Vilnius Aviation Academy (VAA), Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius Aviation Academy (VAA): Rankings, Courses, Admissions, Fees, and Scholarships

Established in 2012, Vilnius Aviation Academy (VAA) is a world-class flying training facility located near Vilnius International Airport in Vilnius, Lithuania. It provides a wide choice of high-quality and affordable aviation courses that exceed the highest requirements set by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In addition to this, VAA is known for offering services such as commercial flight testing, ferry flights, and accommodation to a wide range of clients from Western and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East and Asia. Vilnius’ scenic surroundings are ideal for reinvigorating learning capacities making VAA the perfect place for both learning and relaxation.

Why study at the VAA?

• Offers a fully compliant EASA license recognized throughout the world 
• Tailor-made course packages 
• Offers training to private pilots
• Follows regulations and standards set by the EASA
• Conducts courses in English, Russian, and Lithuanian 
• Courses are taught by highly experienced instructors
• Has a special fire and smoke simulators to imitate fire conditions for training the crew
• Its diverse clientele aids students in their job search
• Located in one of the world’s greenest cities, Vilnius, which is modern and yet has an authentic charm and cultural diversity

VAA Certification

VAA has an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) Vilnius Aviation Academy certificate to offer flight training for both private pilots and commercial pilots. 

VAA is equipped with the following aircraft:

• Airbus 320-200 D level
• Boeing 737-800W NG D level
• Boeing 737-500 DG level
• Boeing 737-800W NG FNPT II MCC
• EMB-170 D Level
• FNPT II MCC
• TECNAM P2002-JF
• TECNAM P2006T
• DV20 KATANA
• CESSNA 152

Programs & training courses offered by the VAA

Vilnius Aviation Academy offers pilot licence courses as well as type rating and other courses to its students. The following section contains discussions about all the courses and trainings offered by Vilnius Aviation Academy.

Pilot license courses 

Private Pilot Licence Course PPL(A)

This course is perfect to get started in airline career or to fly pri­vately for your pleasure and it runs for a duration of  8 to 12 weeks, depending upon whether the course of training is for a full or part time basis. The student has to complete a theoretical course and pass the written examinations on the following nine subjects:

• Air Law and ATC Procedures
• Aircraft General Knowledge
• Flight Performance and Planning
• Human Performance and Limitations
• Meteorology
• Navigation
• Operational Procedures
• Principles of Flight
• Communications

The course includes 130 hours of theoretical knowledge and 45 hours of practical (flying). The breakdown of the course pattern is given as follows: 

The PPL course allows aspiring pilots to upgrade their licence to include commercial, multi-engine, night, and instrument ratings.

Admission requirements

• A medical certificate issued by aviation medical examiner 
• Class 1 Medical Certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority Medical Department for commercial fly­ing
• Class 2 Medical Certificate for private and leisure flying 
• An applicant must be minimum 17 years old

ATPL(A) Integrated Course

This integrated course is designed for full-time students who want to become co-pilots in multi-engine, multi-pilot commercial aircraft while also earning their Commercial Pilot’s License (Aircraft) CPL(A), Instrument Rating, Multi-engine Landplane Rating, and passing the ground school phase of the Airline Transport Pilot License. The duration of ATPL course is 18 months and on successful completion of the course students will be issued the following certificates:

• JAA Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
• JAA Single-Engine Piston Class rating (SEP)
• JAA Multi-Engine Piston Class rating (MEP)
• JAA Instrument Rating (SEP IR, MEP IR)
• Multi Crew Co-Operating Course completion certificate (MCC)

The student have to pass European Pilot Selection and Training (EPST) Compass tests: CPP (psychological tests) and COMPASS test (eye-hand-foot coordination, technical comprehension (physics question), short memory, mental arithmetic, spatial orientation, multi tasking). The total course is divided into five phases. 

ATPL(A) Modular Course

The modular course is designed for students who cannot pursue a full-time integrated course and is divided into three modules. The students can take breaks between each module as per their convenience. Here is the breakdown of the three modules:

The full course can be finished in 80 weeks, however students should budget extra time for flight training in the event of unavoidable delays such as bad weather, additional training, and so on.

VFRN Night Rating

Flying at night necessitates special talents and is very different from flying during the day. This course of seven days will provide aspirants with the necessary flying skills to fly at night.

ATPL(A) Modular Theoretical Knowledge Course

This course is aimed to provide students with the necessary level of competency to function as a pilot-in-command or co-pilot on commercial aircraft. The applicant should hold PPL(A), or CPL(A), CPL(A)/IR.

Instrument Rating (IR)

This course is designed to teach how to fly in Class A airspace perform advances in bad weather which is usually one of the obstacles in commercial pilot training. The training begins in the state-of-the-art FNPTII Simulator (Alsim) at VAA, and then progresses to the aircraft, where students will fly IFR routes at some of the world’s busiest regional and international airports. IR course has a duration of six weeks and is available in two options:

Option 1: A single-engine IR(A) course

It includes at least 50 hours of instrument flight time under instruction, including 35 hours in a FNPT II flight simulator (Alsim).

Option 2: A multi-engine IR(A) course

It must include at least 55 hours of instrument flight time under instruction, with at least 40 hours in a FNPT II flight simulator (Alsim).

Admission requirements: 

• An applicant must hold a EASA/ PPL (A) plus a night qualification or CPL (A)
• Student must have 50 hours cross-country flight as pilot-in-command within the period of validity of the IR or ATPL theoretical exams
• CPL is not valid 
• Student must hold a current JAR FCL Class 1 Medical Certificate
• Applicant should be fluent in English language for communication and radio telephony
• Student should have Multi-engine Piston Rating (MEP) for the Multi-engine IR course

Multi-Engine Piston Rating (MEP)

This course is to advance from a single-engine propeller aircraft to a multi-engine propeller aircraft and is available to both private and professional pilots. After completing the theoretical instruction, students will begin training in state-of-the-art FNPTII Simulator (Alsim). 

