Our approach is strongly focused on practical application. Many of our instructors have a professional airline background and bring their cockpit experience directly into the training.

We offer theory courses for various licences and ratings, conversion programmes and APS MCC training for pilots who want to further prepare for airline operations.

We offer a comprehensive range of aviation courses and training programmes:

• ATPL(A) — Airline Transport Pilot Licence (Aeroplane)
• ATPL(H) — Airline Transport Pilot Licence (Helicopter)
• CPL(A/H) — Commercial Pilot Licence
• PPL(A) — Private Pilot Licence
• IR — Instrument Rating
• CBIR — Competency Based Instrument Rating
• ICAO to EASA Conversions — for pilots holding a non-EASA licence
• Military Pilot Conversions — ATPL conversion for military pilots
• APS MCC — Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation

Orbit Groundschool provides support from subject instructors, access to an online question bank, guidance during brush-up sessions and a digital Student Portal for communication and administration related to exams, scheduling and documents.

Our approach combines independent study with professional, practice-oriented guidance.

Orbit Groundschool is also CRKBO-registered.

This location includes our training facilities, the ALSIM ALX flight simulator and the facilities where we organise theory exams in cooperation with Austro Control.

Brush-up sessions for our distance-learning students take place online via live webinars, allowing you to participate from both the Netherlands and abroad.

On Orbit Groundschool's accommodation page, you can find information about accommodation options in and around Arnhem for students who need an overnight stay for exam days, courses or simulator training.

The ATPL(A) — Airline Transport Pilot Licence — is the highest level of pilot licence and is required to fly as captain on commercial aircraft. The theory course consists of 13 subjects divided into two modules. After completing the theory, you will have what is commonly referred to in aviation as a ‘frozen ATPL’: the theoretical foundation for your further training towards an ATPL and a career as an airline pilot.

To start the course, you need at least an ICAO-recognised PPL(A). It is also recommended that you hold an EASA Class 1 medical certificate, are at least 17 years old and have completed secondary education.

A sufficient level of English, mathematics and physics is essential.

On average, students complete the full ATPL(A) theory course, consisting of two modules, in four to six months when studying approximately fifteen hours per week. Module 1 takes approximately fourteen weeks and Module 2 approximately ten weeks.

The actual time required depends on the amount of time you dedicate to your studies and your individual study pace.

Yes, that is one of the main advantages of our approach. The ATPL theory course is delivered through distance learning, allowing you to determine your own study hours and pace. Students regularly combine the course with work or other commitments.

The brush-up sessions take place via live webinars, so no travel is required.

A typical training programme consists of the following steps:

1. 1. Enrolment and start of distance learning — you study independently using the ATPdigital CBT software, from home and at your own pace.
2. Progress tests — regular tests help monitor and ensure your study progress.
3. Brush-up courses — intensive live webinar sessions for each subject, focused on questions and answers, knowledge consolidation and exam preparation.
4. 4. EASA theory exams — these can be taken during the monthly exam weeks we facilitate in Arnhem in cooperation with Austro Control.
5. APS MCC-training — the practical final stage for students who want to further prepare for airline operations and a future career with an airline.

Brush-up courses are intensive, mandatory live webinar sessions for each subject. They focus on questions and answers, knowledge consolidation and exam preparation.

The sessions are scheduled in blocks of five consecutive working days. To participate, you only need a computer with a webcam and headset.

Our theory training is based on independent study combined with professional guidance.

You study the theory using the ATPdigital CBT software on your own PC, Mac or iPad, at your own pace and at times that fit your schedule.

Targeted support remains available during brush-up sessions and through email support from subject instructors.

ATPdigital is the professional CBT (Computer Based Training) software we use for our theory courses.

For the ATPL course, the software covers all 13 subjects in a structured study programme, including progress tests and practice questions. The software is available for Mac, iPad and PC.

The complete study package for the ATPL(A) course includes:

• ATPdigital CBT software with activation code;
• Jeppesen General Student Pilot Route Manual;
• mandatory brush-up courses;
• a collection of CAA publications, including the relevant CAP documentation;
• email support from subject instructors;
• 12 months of access to the BGSonline question bank;
• 12 months of technical software support.

During the course, you complete mandatory progress tests after specific sections of the study material.

