FAQs.

Your Questions, Answered

We’ve gathered the most common questions our customers ask, along with detailed answers to help you get the information you need quickly and easily. Whether you’re looking for more details about our services, how to get started or you need assistance with your application, you’ll find the answers right here. Browse through our categories for a seamless experience, and if you still have a question, don’t hesitate to contact us.

FAQs. Everything You Need to Know

Being ‘airline ready’ means that you graduate with all the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in your career as a pilot. The airlines require far more than just a pilot’s license from their pilots and in order for you to become an excellent commercial pilot, we make sure to teach and challenge you in a manner that means you get the most out of your education.

In addition to learning how to master the core skills of a professional pilot, you are also expected to demonstrate a positive attitude and can-do attitude throughout your training. Attitude and motivation are two of the most important factors for you to be successful in your education and career.

As a newly qualified pilot with limited experience, you should have a flexible mindset for which airline will be your first employer. We will strive to help you with lucrative options, but we cannot guarantee that you will work for a specific airline.

Thanks to our cadet program and close cooperation with various airlines such as e.g. Norse, you have a good chance of flying straight into your dream job, and you are equipped for a long and secure career as a pilot.

A professional pilot must be reliable, punctual and tidy. Discipline is important to get through your studies and to carry out your work tasks in a safe and efficient manner.

It is important that as a student at a flight school you are receptive to feedback and constructive criticism. You are expected to share knowledge and experiences with fellow students and others. It is important that a pilot is polite and has respect for his fellow man.

There is zero tolerance when it comes to the use of narcotic substances and the abuse of alcohol.

Before you can apply for an integrated flight training education at OSM Aviation Academy you need to fulfill these requirements:

  1. Graduated from High School.
  2. Pass an online Admission Test 
  3. Pass an EASA Class 1 medical examination (the medical examination can be done after you apply, but must be done prior to the course start).

Please note that if you are an international applicant from outside Europe you need to have a residence permit that allows you to live, work and study in Sweden or Norway.

For instructions on how to apply for these permits please visit:

Read about the requirements for:

In the entrance exam, we evaluate many skills that are very important for success as a student with us and later in your career as a pilot. It is therefore just as important for you that we require these tests, as it is important for us to ensure that the students who attend our school can complete their education and become skilled pilots.

The areas evaluated in the entrance exam are:

  • Personality
  • Eye-Hand coordination
  • Sense of direction
  • Multitasking
  • Monitoring capability
  • Logical thinking
  • English

 

Prepare with our admission handbook here

Order the entrance exam here

If  you fail the Admission Test, you will have to wait 1 year before you can try again. In total you have 3 attempts to pass the test, 1 attempt each year.

A passed test is valid for 1 year.

It usually takes 2-3 business days before you receive the results of your Admission Test.

An EASA Medical Class 1 is a requirement to become a professional pilot and it needs to be renewed each year. This is a requirement from the Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) and your pilot certificate is worthless without a valid medical certificate.

The evaluation can be scheduled with one of the approved Aero Medical centers:

SWEDEN

 

NORWAY

All employers in the aviation industry demand an extract from your criminal records before employment. We have no demands for your criminal records however you will need it after your education to work as a professional pilot.

Please note that if you are an international applicant from outside Europe you need to have a student visa that allows you to study in Sweden, Norway, or the USA.

A student visa is the student’s responsibility, OSM Aviation Academy will however issue an Invitation Letter once you are accepted to the program and have paid the application fee.

 

SWEDEN & NORWAY:

Residence permit for studies in Sweden is applied through the Swedish Migration Agency.

Residence permit for studies in Norway is applied through the Norwegian Migration Agency.

 

USA:

Student visa for training in San Diego, USA is applied through the American Embassy.

You are allowed to wear glasses. The acuity with or without correction (glasses or lenses) shall be 0,7 or better for each eye and with both eyes 1,0 or better. You cannot be more astigmatic than 2 Dp.

If you are unsure about your eyesight and/or any of the limitations, consult an aviation medical examiner. You can find a complete list of medical examiners in Sweden on the Swedish CAA website.