Note: MEP is a part of the professional pilot’s licence

There are two variants of this course:

MEP (L)

This course runs for a duration of two weeks and training can be done without the need for IR. 

Admission requirements: 

• Applicant must have EASA/ PPL (A) or CPL (A)
• Student must be medically fit in accordance with JAR-FCL and hold a current JAR FCL Class ONE or TWO Medical Certificate
• Must have 70 hours as pilot-in-command training

MEP/IR

This course lasts for a period of one week and applicant must be medically fit according to JAR-FCL, have a current JAR FCL Class ONE Medical Certificate, and be qualified in SEP/IR and MEP.

Commercial Pilot Licence Modular Course CPL(A)

This is a  15 hour course where the initial training is carried out on the C152/DV20/C172/P2002 followed by the FNPTII Simulator and the PA34/PT2006 aircraft. The course is available in two options and can be completed in two weeks on a full-time basis.

Admission requirements: 

• The applicant must possess a Class 1 medical certificate, a valid ICAO PPL (A), and have passed all theoretical knowledge ground exams to the ATPL (A) or CPL (A) level
• The applicant must have completed 150 hours of flight time as a pilot, with 70 hours of that time as Pilot In Command (PIC)

Flight Instructor Course FI(A)

This course is designed to provide adequate ground and flight training to the aspiring candidates.  After the completion of the course, the applicant is given a FI(A) rating, which allows the holder to provide flight training for the issue of a PPL(A), CPL(A), single-engine class rating, and night qualification.

Admission requirements: 

• Applicant must be 18 years of age
• Applicant must be a holder of a CPL(A) or ATPL(A)
• At least 200 hours of flight time must have been completed, including at least 100 hours as pilot in command and 30 hours as a pilot of single-engine piston powered aeroplanes, with at least 5 hours completed within the six months prior to the course
• Applicant should posses a valid Class 1 medical certificate
• Applicant mjust have completed 10 hours IFR, with a maximum of 5 hours in FNPT II or FFS
• Within the six months before to the start of the course, the applicant must have passed a specified pre-entry flight exam at the school

Type rating and other courses 

Type Rating Training

The type rating training begins on the 15th of each month and includes the following:

• Airbus 319/320/321 Type Rating Training (26 working days) 
• Boeing 737-300-900 Type Rating Training (26 working days) 
• Boeing 737-300-900 Type Rating Training With Integrated MCC (35 working days) 
• NG Difference Course (2 working days) 
• EMB-170 Type Rating Training (23 working days) 
• Renewal Type rating on B-737-300-900, A-320, EMB 170
• Command course (11 working days)
• Type Rating Instructors (MPA) Training (10 working days)

Multi-Crew Cooperation Courses (MCC)

Thie MCC course takes students beyond the EASA-FCL-required MCC Course. Students will get 32 hours of theoretical knowledge training (minimum EASA: 25 hours) and practical training on a FNPT II MCC Simulator (ATR-42) or a Boeing 737-300-900, A-320, EMB-170. It is undertaken for a duration of nine working days. 

Admission requirements:

• An applicant must be holder of a cur­rent EASA Commercial Licence with Multi Engine Instrument Rating 
• It requires a minimum of two students to be organized and confirmed

Cabin Crew Training

The cabin crew training courses are tailored to the needs of individual airlines. The course is  CAA/EASA approved initially and is followed with recurrent training and flight skills. 

Jet Orientation Course

The goal of this training is to bridge the knowledge gap between light piston engine aircraft and more sophisticated high-performance jet planes by teaching new concepts such as EFIS instrumentation, EICAS presentations, and auto flight systems. The course lasts seven days and includes two days of technical familiarisation with aircraft systems and operations, as well as five days (20 hours) of simulated flying instruction in B737NG FBS Simulator.

Admission requirements:

• An applicant must be holder of a cur­rent EASA Commercial Licence with Multi Engine Instrument Rating 
• It requires a minimum of two students to be organized and confirmed

CRM Training

This training is required particularly when a cohesive environment is critical, such as in an emergency and includes:

• Initial CRM Training (1 working day)
• Command CRM Training (1 working day)
• Crew Recourse Management Instructor (CRMI) (3-5 working days)

Safety and Emergency Procedures Training

This one-day training includes the following:

Dangerous Goods training

It includes everything from dangerous goods awareness classes to entire certification programmes for Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers, as well as general cargo security and Security Manager Certification. It consists of total 12 categories ranging from one day to five days.

Hour building 

All of VAA’s aircraft are available for ‘Hour building,’ at special rate packages to explore Lithuania and other foreign countries. 

Campus and accommodation

Vilnius Aviation Academy campus is situated near Vilnius International Airport in Vilnius, one of Europe’s most picturesque capitals. Being located at the crossroads of East and West Europe, VAA gets its students pilots from Western and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East and Asia. Vilnius city has bustling nightlife and is known for its multicultural food. The historic Trakai castle reflects in the crystal blue waters of Galves lake is a stunning sight to experience. VAA is one of the best aviation colleges to study in Lithuania. 

Students can also take advantage of Lithuanian tourism’s extensive selection of sightseeing and other tourist activities, including hot air balloon excursions, scenic flights, and sightseeing tours by bus. VAA is indeed a great investment in pursuing a career in aviation.

VAA has fully furnished and comfortable double rooms. Each room is equipped with a TV and wireless internet. Through collaboration, VAA also offers affordable accommodation at hotels such as Rotonda, Radisson Sas, Algirdas, Crown Plaza, Ecotel, Panorama, etc.