A complete guide to hour building in the UK for aspiring commercial pilots. Understand CAA requirements, PIC hours, cross-country flying, aircraft hire, reducing costs and how to make every flying hour count towards your commercial pilot career.
You have passed your PPL, you have a logbook full of training flights and now you are looking towards a commercial flying career. For many pilots following the modular route, the next big step is hour building.
Hour building is more than simply renting an aircraft until a particular number appears in your logbook. Done well, it builds confidence, judgement, navigation skills and real pilot-in-command experience. Done badly, it can become an expensive exercise in repeating familiar routes without learning very much.
This guide explains what hour building means in the UK, the key UK CAA requirements for the modular CPL(A), how to choose a suitable aircraft and practical ways to keep costs under control. It also explains where to find hour-building opportunities through AERLO.
What Is Pilot Hour Building?
Hour building is flying undertaken to accumulate the experience required for a future licence, rating or training course. It is especially common between gaining a Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and starting modular commercial training.
Some flights may be local, but cross-country journeys, visits to unfamiliar airfields and varied operating environments generally offer more development than flying the same circuit repeatedly. The aim is to gain genuine experience while meeting the specific requirements of your next course.
How Many Hours Do You Need for a UK CPL(A)?
For the UK CAA modular CPL(A) route, the CAA states that before the CPL skill test you must have at least 200 hours of flight time, including at least 100 hours as pilot in command (PIC). Within the PIC requirement, at least 20 hours must be cross-country flight as PIC.
Those cross-country hours must include a VFR cross-country flight of at least 540 km (300 nautical miles), with full-stop landings at two aerodromes other than the departure aerodrome. The CAA also specifies night and instrument experience requirements, alongside the approved CPL course itself.
The 200-hour figure is a pre-skill-test experience requirement, not a statement that you must personally hire an aircraft for 200 hours after your PPL. Your qualifying PPL training and subsequent flying can contribute to total experience, and your ATO should help you plan which hours count and when they must be completed.
Does Every Flight Count Towards the 200 Hours?
Not necessarily. The UK CAA identifies specific crediting rules and limitations. In particular, its current CPL(A) guidance says that experience in aeroplanes classified as microlights cannot be counted towards the CPL(A) requirements listed there. Other aircraft categories have tightly defined credit limits, and those credits do not automatically satisfy the 100-hour aeroplane PIC requirement.
This is an important point if you are considering a particularly cheap aircraft or a mixed flying programme. Before spending money, ask your intended CPL ATO to confirm in writing that the aircraft, licence privileges and planned flights are suitable for your specific route. Do not assume that an hour is eligible simply because it can be entered in a logbook.
What Counts as PIC Time?
PIC means pilot in command: the pilot designated as responsible for the safe conduct of the flight. After gaining the appropriate privileges, a private pilot flying solo will ordinarily log the flight as PIC. Other situations, including flights with another pilot or an instructor, require care over who is actually acting as PIC and how the time is recorded.
Do not assume two PPL holders can both log the same flight as PIC just because both handle the controls at different points. The correct designation and logging depend on the operation and applicable rules. If in doubt, clarify before departure rather than trying to reconstruct the flight afterwards.
Plan Your 300 NM Cross-Country Early
The qualifying 300 NM flight is a major milestone for many aspiring commercial pilots. It needs deliberate planning, not just a long flight with plenty of miles.
Choose a route that comfortably satisfies the distance requirement, includes full-stop landings at two different aerodromes away from your point of departure, and is realistic for the aircraft, airspace, weather and pilot experience. Confirm the planned flight meets your ATO’s interpretation of the CAA requirement before flying it.
Check opening hours, PPR, fuel, NOTAMs, controlled airspace, landing fees and diversion options. Allow flexibility: a weather-driven change to the route might mean the flight no longer satisfies the qualifying requirement. Never press on in unsuitable conditions merely to “get the 300 NM done”.
Which Aircraft Is Best for Hour Building?
For many pilots, a simple single-engine piston aircraft is a sensible choice. A Cessna 150/152, Cessna 172, Piper PA-28 or another suitable SEP may be ideal, depending on cost, availability, insurance and the kind of flying you want to do.
Do not choose solely on the cheapest advertised hourly rate. An aircraft with limited range, restrictive booking rules or frequent technical downtime can make longer cross-country flights expensive or difficult. Likewise, paying more for performance you do not need may add little value to your training.
Wet vs Dry Aircraft Hire
Wet hire normally includes fuel in the quoted rate; dry hire normally does not. With dry hire, calculate the full fuel cost using realistic consumption and the actual price paid, then add any membership, landing, parking and other fees. Check exactly how flight time is measured and charged.
Check the Hire Agreement and Insurance
Before paying, check pilot minimums, check-out requirements, currency rules, permitted destinations, overseas flying permissions, aircraft availability, fuel reimbursement rules, cancellation terms and insurance excess. A low hourly rate can be less attractive if the practical restrictions prevent the trips you need.
How Much Does Hour Building Cost in the UK?
There is no reliable single UK-wide price. Aircraft type, fuel, location, provider and what is included all change the result. The useful calculation is the total cost of the hours you still need, rather than a headline hourly rate.
