Customer opinions

The best flight school in the world, with wonderful people and a great team. Very structured and organised, always friendly and ready to help. This school does not care about your background or your wealth, but tries to help you realise your dream. I’m talking about my own experience and I had a very rocky road, but André (the owner) and his team always stood by me and made me feel like I was never alone. Round-the-clock help and really great advice. I consider myself very lucky to have done my ATPL with this school, otherwise I might never have made it and I only recommend this school to others. I am very grateful for the great support and the courage I get to finally realise my dream. You deserve all the stars in the universe!

The right choice! After much deliberation about which theoretical training course to start, I decided on the ATPL-A theory course as a distance learning course at Cranfield. Alternatively, the CPL and IR theory courses were available. Since I completed the training part-time, only a distance learning course came into question for me due to time and cost reasons. In retrospect, I can say that it was exactly the right decision! The support from the entire team at Cranfield was excellent all the time and I was able to complete the training at my desired pace and with all the desired dates for close-up lessons and exams. I would like to particularly emphasise the close-up lessons. They took place online during the Corona times, but were still really good. Selected topics of the respective subjects were specifically addressed to create a deep understanding and there were always enough opportunities to ask questions. I never had the feeling that I was doing “compulsory hours” here.

I can fully recommend the theory course at Cranfield!

I liked the course with you a lot, the online material is excellent (that’s why I also ordered the bound version), the contact was always quick and pleasant. And the meteorology teacher for the Zoom class was one of the best I have ever seen!

As a VFR private pilot with a lot of joy in flying, I have been interested in the step towards instrument flying for quite some time, as it gives me even more flying knowledge, associated with more flying safety and also greater independence from the weather. I finally got the recommendation from my instructor that I should do the theory training by distance learning at Cranfield Aviation Training School.

Since I only wanted to do the training in my free time, it was important to me that I could flexibly adapt my learning speed to my personal availabilities. That was feasible here and also you can take the theory exams in several sessions.

The training material is very extensive, but helps to grasp and deepen the technical knowledge. Very helpful, especially for the preparation for the theory exam with AviationExam, which reproduces the LBA question bank almost completely.

The classroom training (2 days) is very helpful and an important element in the preparation.

Andre and his team were always helpful, available with advice and guided me on my way to the CB-IR licence.

We did our PPL training at Cranfield Aviation Training School during our full-time job in management in the Corona period.

This was definitely the right decision. We could arrange everything flexibly and always had the opportunity to consult with the trainer.

The support in general before the exam but also afterwards during the search for a practice was also very good.

After successfully completing the Cranfield Aviation CB-IR theory course three years earlier, I considered to start the ATPL (A) theory course. My motivation was not that much the prospect of a professional career in the cockpit, but much more my keen interest in the imparted expert knowledge and the related “expansion of the horizon”. However, I had respect for the wide-ranging spectrum of the ATP training contents compared to the CB-IR and the workload, needed to prepare the subjects.
When I was temporarily less busy professionally in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunity arose to start the ATPL theory course at Cranfield Aviation. I now have the ATPL theory in my pocket, with all tests passed right away,all done in about only 10 months. In retrospect, I am very happy that I made the decision to take the course. In my opinion the groundschool training can be perfectly mastered not at least due to the very well-structured and instructive modular ATPL course by Cranfield Aviation – even part-time alongside my job.
The structure in “stages” with a focus on specific themes and the classroom instruction, folllowing the distant learning has proven to be very helpful for me. This approach allows one to concentrate on studying specific themes and sitting the exams for them shortly after, before starting with the next stage and the next subjects.
In this context, I would particularly like to highlight the great commitment of the Cranfield Aviation Team also during the the COVID-19 pandemic situation. In a very short time, the face-to-face brush-ups that normally take place in Dortmund have been converted into an extremely professional online teaching format. Only then can a successful training take place under pandemic conditions. But even beyond the “virtual classroom instruction”, the Cranfield Aviation Team, was, despite the pandemic, very committed to its “students” and gave their best to also encourage social exchange and networking among them, for example through chat-groups or online get-togethers.
I would therefore like to thank the entire Cranfield Aviation Team once again, and especially to André Haufe, to Dr. Christian Ohlwein and to Edith Reker. Thanks to your efforts, it was possible for me to successfully complete the ATPL theory training despite the adverse circumstances in 2020/21.