These results are used to monitor your progress and identify any gaps in your knowledge at an early stage.

Yes. In addition to the brush-up sessions, you can email our subject instructors with course-related questions at any time.

Do you have a question about a particular topic or are you struggling with something? Our instructors will provide targeted support to help you move forward. This allows Orbit Groundschool to combine the flexibility of self-study with professional guidance.

The distance-learning approach gives you the flexibility to spend extra time on subjects you find more challenging.

Progress tests help identify where additional attention is needed. The brush-up sessions focus on important and challenging topics within each subject, and you can contact our subject instructors if you have any course-related questions.

Very flexible. There are no fixed classroom days; you study whenever it suits you.

The brush-up sessions are the scheduled contact moments. Exams are facilitated monthly, allowing you to plan your exams around your study progress and the applicable requirements.

Yes. We offer conversion programmes for pilots holding an ICAO licence issued outside the EASA system. Military pilots can also complete a specific ATPL conversion programme with us, tailored to their existing knowledge and flying experience.

Yes. Our exam centre is open to candidates who have completed their theory training with an approved ATO, anywhere in the world.

You do not need to be an Orbit student to take your exams in Arnhem. In that case, the Austro Control Application Form must be completed and signed by your own ATO.

Monthly. Each month, we facilitate an exam week consisting of three or four consecutive exam days.

You can find the current exam dates and corresponding registration deadlines on the exam page of our website.

Registration takes place through our Student Portal.

Create a new exam application for your preferred exam week and upload the required documents, including a valid ID card/passport and a new, fully completed Austro Control Application Form.

A new Application Form is required for each new sitting. Once all required documents have been received and are complete, your exam application can be processed.

Yes. Through the Student Portal, you can manage your exam applications and documents, as well as communication regarding scheduling, invoices, exam invitations and certificates.

The Student Portal and ATPdigital are two separate platforms and require separate accounts.

You can find the current exam fees on the exam page of our website. As fees may change, we do not publish fixed amounts here.

The Student Portal and ATPdigital are two separate platforms with separate accounts.

If you use ATPdigital for your theory training, you will need to create a new account for the Student Portal. Register using the email address where we can reach you.

A sitting is a period of up to 10 consecutive days, as defined by the competent authority, during which exams may be taken. The same exam subject may not be retaken within the same sitting.

Within such a sitting, Orbit Groundschool facilitates an exam week consisting of three or four consecutive exam days.

For ATPL, CPL and IR exams, the complete examination programme must be passed within a maximum of six sittings.

You have 18 months to pass all required theory exams. This period is calculated from the end of the calendar month in which you took your first theory exam.

For ATPL, CPL and IR exams, a maximum of six sittings also applies.

No. With Austro Control, PPL candidates take all nine theory exams on one day during their first sitting.

Any resits are scheduled for a subsequent sitting and are taken together.

Before submitting your exam application, send an email to [email protected] with your fully completed Austro Control Application Form, a copy of your valid ID card/passport and a copy of your current licence.

Clearly indicate which subjects you are exempt from and on what grounds. Orbit Groundschool will review the information provided and, where necessary, confirm with Austro Control whether the exemption can be processed as part of your exam application.

The complete set of theory exams for a particular licence or rating must be taken under the responsibility of the same competent authority.

If you have already started your exams under Austro Control, your ongoing exam progress cannot simply be transferred to another competent authority. The same applies if you started elsewhere and want to continue your exams under Austro Control.

If you are unsure, please contact us in advance.

ECQB stands for European Central Question Bank and is the European question bank on which the relevant EASA theory exams are based.

Austro Control uses the version of the ECQB applicable at the time of the relevant exams.

Before the exam week, you will receive your personal exam schedule and the current practical instructions.

Make sure you arrive on time and bring a valid identity document. Personal belongings and unauthorised electronic devices must be stored in accordance with the instructions provided at the exam location.

The current rules, time slots and practical instructions can be found in the exam documentation and the Student Portal.

The permitted aids depend on the exam and the subject concerned.

Depending on the exam and subject, permitted aids may include a mechanical flight computer, set square, ruler, compass, approved Jeppesen documentation and certain CAP documents.

The exam centre provides an approved calculator, pen and scratch paper.

No. Any permitted documentation you bring with you will be checked before use and must not contain any handwritten notes.

