European Flight Academy (Lufthansa Group) · Cadet / ab initio

Commercial Pilot Training (ATPL) - Bremen / Zurich

The European Flight Academy, the Lufthansa Group's flight school, offers a training programme leading to a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Instrument Rating (IR, frozen ATPL). The programme is aimed at young candidates without prior experience who want to become airline pilots. After completion, graduates can apply for cockpit positions within Lufthansa Group airlines.

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Employer: European Flight Academy (Lufthansa Group)
Position: Cadet / ab initio
Base: Bremen, Allemagne · Zurich, Suisse
Aircraft: Avions monomoteurs et bimoteurs, simulateurs de vol
Contract: Formation (programme ATPL)
Posted: 4 October 2024

Key points

Training lasts around 22 to 24 months
Leads to a CPL with Instrument Rating (frozen ATPL)
Theory covers navigation, meteorology and aviation law
Practical training in visual and instrument flight on single and twin-engine aircraft
Intensive simulator training for multi-crew jet operation
Training locations in Bremen and Zurich

What the employer asks for

Valid DLR certificate, valid for at least one more year at time of application
General university entrance qualification (Abitur, Matura, Fachhochschulreife or equivalent)
EU, Swiss or EFTA member state citizenship
Fluent English, minimum B2 level
German minimum B2 required for the Swiss location
Minimum age of 17
Must meet requirements for an aero-medical fitness certificate

What the employer offers

Comprehensive theoretical and practical training
Simulator training
Possibility to apply afterwards to Lufthansa Group airlines

Summary written by ForAllPilots from the employer's posting. Only the official posting counts: check every condition before you apply.

Legacy long-haul airline

Lufthansa at a glance

The German flag carrier, a founding member of the Star Alliance in 1997, with its two hubs in Frankfurt and Munich and a vast long- and medium-haul network.

Bases: Frankfurt (main), Munich (secondary)
Fleet: Airbus A319/A320/A321 (including A320neo/A321neo), A330, A340, A350, A380; Boeing 747, 787; Bombardier CRJ, Embraer (regional)

Pilot recruitment

Recruits qualified pilots, but is also historically one of the best-known European airlines for its own structured ab initio cadet programme, run through its training subsidiary Lufthansa Aviation Training, with part of the training delivered at its own sites (Germany and, historically, the United States). Very diverse fleet (Airbus and Boeing, medium- and long-haul), hence many possible type ratings depending on the posting.

The full Lufthansa guide →

The European Flight Academy (Lufthansa Group) selection, as candidates tell it

What candidates report on forums (Aeronet, Pilot Jobs Network) and what the employer publishes, summarised by ForAllPilots. It is not the official process: it changes from one campaign to the next, always check the posting.

Reliability of the reports : medium

The stages

First stage: DLR basic aptitude test (BU), one day for already-trained pilots, two days for cadets; sessions possible in Hamburg, Zurich or Milan, in German or English.
Depending on the airline, the basic assessment may also be the Interpersonal BQ test or the Swiss psychometric test; candidates contradict each other on whether the two are equivalent.
Second stage: company qualification (FQ) with psychomotor tests, group exercises and an interview, often run by Interpersonal.
For type-rated pilots, a simulator check and an assessment centre with a group exercise and individual interview; all three stages are mandatory.
Medical; failing one phase can close access to the group's other airlines for a period.
DLR day in Hamburg described in 2023-2025 (Luxair and EFA candidates): from 8:00 to 16:15-16:30, touchscreens, one-hour lunch break; CBT practice software sent about 20 days beforehand; fee payable for the EFA (€370 in 2023).
EFA, second stage (2023): group exercise on tablets in which each person holds part of the information, a new personality questionnaire, an individual interview of about 1 h (motivation, personality outside work, a question on environmental impact), then a multitasking psychomotor test; in German in Zurich or in English in Hamburg.

The aptitude tests

DLR: arithmetic and mathematics, physics, English, memory, concentration, spatial orientation, multitasking.
Psychomotor and vigilance tests in the second phase.
Interpersonal BQ: reasoning with figures and matrices, cubes, calculation problems.
Order of a 2023 DLR day: spatial orientation (PPT), triangle sequences (SKT), 30 very simple ATPL questions, orally dictated mental arithmetic, auditory memory, personality, dial perception speed, visual memory, cube rotation, English and psychomotor; the composition varies between CBT versions (ENS, PPT, ROT, SKT, OWT, RMS, KRN, MEK, TVT, VMC...).
Second-stage psychomotor test (EFA 2023): altimeter, compass, speed, scrolling symbols to spot using a pedal, and a clock to monitor every 10 minutes.

The technical part

Secondary-school-level physics and mathematics in the BU.
For type-rated pilots, instrument flying and CRM in the simulator rather than type-specific questions.

Candidates' tips

Free practice materials are enough for some candidates; others use SkyTest books and software.
Choose the test language carefully, as the test was historically in German.
Do not turn up unprepared: the rules on retaking within the group are strict.
Start 2 to 3 months beforehand, then gradually lengthen sessions up to 6-hour simulations for endurance.
According to several candidates, you need to be at least average across the board: a single test below average is enough to eliminate you, and there is no second chance on some cadet programmes.

Our exercises to prepare

Sources read (11)

Give yourself every chance

A cadet selection mostly assesses your potential: aptitude tests (attention, mental arithmetic, spatial orientation, memory), English, then a motivation interview and often a group exercise.

Practise the aptitude tests regularly, in short sessions, and track your scores: progress is what counts, not a cramming week.

Revise the theory basics (meteorology, navigation, principles of flight): many selections touch on them, and you will need them from day one of training.

Practise the aptitude tests →Over twenty exercises (multitasking, mental arithmetic, cubes, orientation, CUT E, COMPASS and DLR series), scored and tracked over time. (FR)Revise the ATPL theory →The question bank by subject, mock exams and the AI Instructor to prepare the technical test.Prepare the interview with Selection Coaching →A written mock selection interview with an AI panel (beta), technical and HR. It does not guarantee the result of a real selection.The European Flight Academy (Lufthansa Group) guide: recruitment, fleet, bases →What to know about the airline before you apply.

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