BE/ATO-005
A flight school approved since 1976
Air Academy New CAG has trained pilots at Brussels South Charleroi Airport since 1976. The school is approved as ATO BE/ATO-005 by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority for twenty-two Part-FCL courses, from the private pilot licence to instructor and examiner ratings.
An Approved Training Organisation
Air Academy New CAG is an Approved Training Organisation — an ATO within the meaning of the European Part-ORA regulation: a training manual approved by the authority, nominated management accepted by it, a safety management system, permanent compliance monitoring and programmes in which every exercise is recorded.
The school was founded in 1976 by Berty Graux, a former DHL pilot. It has trained several hundred private and professional pilots; many of them fly today for European and international airlines, in passenger transport, cargo, business aviation or aerial work.
Most of our instructors are professional pilots, active or retired, from civil or military backgrounds. They teach what they practise.
Our role
The school is dedicated exclusively to training: it instructs, certifies the training received and presents candidates for the official tests. Licences and ratings are issued by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority; commercial air transport is the business of the airlines our courses prepare for.
Milestones
- 1976
- The school is founded by Berty Graux at Charleroi Brussels South airport (Gosselies).
- 2000
- JAA approval as a Flight Training Organisation, reserved for professional training centres.
- 2013
- Transition to EASA regulation, approval BE/ATO-005 and extension to Saint-Hubert through the integration of Airlib.
- 2015
- Acquisition of an Alsim AL42 simulator; IFR and CPL training moves to the Diamond DA42 twin.
- 2016
- IFR fleet brought up to PBN standard (RNAV/RNP approaches), a first in Belgium, and the Sonaca 200s are ordered.
- 2019
- The first Sonaca 200s enter service and Area 100 KSA is integrated into ATPL theory.
- 2025
- Simulator fleet renewed: the Alsim AL42s BE-FNPT 036 and 037 enter service; the original BE-FNPT 017 is retired.
- 2026
- Move into larger, modern and practical premises, with classrooms fully equipped for multimedia teaching.
Where we train
EBCI
Brussels South Charleroi Airport
Main base. First-class airport infrastructure, permanent air traffic control, weather services and customs facilities. Students learn to operate within international airport traffic — an experience few schools can offer. Four classrooms, including the “Berty Graux” auditorium.
EBSH
Saint-Hubert aerodrome
Second base, in the Ardennes. Theory and flight. An aerodrome free of traffic constraints, ideal for handling work and first navigation flights, minutes away from the high ground.
EPHEC
Brussels — Alma campus
Classroom for evening PPL theory, for Brussels candidates who cannot reach Charleroi on weekdays.
Partnerships
- Florennes military air base, minutes away by air: radar approaches (PAR) and standard IR approaches.
- Simtech (Dublin) for MCC-JOC and APS-MCC training on a Boeing B737 simulator.
- Air-English (BE-LAB-006, Saint-Hubert) for FCL.055 language proficiency assessment.
Activity
Fifteen years of activity
From 2011 to 2025, our records total 77,190 flights, 13,457 simulator sessions and 109,532 hours of instruction. The last three years are the highest of the series.
Source: aircraft and simulator meters, consolidated in the school’s management system. Durations in block time, with the standard correction applied to types whose meter records flight time. The series covers the fifteen complete years, from 2011 to 2025.
View the data
| Year | Flights | Flight hours (block) | Simulator hours | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5,303 | 6,355 | 847 | 7,202 |
| 2012 | 4,761 | 5,746 | 955 | 6,701 |
| 2013 | 5,831 | 6,367 | 774 | 7,141 |
| 2014 | 4,760 | 5,098 | 863 | 5,961 |
| 2015 | 4,221 | 4,357 | 507 | 4,864 |
| 2016 | 4,167 | 4,434 | 1,486 | 5,920 |
| 2017 | 4,306 | 4,824 | 1,759 | 6,583 |
| 2018 | 4,318 | 4,917 | 1,232 | 6,149 |
| 2019 | 4,842 | 5,760 | 1,237 | 6,997 |
| 2020 | 3,671 | 4,399 | 1,485 | 5,884 |
| 2021 | 5,261 | 6,354 | 1,518 | 7,872 |
| 2022 | 6,065 | 7,425 | 1,591 | 9,016 |
| 2023 | 6,454 | 8,002 | 1,678 | 9,680 |
| 2024 | 6,613 | 8,080 | 1,834 | 9,914 |
| 2025 | 6,617 | 8,191 | 1,456 | 9,647 |
| Total 2011-2025 | 77,190 | 90,309 | 19,223 | 109,532 |
Completed courses, by track
Skill tests passed for the PPL, the multi-engine rating, the instrument rating and the commercial licence; theory course completed for the ATPL.
