From hobby to job: careers in aviation

ATPL training: flight schools, financing and costs

Six-figure sums, installment plans and financing models: what airline pilot training costs, which items are often forgotten, how you can finance it and how to recognize a reputable flight school.

Becoming a Bundeswehr pilot: career path, selection and training

Eurofighter, A400M or NH90: how you get into the cockpit with the Air Force, Navy or Army, which selection phases await you, where training takes place and what the commitment as a soldier means.

DLR test and pilot selection: process, cost and preparation

One day at a computer in Hamburg often decides whether the path to the airline cockpit continues. What is behind the DLR test, which areas are assessed, what the certificate costs and how to prepare without panic.

Becoming a flight attendant: requirements, training and working hours

From application day to your first rotation: what you need to bring as a flight attendant, how initial training under EU law works, which attestation you need and what rosters and working hours look like in the cabin.

Flight dispatcher: flight planning, training and license

Route, fuel, weather, NOTAMs, briefing and flight monitoring: dispatchers plan flights on the ground. Here is what the duties, training and license under the LuftPersV look like.

Aircraft mechanic apprenticeship in Germany: specializations, process and prospects

Maintenance, manufacturing or engines: how the aircraft mechanic apprenticeship is structured, how the exam works, which companies train and what comes next with the EASA Part-66 license.

Working for the airport fire service: training, vehicles and callouts

Company fire brigade, municipal fire department or lateral entry: which paths lead to the airport fire service, what the training covers, what daily life at the station looks like and which callouts really happen.

Becoming an air traffic controller: DFS selection process, training and daily work

A 2.7 Abitur average, a multi-stage test at DLR, a good two years of training and then shift work in the tower or center: this is the path to becoming an air traffic controller at DFS.

Working on the apron: ground handling, ramp agents and aircraft handlers

Marshalling, loading, pushback, coordination under time pressure: which jobs exist in ground handling, who offers them, what you need to bring and why spotter knowledge helps on the apron.

Becoming a helicopter pilot: licenses, costs and fields of work

From the sightseeing-flight license to the rescue helicopter: which helicopter licenses exist under EASA rules, how many hours you need for each, what makes training so expensive and what experience employers like air rescue require.

LAPL vs. PPL: differences between the private pilot licenses

Two licenses, one goal: flying yourself. What the light LAPL(A) allows, where the PPL(A) offers more, which medical you need and how to upgrade later.

Studying aerospace engineering: universities, curriculum and careers

From a math-heavy first year to a specialization in aerodynamics or lightweight design: which universities offer aerospace engineering, how universities, universities of applied sciences and dual programs differ and where graduates go on to work.

Aviation photographer as a career: clients, air-to-air and getting started

From the fence to the assignment: who buys pictures in aviation, how air-to-air photography works, what fees depend on and which steps realistically take spotters to their first paid job.

Becoming an aviation security assistant: training, certification and duties

Lower secondary diploma, background check, at least 280 instructional units and an exam at the aviation security authority: this is how you become an aviation security assistant at passenger screening.

Aviation medical fitness: Class 1, Class 2 and LAPL medicals explained

No medical, no solo flight and no license. Which medical class you need for a PPL, LAPL or ATPL, what happens at the aviation medical examiner and how long the certificate is valid.

How to become a pilot: the routes to the cockpit at a glance

From hobby flyer to airline cockpit: which licenses exist under EASA rules, how integrated, modular and MPL training differ and what has to be settled before you spend the first euro on flight hours.

What do pilots earn? Pay scales and salary progression in Germany

From first officer to captain: how pilot salaries in Germany are made up, why the employer counts for more than the license and what the pay disputes of recent years have changed.

Private pilot license PPL(A): process, cost and duration

From trial flight to the practical test: what the PPL(A) private pilot license requires, how theory and flying work, what it costs and how long you realistically need.

Glider license (SPL): the affordable start to flying through a club

Fly solo at 14, get the license at 16: the glider license SPL is the classic way into the cockpit. What the EU rules require, how training works in a club and why it is so much cheaper than powered flight.

Apprenticeship as an air transport service clerk in Germany: content and employers

Check-in, gate, baggage tracing, load sheet and marketing: what you learn in the apprenticeship as a Servicekaufmann/-frau im Luftverkehr (air transport service clerk), how the exam works and where to apply.

Type rating explained: what it is, who pays, how long it takes

Without a type rating, no pilot flies an Airbus or a Boeing. What is behind the type rating, which requirements apply, how the course works, how long it stays valid and who picks up the bill.

Ultralight pilot license (UL): training, aircraft and costs

From the fence to your own cockpit: what the ultralight license allows, how training on three-axis aircraft, trikes or gyrocopters works, which minimum hours apply, which aircraft you fly and how to work out the costs.

Apron control: duties and training of apron controllers

Between taxiway and parking position, apron control takes over: pushback, taxi instructions, tugs and follow-me. Who employs apron controllers, how they are trained and how you can follow their work at the fence.