Flying in Namibia with your European licence

With your German or European EASA PPL(A), you can fly yourself in Namibia. All you need is a validation from the Namibian aviation authority, the NCAA (Namibia Civil Aviation Authority). Vast desert landscapes, the dunes of the Namib, the Skeleton Coast and the Etosha Pan from the air: Namibia is among the most impressive flying regions in the world.

The validation is not a new course of training. Your European licence remains the foundation; the NCAA recognises it for flights under visual flight rules (VFR) in Namibia. At Fly Unique, we work with local partner flight schools and organise the entire process: from the application and travel arrangements through to the flight test.

Everything begins with the application for validation of a foreign pilot licence submitted to the NCAA in Windhoek. In it, you provide your personal details, your licence with class rating (for example SEP land), your medical and your Language Proficiency endorsement. We provide you with the forms: "FSS PEL 61-04 Application for Validation of Foreign Pilot Licence" and the "NCAA Exam Application" for the air law exam.

The NCAA then verifies with the issuing authority that your licence is genuine and valid. In Germany, this is the German Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, LBA). For the LBA to release this information, you will generally need a signed declaration of consent.

Allow several weeks of lead time for your licence to be verified. Once in Namibia, you will also take an exam in Namibian air law at the NCAA. You can read about how this is conducted and which textbook you can use to prepare in step 4.

As soon as the verification of your licence is underway, we take care of everything else: flights to Windhoek, hotel or lodge accommodation, transfers and appointments at the partner flight school. If you wish, we can combine the validation directly with a fly-away tour through Namibia, featuring landings on lodge airstrips that are difficult to reach in any other way.

In Namibia, you fly hot and high. That is the single most important difference compared to flying in Central Europe. Windhoek sits at around 5,500 ft, and on hot days the density altitude quickly climbs well above 8,000 ft. The aircraft then requires noticeably more runway to take off and climbs far less vigorously than you are accustomed to. In the briefing with your flight instructor, you will discuss the local flying conditions in detail.

For the validation, the NCAA requires a theoretical examination in Namibian air law (Air Law). It takes place as a written multiple-choice test at the NCAA in Windhoek. The exam focuses primarily on differences from European regulations.

For preparation, we recommend the textbook "Namibian PPL AirLaw 2026" by Danielle Bruckert (in English, 102 pages, paperback). It summarises the exam-relevant content from the Namibian Civil Aviation Act, the NAMCARs and NAMCATS as well as the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), and also serves as a handy reference for flights across Namibia later on. We advise ordering it a few weeks before your trip.

Your flight instructor prepares you specifically for the exam during the briefing. With the materials you receive from us in advance, experienced pilots will find it straightforward to pass.

Following the briefing, you will fly with an instructor from the partner flight school. You will receive a checkout on the aircraft you intend to charter and put what you learned in the hot and high briefing into practice: take-offs and landings at high density altitude, short-field operations on unpaved runways, navigation over largely featureless terrain, and radio communication with Namibian air traffic control.

How many training flights are required depends on your experience. Typically, one or two flights are sufficient until both you and your flight instructor feel completely confident.

Finally, you fly with a DFE (Designated Flight Examiner), an examiner appointed by the NCAA. The examiner reviews your documents, discusses flight preparation with you and conducts a check flight. This is comparable to a proficiency check in Europe.

Once everything is in order, the DFE submits the results to the NCAA, and you receive your Namibian validation. It is valid in conjunction with your European licence and your medical for VFR by day in Namibia. From then on, you can charter aircraft and explore Namibia as pilot in command.

Validation in Namibia is simpler than it sounds, and flying there is an experience you will never forget. Please feel free to get in touch. We will answer your questions and guide you step by step all the way to your first flight over the Namib Desert.