First about my background. I (working full time as a veterinarian) am FAA CLP MEI and have decided to convert to an EASA CPL MEI (ATPL frozen). Anyone who has already had contact with respective authorities can imagine that this is associated with some hurdles and pitfalls in EASA country. Cranfield Aviation Germany was recommended by US flight school, which in itself is a good sign, but since I am Viennese, I also looked at schools in Austria before I finally decided to go with Cranfield in Germany. What ultimately distinguishes Cranfield Germany from other providers is CEO Andre Haufe and his teacher and office team. Andre is a professional helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft pilot (turbine), extremely well connected in the aviation industry and very familiar with all aspects of the subject. Additional rights are given to the interests of the student. I was able to take my exam at Austro Control in Vienna, for example. Other foreign students will have the opportunity to write the school exams externally. The office team takes meticulous care that all documents are complete and correct. For my FAA-EASA conversion, Andre was by my side with advice and action even before I signed the training contract. Even from the USA (where I still collected a few hours) I was able to call Andre and get his advice. During my training, he recorded a plan for me that will surely help me to ultimately realise my dream of becoming an airline or cooperate pilot. You should be aware that the ATPL theory, regardless of the provider, always requires a high degree of self-study and discipline. Good preparation for the school stages is highly recommended. Personally, I was able to use this to clarify open questions and to get a deeper insight. The teachers are all active (partly professional) pilots and, depending on the subject, qualified specialists (e.g. meteorologists), extremely motivated and helpful. It was very valuable to me that I was able to contact the lecturers at any time outside of the school time and that I always received fast and competent support. I completed the ATPL theory within 10.5 months with excellent results. Although you are ultimately responsible for your own success, Cranfield played a significant part in the positive course of my ATPL theory training. Thank you again for this! Unreserved recommendation!

I can wholeheartedly recommend the ATPL theory course at the Cranfield Aviation Training School Germany. My goal was to complete the ATPL theory parallel to my studies – an undertaking that has proven to be not always easy due to the overlapping times between classroom teaching and university exams. Without the support of Mariya and André I would probably not have been able to achieve this goal. With great commitment, the two made it possible for me to make up for the missed face-to-face lesson elsewhere and to bring my flying training in line with my university obligations. Many thanks also to the team of lecturers led by Dr. Peter Luthaus, who always knew how to present complicated things clearly and whose expertise has impressed me again and again. All in all, at Cranfield I have experienced excellent professional training paired with very committed and personal support. After a year of training, I have now not only passed my theory test, but also the university tests with good results on the first attempt.

Completing the ATPL theory at Cranfield Aviation was exactly the right decision for me. At the location of the school, the technology campus of the university in Dortmund, there is a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. The great advantage of this school becomes apparent right at the beginning – every single flight student is important to them and is supported individually. Although the division of the entire subjects over three stages indicates the direction, flexible and individual procedures can be discussed and planned. It was therefore a great advantage for me to set up a plan at the beginning and then implement it successfully. Professional coaching, both on site and by phone, was possible at any time. So the training was easy to do while working and I passed all the LBA exams straight away. Price-performance ratio is very good here. It was a great time, fun and I would go back to Cranfield anytime if necessary.

During my PPL (H) I was looking for a theory school where I could do the ATPL (H) VFR. I quickly became aware of the Cranfield Aviation Training School on the internet. The requirements based on my sponsorship were kept very tight. I had to have the ATPL theory in my pocket within 8 months and needed all the appointments for lessons in advance. The attendance phase was pleasantly short with a total of just under 3 weeks and I was also able to take the necessary school exams within this time in order to save time for further appointments. As a result, I was able to take my exams after the face-to-face class, all of which I passed straight away.
The teaching material includes all topics that came up in the exam without exceeding the scope of 2 folders, which was very helpful to me personally. Since I only made an ATPL VFR for helicopters, Andre Haufe was at my side with advice and helped me, for example. to choose the right question trainer for me.
So the theory course at the Cranfield Training School went very smoothly for me despite my tight schedule, the support goes beyond the course and I can only praise the school in terms of flexibility and organization.

Started in February 2014 – 12 months later ATPL theory was in my pocket! Cranfield Aviation was completely the right choice for me. The optimal support and the opportunity to work full-time on the side makes the distance learning course extremely attractive. I really liked the division of the 14 theory subjects into 3 stages, about 3 months apart. This allowed you to prepare specifically for the respective subjects and then deepen the subject in the one-week teaching phase or take internal training tests. Finally, it should be emphasised that the training manager André Haufe always tried to plan the desired dates of the students for the examination and to apply for them in good time so that there were no waiting times. Even after successfully completing the distance learning course, the support at Cranfield Aviation does not end. Mr. Haufe is still available for questions at any time if necessary.

