Course combines the practical and theoretical aspects of flying with the underlying principles of aircraft engineering; students follow a structured pilot training programme and sit the appropriate ground school examinations needed for the award of a Private Pilot Licence; a total of 45 flying hours is included within the training programme, with the twin aims of enabling students to fly solo by the end of Level 1 and to obtain a Private Pilot Licence by the end of Level 2; the optional sandwich year may be spent on industrial placement in a range of manufacturing companies, typically involving aerospace industries, in the UK or in certain countries in Europe.