with a strong passion for flying and commitment for an aviation career.

To be enrolled on the program, you must:

• Be a fully registered Member of APC.
  • Gateway 1 Students register as “I Want to be a Pilot”
  • Gateway 2 Students register as “I am Training to be a Professional Pilot”
• Complete the APC/AON Indicative Assessment with a Ready or Almost Ready result. Applicants receiving a Not Ready result will not be accepted on the program
• Complete a full suite of aptitude and psychometric assessments conducted by AeLo.
• Pass a selection process consisting of the above assessments, a simulator assessment (as required), and an interview
• Complete the APC ATPL masterclass course in the LMS.
• Have repeated a Maximum of 7 exams in your ATPL TK results
• Complete the APC Pathway to Pilot Competence course in the APC LMS
• Obtain a certified recommendation from ATO HT regarding Professional Attitude, Punctuality and Deportment
• Purchase a Millstream Loss of Training Expense insurance policy.
• Agree to attend the Airline Flight Academy (AFA) simulator and interview preparation course (Recommended)

Students joining through Gateway 1 attend almost 1000 theoretical hours in classroom in conjunction with at around 230 flight/simulator hours, some of them in dual command with an instructor, others as a solo pilot in command, broken down as follows

• 77h VFR Training S201 Pro / Tecnam flown in conjunction with the classroom theoretical training
• 6h VFR Training on electric airplane Pipistrel Velis
• 3h ADV UPRT Extra200
• 25h SIM IFR Training DA42
• 35h IFR Training DA40
• 21h VFR/IFR Training DA42
• 15h SIM Advanced IFR Training MPS 737 NG
• 40h SIM APS MCC Training MPS 737NG

The entire training takes place on glass cockpit aircrafts.

Students who join through Gateway 2 will be assessed for their training needs and will be inserted into an appropriate training program that will build on their existing Technical Knowledge and Practical Training.

The courses start every 3 months: next kick off in April, July, and October. Maximum 16 students per class. The overall course has an estimated duration based on the entry gateways:

• For student entry gateway 1: 16 months, +/- 1 month
• For student entry gateway 2: based on training needs

Commitment to the timeline: if unable to complete the integrated ATPL training of a student at the given timeframe because of AeLo course planning, AeLo will refund the students with 1’000 EUR for every 10 days delay.

International training program between the AeLo bases in Italy and Switzerland. Example of gateway 1 training path:

The complete training program costs 86’000 EUR which includes:

• Theoretical and practical exam (one attempt)
• VAT and Landing fees
• License costs
• Accommodation for the overall training which is next to the training facility in Locarno and in Cuneo

The cost doesn’t include:

• Meals
• Any transportation to/from accommodation / airport when required

The training will be invoiced in 3 equal instalments every 4 months

AeLo has an agreement with BNP Paribas that provides a dedicated credit line to finance cadets’ training. The following conditions apply to this line of credit.:

• Be Italian residents
• Up to 75’000 EUR, repayable in 10 years at low interest. The credit line needs to be guaranteed and signed by a sponsor as well
• Students shall pay the interests only for the first 2 years before starting to reimburse the credit line
• Holding an employment contract is not mandatory.