PPL & CPL procedural training is the most underused, cost-saving tool in modern flight training — here’s exactly how it works.
By Paul Chappell, Founder & Operator, SIMPRO Academy Phuket · June 2026 · 8-minute read
Paul Chappell is a 23-year professional airline pilot, former Lead Captain on a Boeing Business Jet, and previously an ICAO-qualified Flight Instructor. He founded SIMPRO Academy Phuket in 2024
PPL & CPL procedural training is the most underused tool in modern flight training. Every approved sim hour reduces the aircraft hours you need to log, saves you 4,000–6,000 THB per substituted hour, and produces measurably faster trainees. Done wrong, it’s expensive practice that doesn’t count toward your licence. This guide explains exactly what procedural training at SIMPRO covers, which hours count, and the five procedures the sim fixes faster than any aircraft can. |
PPL & CPL procedural training is something I’ve watched flight schools get wrong for years. After 23 years as a professional airline pilot — Lead Captain on a Boeing Business Jet, Chief Pilot overseeing training, and previously an ICAO Doc 9868-aligned qualified flight instructor — I’ve watched students waste money on aircraft hours for procedures that a simulator handles better, faster, and for a fraction of the cost.
PPL vs CPL: What’s the Actual Difference?
The two licences sit at different levels of the same pathway. PPL gets you flying for personal use; CPL gets you flying for hire. Both require theoretical knowledge, flight hours, medical fitness, and check-ride exams.
What a PPL & CPL Procedural Training Session Looks Like
PPL & CPL procedural training at SIMPRO follows the briefing–flying–debrief structure that airlines use the briefing–flying–debrief structure that airlines use for type-rating training. The structure matters because the briefing primes you for what you’re about to practise, and the debrief converts practice into learning you retain.
The 5 Procedures Most New Pilots Fail First — and Why the Sim Fixes Them Faster
After 23 years in aviation and thousands of training hours logged as a Chief Pilot, certain failure patterns repeat across nearly every trainee. The sim solves all five faster than aircraft time — because it lets you face the failure 6–8 times in one 60-minute session.
How PPL & CPL Procedural Training Hours Count Toward Your Licence
This is the regulatory information most flight schools don’t explain clearly. Different civil aviation authorities have different rules, but the consistent principle is: simulator hours count, and the better the simulator class, the more they count. This is exactly where PPL & CPL procedural training pays for itself.
Who PPL & CPL Procedural Training Is Right For
- PPL-track candidates — arrive at each aircraft lesson with procedures already in muscle memory.
- CPL students preparing for cross-country, night, and instrument requirements.
- ATPL students mid-theory who need to practise IFR procedures and instrument scanning.
- Licensed pilots staying current — fortnightly procedural sessions at a fraction of aircraft cost.
- Recurrent training before a check-ride — 4–6 focused sessions on examiner procedures.
- Returning pilots after a break — re-enter procedures safely without aircraft solo cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Regulatory References
- CAAT — Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand — Thai national authority for pilot licensing and simulator approvals
- FAA 14 CFR Part 61 — US pilot certification rules and approved flight simulator time
- SKYbrary — Threat and Error Management (TEM) — framework behind the briefing–flying–debrief methodology
- PPL-track candidates — arrive at each aircraft lesson with procedures already in muscle memory.
- CPL students preparing for cross-country, night, and instrument requirements.
- ATPL students mid-theory who need to practise IFR procedures and instrument scanning.
- Licensed pilots staying current — fortnightly procedural sessions at a fraction of aircraft cost.
- Recurrent training before a check-ride — 4–6 focused sessions on examiner procedures.
- Returning pilots after a break — re-enter procedures safely without aircraft solo cost.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Chappell — Founder & Operator, SIMPRO Academy Phuket Paul Chappell is Founder and Operator of SIMPRO Academy Phuket. With 23+ years as a professional airline pilot, including a Lead Captain position on a Boeing Business Jet where he managed flight training and checking responsibilities, Paul brings deep expertise in precision performance and simulator-based training. He has previously operated as a qualified flight instructor and has logged hundreds of hours on certified full-motion flight simulators. Beyond aviation, Paul is a lifelong motorsport enthusiast — 10+ years on high-performance motorbikes, multiple track days in an AMG 45S, a professional rally driver training course, and extensive experience on high-performance go-karts. He founded SIMPRO Academy in 2024 to bring professional-grade sim racing and flight simulation training to Southeast Asia. |