Laser-surgery of the cornea can be a problem. The applicant can get approval from the authorities after an extra assessment.

It depends to what extent. The Ishihara-test must be passed. Contact an Aeromedical Examiner for further information.

If you use insulin through injections you will not be able to pass the medical exam. On the other hand, it’s okay if you take tablets that are used for the mild form or early stage of diabetes.

Obesity and an inactive lifestyle are the most common factors leading up to diabetes type 2. Living a healthy lifestyle will prevent most individuals from getting diabetes.

Watch our video where a medical examiner answers questions related to the Medical Class 1 examination: Can a pilot be obese, diabetic, colorblind or have ADHD?

Did we answer your question?

If we did not answer your question our recommendation is that you contact a medical center directly to get the most accurate answers.

For all students graduating from one of our integrated programs, we offer a Career Support Program. This concept includes recurrent events where former students have the possibility to return to OSM Aviation Academy and refresh their knowledge. You can participate in a simulated job interview, receive support from our instructors and fly our Boeing 737NG Simulator.


We are tremendously proud of our students, we have from a front-row seat followed their personal development and how they have taken on all the challenges that come with a pilot education. We live by the motto that our students are future colleges, a mantra that is deep within our organization and it reflects in the competence and skills possessed by our graduated students.

The Career Support concept shows that we have complete confidence in our students. We know that they received the best pilot education available and have a high level of professionalism. Career Support was launched to make sure that all former students receive support for as long as it takes them to land their first pilot job.

After completing education in an integrated program with us, you will have the following certificates and qualifications:

  • EASA CPL(A) | Commercial Pilot License (Aircraft) with
    • Instrument Rating (IR)
    • Multi Engine Piston (MEP) rating
  • EASA ATPL(A) theory exam | Airline Transport Pilot License Theory exam
  • EASA MCC | Multi Crew Cooperation course
  • Airline Pilot Standard (APS)

There are several reasons for failing an aeromedical test, below you will find a list of reasons that may cause you to fail an approved aeromedical test

  • Sleep apnea
  • Dizziness/balance disorder
  • Epilepsy
  • Migraine
  • Insulin treatment for diabetes
  • Using psychiatric medicine
  • Untreated inguinal hernia or umbilical hernia

There is no specific height that is too short or too tall. We can determine whether or not your height is within limits at our location in Arendal, Fort Lauderdale or Västerås. Where we have the possibility of placing you in the cockpit of several aircraft to see if your length will be out of limits.


When flying an aircraft the length of your arms and legs, as well as the force you are able to apply to the control wheel and rudder pedals, has to be sufficient to safely operate as a commercial pilot.

Max Body Mass Index (BMI) to work as a pilot is 35. You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms (kg), divided by your height in meters (m) squared.

For instance, a person weighing 105 kg and being 194 cm tall would calculate their BMI in the following manner:

1,94 x 1,94 = 3,7636

105 / 3,7636 ~ 27,9 BMI

Financing for Norwegian students

Lånekassen

OSM Aviation Academy was given status as an approved higher vocational training provider in Norway by NOKUT on the 8th of April 2019.

This means that Norwegian citizens can apply for low-interest student loans through Lånekassen once they are enrolled in an integrated flight training education at OSM Aviation Academy in Arendal, Norway.

Financing for Swedish students

Financing – CSN

Students enrolled in one of our integrated flight training programs are eligible to apply for student funding from the National Board of Student Aid (CSN). Please note that special requirements apply to non-Swedish students and that you may be more likely to receive student loans from your country of citizenship.

Follow the link to CSN’s website if you wish to read more about being approved by CSN.

 

Financing for foreign students

As a foreign student, we recommend you contact your domestic student loan provider for an individual assessment to see if you are eligible for student funding.

Alternatively, you will have to solve the financial matters through a private loan, savings, or you might be fortunate to get help from your family and friends.

Accommodation in Sweden

Västerås is quite a popular city to live in and rent an apartment in downtown Västerås is usually expensive.