CAP documents are permitted for the designated subjects, including 031, 032, 033, 034 and 061 for ATPL, CPL and IR/CBIR exams.

The pass mark is 75%. There is no penalty marking.

Immediately. Your result is displayed on the iPad as soon as you have completed the exam.

The official results overview is subsequently provided in accordance with Austro Control's procedure.

After you have passed all required subjects, Austro Control usually sends a digital copy of the signed and stamped certificate to Orbit Groundschool within approximately two weeks after the exam week.

We then make the certificate available through the Student Portal.

The physical certificate is sent from Austria to Orbit and may take several additional weeks to arrive. Once we receive it, we will forward it to the address you provided.

The validity period varies depending on the licence or rating.

For PPL/LAPL, a validity period of 24 months generally applies, and for CPL and IR 36 months for the issue of the relevant licence or rating.

Different validity rules apply to BIR and ATPL. If you are unsure, please consult the current EASA regulations or contact us about your specific situation.

Yes, but only during the exam in question.

The exam app allows you to submit a comment or objection for each individual question. Once the exam has ended, an objection to an exam question can no longer be submitted through Orbit Groundschool.

The objection itself will be reviewed by Austro Control.

If there is an error in your booking or you wish to cancel, please contact [email protected].

Changes and cancellations free of charge are possible until the applicable registration deadline. After this deadline, no refund is possible because the application has been processed by Austro Control and the associated exam fees are due.

A full cancellation in which you do not take any exams does not count as a used sitting or exam attempt. Once you have actually taken one or more exams within a sitting, the applicable rules for that sitting apply.

APS MCC stands for Airline Pilot Standard Multi Crew Cooperation and is the professional training standard for pilots preparing for an airline position.

The training goes beyond a standard MCC and focuses on areas including airline procedures, jet handling, Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Line-Oriented Flight Training (LOFT).

A standard MCC consists of 20 hours of training in a generic multi-crew cockpit, focusing on basic procedures. APS MCC provides 40 hours of training in a medium-jet cockpit environment, including airline SOPs, extensive CRM training, jet performance theory and LOFT scenarios.

APS MCC is specifically designed to prepare pilots for the transition to airline operations and a subsequent type rating.

You need at least a PPL(A), preferably a CPL(A) with IR. A ‘frozen ATPL’ (theory certificate) and a valid ME IR(A) are strongly recommended.

In addition, ICAO English Language Proficiency Level 4 or higher and a valid EASA Class 1 medical certificate are required.

The training has a minimum duration of 13 days, spread over approximately three to four weeks. You can find the current start dates for our training groups on onze APS-MCC pagina.

The APS MCC includes 40 hours of simulator training..

The training is conducted in a crew environment and consists of several training sessions in which both crew members actively practise the relevant Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring duties.

Yes. APS MCC is specifically designed to better prepare pilots for airline operations, assessments and a future type rating.

Orbit Groundschool also works with airlines and, depending on the applicable requirements and available vacancies, can support candidates in taking the next step towards airline selection, including the Transavia First Officer selection process.

Participation in or completion of an APS MCC course does not, of course, guarantee an invitation to an airline selection process or a job.

In addition to the APS MCC training itself — including airline procedures, CRM and LOFT scenarios — Orbit Groundschool offers additional coaching and training focused on airline selection.

Depending on the applicable requirements and available vacancies, students who successfully complete the relevant programme may receive support in taking the next step towards airline selection, including the Transavia First Officer selection process.

Orbit Groundschool uses the ALSIM ALX, an advanced FNPT II flight simulator at our training centre in Arnhem.

The simulator supports multiple aircraft types and cockpit configurations within a single training environment.

The simulator is used for various types of training, including instrument training for PPL, IR, CPL and ATPL, the full APS MCC course, standard MCC training, and selection and assessment training for external ATOs and airlines.

The simulator is primarily used as part of our regular training programmes.

External ATOs and airlines can use the ALSIM ALX for training purposes, additional training capacity and selection assessments. Please contact us to discuss the possibilities.

In a simulator, you can practise situations that would be too risky or impractical to train in a real aircraft, such as emergencies, extreme weather conditions and system failures.

You learn to respond correctly and quickly in a safe, controlled environment, while being able to repeat and evaluate specific scenarios.