In 4 months of full-time self-study to pass the ATPL (A) theory test: In November 2012 I was looking for the right school for this demanding goal. It quickly became clear that my schedule could only be managed administratively with an examination in England. I chose the course from Cranfield Aviation (Germany) in order to have competent contacts in Germany.

The online course from Cranfield Aviation is well structured, written in an understandable manner and consciously focuses on the material relevant to the exam without appearing too concise. I didn’t miss paper materials. As a supplement to the intensive question training, the aviationexam.com database helped me a lot.

My special thanks go to Andre Haufe for the optimal personal support. He was always available promptly for questions and gave me a lot of valuable tips.

March 2013: everything passed on the first attempt. Cranfield Aviation (Germany) was exactly the right school for me. Good price-performance ratio, great support and very flexible organisation.

I had been working abroad for many years and finally wanted to go home. After a long search and research, I decided to do my ATPL with Cranfield Aviation. And since then I haven’t regretted my decision.

The structure of the course is very clear, the material is very well explained and you get quick answers from the teachers in case something is unclear somewhere.

Thanks to the flexibility of the course, I was able to plan the close-up instruction course and the exams in advance.

Thanks to the progress tests and brush-up papers, I was able to deepen my knowledge and knew at all times how much (or little) I still had to learn. The database of questions was very detailed and helped me prepare for the various exams.

Cranfield Aviation is a great “outfit” where you as a learner are in very good hands.

André Haufe took good care of everyone even after the course and helped whenever he could.

Thanks to Cranfield and André I was able to successfully plan my EASA ATPL from Asia in order to carry it out in Europe.

Since the Marl flight school works together with the Cranfield Aviation Training School Germany, I never even asked myself where to do the distance learning in the end. If you then consider the price-performance ratio, it couldn’t be any other school for me. From the first meeting to the last day as a registered student, I always felt comfortable and in competent hands. I also absolutely have to emphasise the teaching qualities of the Head of Training, Stuart Smith, who knew an answer to all questions and always had little memory tricks ready for better clarification. With a lot of charm, he contributed to the fact that some unloved topics were heard. The web-based training contains the most important theoretical points in a compact summary. As my predecessors already wrote, the questionnaire is very close to that of the Federal Aviation Office in Braunschweig, in some cases exactly the same. This helped me that I was also able to pass all 14 subjects on the first attempt.

What really would be the only point of improvement would be that incorrectly answered questions are noted and appear in the tests until they have been answered correctly or the user has quick access to them in order to put together their own tests in order to eliminate deficits.

In February 2012 I started the theory training. It was particularly important to me that I could do the theoretical training alongside my job. Cranfield Aviation’s concept of spreading the lessons over individual weeks was therefore a perfect fit. For me it was very good that the teaching phases only lasted one week. So I was able to comfortably take vacation and prepare the material for the week well, in addition to the job. Since exams have also been possible in individual subjects, this concept is ideal for theory “on the side”.
When I was challenged more intensively in my job from summer 2013, the good organisation of the school was very helpful to me. I was able to arrange individual appointments at any time, e.g. write necessary tests for exam registration. The individual scheduling of the student was always taken into account instead of fixed dates. In conclusion, I can only recommend Cranfield Aviation to anyone with a clear conscience – especially if you have to concentrate on other things on the side.

The ATPL online material is very extensive and fully covers the material required in the examination.
Lots of pictures and graphics provide a good visual background and make it easier to understand. Any questions that came up were always answered quickly and in detail via email – although you only have virtual contact with the school, you feel well connected and always have contacts. In my experience, the questionnaire provided was pretty close to the questions from the official examination in Braunschweig. During the lessons, the material previously learned online could be effectively summarized and more complicated subject areas could be discussed, as some things are simply better understood “live”. Stuart Smith convinced the whole time with absolute technical confidence and personally helped me that all my questions that I had brought with me could be answered in an understandable and pleasantly relaxed manner. The small size of the learning group also had a very positive effect, as everyone could be taken into account in this rather familiar learning atmosphere.

In my opinion, the navigation through the study guides could be somewhat improved. (Structure somewhat more extensive and, for example, cookie-based automatic return to the last session). It would also be helpful if incorrectly answered questions could be put together for your own tests in order to train them in a targeted manner.

