June 8, 2026
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes, subject to your specific training programme and the simulator approval level. CAAT permits approved FNPT hours to count toward both PPL and CPL under specific conditions — typically up to 5 hours toward PPL and up to 10 hours toward CPL. Bring your training records or speak with your CFI to confirm. We’ll confirm the current CAAT position when you book.
No. Roughly half of our procedural-sim clients are pre-PPL — they want to find out whether flight school is right for them before committing several hundred thousand baht. The other half are mid-training or licensed pilots maintaining currency.
The setup is configured around a generic single-engine cockpit layout — the same controls, instruments, and checklist flows you’d meet on a Cessna 172 or Piper PA-28. The procedural muscle memory transfers directly into the aircraft. For IFR procedure training, the instrumentation matches the glass-panel layout most modern training aircraft now use.
Discovery sessions are introductory — you fly a scenic route with full coaching, and the goal is immersion and enjoyment. Procedural sessions are structured training on a specific procedure: engine failure, crosswind landing, instrument scan, missed approach, etc. Same equipment, different objective. Procedural sessions build licence-creditable skills and count toward your logbook.
If you’re using the sim alongside flight school, 1–2 sessions per week is ideal. If preparing for a check-ride, 4–6 focused sessions in the two weeks prior. If staying current, fortnightly sessions work well. Most trainees notice measurable improvement in aircraft performance within 2–3 sessions.
Yes. Paul Chappell has 23+ years as a professional airline pilot — including Lead Captain on a Boeing Business Jet with responsibility for flight training and checking. He is a Qualified Flight Instructor with thousands of hours in certified full-motion flight simulators. Most procedural sessions are taught or directly supervised by Paul.
Call +66 62 962 2822 or email info@simproacademyphuket.com. Mention “procedural sim session” so the team can prepare the right briefing. Sessions are 1,300 THB per 90 minutes, excluding 7% Thai VAT and 3% booking fee. SIMPRO is at 23 Boat Lagoon Marina, Soho Pool Club, Koh Kaeo, Phuket 83000.
The 7 Frustrations Every Pilot Has with Flight Simulation Training Honest answers from a 23-year airline captain — vestibular mismatch, sim hours, landings, radio calls, and more. Fast-Tracking Your Aviation Career in 2026 The complete pathway from first sim session to First Officer — timeline, costs, Asia-Pacific cadet programme overview. VR & Haptics Improve Awareness in Sim Racing Phuket Training How spatial awareness technology works across both aviation and racing simulation at SIMPRO. |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Chappell — Founder & Operator, SIMPRO Academy Phuket Credentials: 23+ years as a professional airline pilot. Former Lead Captain on a Boeing Business Jet with responsibility for flight training and checking. Qualified Flight Instructor (QFI) with thousands of hours in certified full-motion flight simulators. ICAO Doc 9868-aligned training methodology. Paul founded SIMPRO Academy Phuket in 2024 to make professional-grade aviation and motorsport simulation training accessible in Southeast Asia. Located at Boat Lagoon Marina, the facility offers PPL/CPL procedural training, Discovery Flight Sim, and sim racing. |
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