North East Flight Academy - Newcastle upon Tyne

Tim N.

I completed my Private Pilot’s Licence at North East Flight Academy (NEFA) in November 2024. I moved to NEFA after completing 15 hours of training at a different flight school operating out of a much smaller, unlicensed airfield. I was in my 40s when I began my training, with an interest in aeroplanes and airports cultivated over many years as a commercial passenger or an airshow attendee etc. During the course of my time at the smaller airfield, it became clear to me that I was missing out on many aspects of aviation that I could only learn through a flight school operating out of an international airport, so I decided to make the move to NEFA.

My first lesson at NEFA was intense. I found myself immediately surrounded by commercial, military and emergency services flights and my headset was filled with the precise, efficient chatter of busy air traffic controllers. Initially, it was overwhelming. Fortunately, it became clear very quickly that my instructor was both an accomplished pilot and an accomplished teacher who would go on to train me to the standards necessary to hold my own and succeed in that environment.

The mix of environment and instructor is crucial to success in any field and, for me, in the flight training world, NEFA has that mixture just right. Every pilot operating at Newcastle Airport is a professional with a job to do; at the end of your training, you will find that you have been taught to talk, fly and, most importantly, think just like them. Fortunately, though, the experience will be nowhere near as dry as I’ve made it sound above; the instructors are consummate professionals but they’re also human - they will take the time to get to know you as an individual and they will always take things at your pace. Some flight schools are very procedural - you have reached 9 hours, it’s time for your first solo (whether you feel ready or not) - but you will not find that at NEFA. You will not be pushed to progress from stage to stage until a) you feel prepared and b) until the instructors are certain that you can handle yourself safely.

NEFA is a small flight school - Newcastle airport is just too busy to accommodate a more traditional flying club - but if you are looking for a high standard of tuition, delivered by professional instructors who see you as an individual, and you relish the thought of sharing tarmac and airspace with Airbuses, Boeings, police helicopters and even the odd RAF Hawk, I highly recommend this flight school to you.

Milford C.

I'm currently training here towards my private pilot license, I can't speak highly enough of the team.
The flight instructors are highly professional and motivated, the aircraft are excellent and the ability to train at an international airport is a huge bonus.
If you're thinking of flight training and live in the north east, don't go anywhere else!

David B.

Fantastic experience wel worth it.

Calum P.