In August 2011 I learned from a friend that Cranfield Aviation (Germany) was offering an ATPL theory course as a self-study program. In February 2012 I took the last exams and my experience here has been very positive. Particularly noteworthy is the professional support. From the first contact, through countless questions during self-study, to well beyond graduation, I have always received competent help and individual advice on my questions and with my problems. And very promptly. At school you are perceived as a person and treated accordingly, which ultimately also affects motivation and success. The structure of the online course was successful. After working on the respective content, questions to consolidate follow. The content is designed to be as interesting as possible and contains sufficient background knowledge to classify the content required to answer the questions across the board. The only improvement, when practicing immediately before the exams would be a question generator, which automatically includes the results from previous exercises when selecting the new exercise questions. The questions themselves are ideal preparation for the exam

For the ATPL training parallel to a full-time job, I was looking for an efficient and inexpensive distance learning course, and I found it at Cranfield Aviation. The teaching material for self-study is very well structured. The lessons were well organized and thematically “on point”. In combination with the AviationExam database, I was able to prepare well for the exam. I found the personal advice and support in advance and during the course to be very fair and open, and was always prompt. At this point, once again, many thanks to the entire Cranfield Aviation team.

The unbeatable price was actually the deciding factor, why me and two other friends came to Cranfield Aviation. Even after the first course, we were quickly convinced that we had found an excellent theory school not only in terms of price but also in terms of quality. Professional ATPL teachers were able to convey the huge amounts of material in a compact and clear manner. Above all, I used the lessons to deepen the material I had learned and to ask open-ended questions, which significantly shortened my time. Numerous tips and progress tests have enabled me to pass all subjects on my first attempt. Many thanks to the Cranfield Aviation team!

Last year I did the modular theory training at Cranfield Aviation. The Cranfield Theory School is a great alternative in Germany for preparing for the LBA ATPL theory test. The teachers were very motivated and always approachable. The training location is also very well equipped. All in all, I can recommend Cranfield Aviation. I completed the ATPL training within 12 months and passed the exams well in the first round. Keep it up!

In July 2011 I was looking for a theory school in England to prepare for the ATPL-H. Since Cranfield Aviation were by far the cheapest, I decided on Cranfield Aviation. The support during the training was extremely good. Questions and problems with something and you had feedback in no time and the problem was solved. The preparation courses were very helpful in terms of exam preparation, as you could clarify personal problems on site. Weak points were specifically addressed if one had them. Even not so interesting topics were prepared in such a way that learning was fun. The registrations for the exams were always done correctly and successfully and there were never any problems. To improve, my wishes would be that you could take part in the preparatory courses via Skype from home and that the questionnaire be optimized slightly. You should be able to create quizzes, see learning curves and specifically mark questions, which you can then repeat again separately. I would choose Cranfield Aviation Training School again and I can highly recommend this theory school.

As an experienced VFR pilot, I always wanted to be able to fly to large places, regardless of the weather. However, the IFR theory test is often described as very time-consuming and difficult among VFR hobby pilots. But I was quickly able to convince myself of the opposite. The IFR correspondence course at the Cranfield Aviation Training School offers optimal exam preparation. The on-site lessons in Dortmund are given by committed pilots and flight instructors, and the material provided is a good basis for exam preparation. The format of the distance learning course gives the necessary flexibility to integrate learning into professional and private processes. I passed the LBA test ‘easily’ in my first attempt with good results. Special thanks go to the team at the Cranfield Aviation office in Dortmund. Here, support was always provided promptly and flexibly on all subjects relating to lessons and exams.

As an ambitious hobby pilot, you often have to cosnider weather-related restrictions, especially on longer routes. In order to be more flexible here, I have wanted to complete instrument flight training for a long time. The introduction of the CB-IR / EIR moved a little closer to this goal, as the time required for theoretical training (in addition to my jobs as a development engineer and family man) was the biggest obstacle for me. In retrospect, I found the perfect flight school in Cranfield Aviation to make this project a reality. The attendance days were entertaining and filled with plenty of information and also conveyed the reassuring feeling that you are not the only one having to struggle with the 3,500 questions. The team was also very helpful at the school exams, especially on the way back from our North Sea vacation. With the documents from Cranfield Aviation and the questionnaire from Aviation Exam, I passed my LBA exam straight away – thank you again for your support. In case I should still fancy the CPL or ATPL in the future, I know for sure where I will do my theory 😉

For me it was crucial to carry out the CB IR training as uncomplicated and flexible as possible. In Cranfield, I have found a partner who can provide the training included. Offers on-site instruction and supervision. The overall package fit perfectly into my planning and so I was able to complete the entire course in a good two months. I was well prepared for the final exam at the LBA. I particularly liked the face-to-face lessons with lots of tips and the on-site support. Special thanks to the team!