For illustration only, 50 hours at £180 per hour would cost £9,000; 50 hours at £210 would cost £10,500; and 50 hours at £240 would cost £12,000. These are example prices, not verified market averages. Any landing fees, membership, checkouts or other charges excluded from the quoted rate would be additional.
Ask providers for an all-in example of a two-hour local flight and a full-day cross-country trip. The answers are often more useful than comparing two rates in isolation.
Eight Ways to Make Hour Building More Affordable
Choose a reliable aircraft you can actually book, not just the lowest hourly quote.
Plan longer, purposeful cross-country trips where practical so that you gain varied experience.
Use current weather, NOTAM and airfield information to avoid unnecessary diversions or wasted journeys.
Prepare routes, frequencies, fuel calculations and alternates at home before the aircraft clock starts.
Ask about legitimate block-hour discounts and understand expiry, refund and cancellation terms.
Consider a syndicate or shared ownership arrangement if the fixed costs and flying pattern genuinely work for you.
Keep a detailed logbook and reconcile hours regularly against your intended CPL course requirements.
Never reduce safety margins or fly in unsuitable weather to save money or meet an hours target.
Can You Share the Cost of Hour-Building Flights?
Cost sharing can reduce some costs, but it is tightly regulated. Under UK CAA rules effective from 1 October 2025, qualifying private cost-sharing flights are limited to six people including the pilot. Only direct costs of the specific flight may be shared, there must be no profit, and the pilot must pay at least an equal per-person share of those direct costs.
The CAA also requires a Passenger Declaration Form for each passenger, completed before flight and retained for six months. Cost-shared flights must remain genuine private flights; they are not a way to sell passenger transport or run a commercial hour-building service under a PPL.
If you carry passengers, check the applicable passenger recency rules, licence privileges, aircraft insurance and the provider’s hire terms. Do not assume that splitting an aircraft rental bill automatically makes an arrangement compliant.
Should You Build Hours Abroad?
Flying abroad can be rewarding and may expose you to new airspace, radio procedures and navigation challenges. It is not automatically cheaper once travel, accommodation, aircraft checkout, local fees and administration are included.
More importantly, confirm that your licence and ratings are valid for the aircraft registration and operation, that the hire provider permits the flights, and that the resulting experience is eligible for your UK CPL pathway. The UK and EASA systems should not be treated as interchangeable without checking the details.
How to Make Your Hours Valuable to a Future Employer
Employers do not assess pilots solely by the size of a logbook. Hour building is an opportunity to become a more capable decision-maker. Plan routes through unfamiliar areas, practise sound radio work, operate at different aerodromes and learn to make sensible go/no-go and diversion decisions.
Build experience progressively and within your privileges. An ambitious flight that exceeds your ability is not a useful training achievement. Good judgement, preparation and honest self-assessment are much more valuable than an impressive-looking route map.
Common Hour-Building Mistakes
Booking flights without checking which hours your future CPL ATO will accept.
Leaving the 300 NM qualifying cross-country until the last minute.
Assuming any aircraft category, including microlights, can count towards CPL(A) requirements.
Comparing hire providers only on the advertised hourly rate.
Failing to account for checkouts, landing fees and aircraft downtime.
Logging PIC time incorrectly or leaving logbook entries incomplete.
Treating cost sharing as permission to provide paid passenger flights.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hour Building in the UK
Do I need 200 hours before starting modular CPL training?
Not necessarily. The CAA’s 200-hour requirement applies before the modular CPL(A) skill test. Entry requirements for the course and the point at which you complete particular experience elements must be checked with your ATO.
How much PIC time do I need for a modular CPL(A)?
The UK CAA lists at least 100 hours PIC, including at least 20 hours cross-country PIC, before the CPL(A) skill test.
Can I use a microlight to build hours towards a UK CPL(A)?
Do not assume so. The CAA’s current CPL(A) guidance expressly states that flight experience in aeroplanes classified as microlights cannot be counted towards the listed CPL(A) requirements. Confirm your precise route with your ATO before booking.
Can I build hours with another PPL holder?
You can fly with another appropriately qualified pilot where the operation permits it, but both pilots cannot simply claim the same time as PIC. Agree the designated PIC and check logging rules before flight.
Is the cheapest aircraft always the best option?
No. Reliability, availability, checkout costs, fuel arrangements, restrictions and suitability for cross-country flying all affect the real cost and value of the experience.
Find Hour Building and Aircraft Hire on AERLO
AERLO brings together aircraft hire and hour-building opportunities for UK pilots. Compare aircraft, rates, locations and operating conditions, then ask the provider about the flights you actually want to make.
AERLO also has its own Flying Club, offering another route for pilots looking to fly regularly. Explore the aircraft, membership and hire arrangements directly on the AERLO Flying Club page before deciding what suits your hour-building plan.
For the best result, build an hour-by-hour plan with your intended CPL training organisation first, then choose a hire arrangement that helps you complete it safely and efficiently.
Important Note
This guide is general information for UK pilots, not a substitute for the current UK CAA rules, approved training syllabi, aircraft documentation, or advice from your CPL training organisation. Flight-time crediting depends on your specific licence and training route. Verify eligibility before committing to hire or training expenditure.