When you receive your enrolment certificate we will hand out suggestions of housing agents in Västerås. The rent is approximately 3 100 SEK to 6000 SEK per month depending on size and location. It is of utmost importance to book your apartment as soon as possible in order for you to guarantee accommodation.

Read more and apply for student housing with Bostad Västerås.

 

Accommodation in Norway

Accommodation in Arendal is not included in the tuition fee for the Airline Ready Pilot Program. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange accommodation. When you are an admitted student, you will be provided with suggestions for landlords to contact.

Finding your own apartment
If you have special needs such as more space or want a different location, we suggest using www.finn.no to look for apartments to rent.

All classroom tutoring will take place in Peder Thomassons Gate 12.

 

Accommodation in the USA (Florida)

The school owns a couple of houses right next to the airport. Each house has three rooms, which are typically shared by two students. The cost of a shared room is 600 dollars per month if you pay the month in advance, or 24 dollars per day if you like to stay less than a month.

Finding your own apartment
You can also rent a place through AirBnB, or find an apartment on Zillow.com or apartmentlist.com

It is fairly easy to find a place to stay in the area around the school, however, we recommend the school housing for convenience and economy. It also gives you the opportunity to meet other students from the school and engage in activities outside flying (e.g. play football, go to the beach, have barbecues, and study together).

Accommodation is not included in the tuition fee of the Professional Pilot Program. It is of utmost importance to book your apartment as soon as possible in order for you to guarantee accommodation.

Being a Flight Instructor (FI) is one of the most rewarding careers you can have in aviation. You will also gain valuable experience as a teacher and Pilot in Command as you are teaching future generations of pilots.


Your logbook will also start filling up with Pilot in Command hours, a valuable column in your pilot logbook that will enable you to upgrade to Captain at a later stage in your career.

Becoming a Flight Instructor is not for everyone though, you must have a passion for teaching, and having a creative way of thinking helps in becoming a great educator. Some discover that they have a passion for teaching others during their own training, as they tutor classmates and more junior students in their spare time.

Since we need to fly as much as possible when the weather and sunlight permits, there is no vacation planned for our integrated programs. In order for you to complete your training in 20 months, you will need to be available during summer.


Winter/Christmas vacation is easier to accommodate for several students, but summer vacations will rarely be approved.

A typerating is a course where you learn how to operate a specific type of aircraft.

After the pilot training at OSM Aviation Academy, you will have an education that provides you with the possibility to apply for pilot jobs at different European airlines. When you are offered a position and know which type of aircraft you will be operating, you will need another additional course for that specific type of aircraft. That course is called a typerating.

The airline that hires will be the airline that provides the typerating course, where they also teach the airline’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

A typerating includes both theory and practical flight training with the airplane type and takes about 6 months (might vary a bit depending on airplane type and airline).

In other words, you will be qualified to do a typerating for any airplane type after completing one of our integrated programs.

Which airplane type you will do your typerating on depends on the employee and which airplane type they operate/need pilots for.

If the student terminates the contract before the training program starts, the student is only obliged to pay the registration fee. If the student fail the Medical Class 1 test, the registration fee will be refunded.

If the student terminates the contract after the start date, each semester fee as specified in the Price and Payment Plan already paid will not be refunded.

Ombud for Students is an independent and confidential individual who will assist students at OSM Aviation Academy. The Ombud for Students will be able to provide guidance if you encounter challenges with your study situation. We are affiliated with the Ombud for Students at UiA (University of Agder).

How to Apply

In order to be eligible to start at OSM Aviation Academy, you’ll be required to pass our online based admission test. The admission test will check your abilities to become a pilot, by testing, amongst other things, where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Passing our admission test will show you have good prerequisites to become a solid pilot.

A passed admission test is valid for one year.

When the application is received by us we will issue you a contract which has to be signed within 14 days. After the contract is signed and the registration fee of 25,000 NOK has been paid, your seat at the school will be secured. Continuing from there, you will be contacted by our student coordinator with practical information regarding the course start.

You will need to acquire an EASA Class 1 Medical Examination as soon as possible.