The series starts in 2016, the first year with systematic test recording. Single- and multi-engine IR ratings are grouped; revalidations and renewals are not counted. The 2020 ATPL theory peak corresponds to the lockdown, with theory prioritised while flying was impossible. Licence issue is a matter for the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority.
View the data
| Year | PPL | MEP | IR | CPL | ATPL | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 | 20 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 69 |
| 2017 | 11 | 18 | 21 | 15 | 21 | 86 |
| 2018 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 53 |
| 2019 | 23 | 11 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 79 |
| 2020 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 37 | 87 |
| 2021 | 19 | 15 | 27 | 19 | 13 | 93 |
| 2022 | 17 | 15 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 109 |
| 2023 | 36 | 14 | 33 | 23 | 28 | 134 |
| 2024 | 23 | 10 | 42 | 30 | 32 | 137 |
| 2025 | 26 | 19 | 30 | 34 | 36 | 145 |
| Total | 192 | 144 | 229 | 210 | 217 | 992 |
Fleet renewal, 2010-2026
Each bar covers an aircraft’s period of operation at Air Academy New CAG. Aircraft already in service when our computerised records began, in August 2010, are drawn with a faded left end: their entry date is earlier and not documented. An arrow marks an aircraft still in service.
Shown are the school’s training aircraft and successive simulators. The Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 used for class ratings belong to their operators and are not shown.
View the data
| Registration | Type | Generation | Entry | Exit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-GKDU | Cessna 182 RG | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | April 2018 |
| F-HBFO | Robin DR-400 | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | November 2018 |
| F-HCNY | Cessna 182 RG | Génération précédente | November 2010 | April 2012 |
| OO-ANO | Cessna 152 | Génération précédente | October 2010 | June 2020 |
| OO-CHD | Cessna 150 | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | October 2016 |
| OO-CNP | Cessna 152 | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | June 2012 |
| OO-CRG | Cessna 152 | Génération précédente | March 2013 | January 2018 |
| OO-DFJ | Mooney M-20J | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | October 2014 |
| OO-EFR | Cessna 150 | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | April 2013 |
| OO-GEX | AT3-R100 | Génération précédente | April 2013 | August 2016 |
| OO-KMS | Cessna 152 | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | February 2015 |
| OO-MOB | TB-10 Tobago | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | December 2016 |
| OO-PNP | Cessna 152 | Génération précédente | September 2012 | October 2015 |
| OO-SEV | Cessna 152 | Génération précédente | May 2013 | April 2018 |
| OO-WIU | Cessna 172 | Génération précédente | before August 2010 | June 2018 |
| F-GUVM | Diamond DA40 Star | Diamond DA40 — VFR | January 2013 | Still in service |
| F-HABP | Diamond DA40 Star | Diamond DA40 — VFR | July 2013 | June 2026 |
| F-HABM | Diamond DA40 Star | Diamond DA40 — VFR | February 2015 | Still in service |
| F-GXNC | Diamond DA40 Star | Diamond DA40 — VFR | August 2018 | Still in service |
| F-GUPL | Diamond DA40 Star | Diamond DA40 — VFR | March 2022 | Still in service |
| F-HABQ | Diamond DA40 Star | Diamond DA40 — VFR | September 2024 | Still in service |
| F-GSDE | Diamond DA40 Star | Diamond DA40 — VFR | September 2026 | Still in service |
| F-HYOU | Diamond DA40 G1000 | Diamond DA40 — G1000 | April 2019 | Still in service |
| F-HYOP | Diamond DA40 G1000 | Diamond DA40 — G1000 | June 2026 | Still in service |
| F-GUPM | Diamond DA42 TwinStar | Diamond DA42 | July 2007 | Still in service |
| F-GZJX | Diamond DA42 TwinStar | Diamond DA42 | December 2015 | Still in service |
| F-HKAF | Diamond DA42 TwinStar | Diamond DA42 | May 2021 | Still in service |
| OO-NCA | Sonaca 200 | Sonaca 200 | January 2019 | Still in service |
| OO-NCB | Sonaca 200 | Sonaca 200 | April 2019 | Still in service |
| OO-NCC | Sonaca 200 | Sonaca 200 | July 2019 | Still in service |
| OO-NCD | Sonaca 200 | Sonaca 200 | February 2020 | Still in service |
| OO-NCE | Sonaca 200 | Sonaca 200 | November 2022 | Still in service |
| OO-NCF | Sonaca 200 | Sonaca 200 | November 2022 | Still in service |
| F-HURT | Extra 330LX | Voltige et UPRT | August 2019 | Still in service |
| BE-FNPT 003A | Alsim FNPT II | Simulateurs FNPT II | before August 2010 | January 2015 |
| BE-FNPT 017 | Alsim AL42 | Simulateurs FNPT II | April 2015 | January 2026 |
| BE-FNPT 036 | Alsim AL42 | Simulateurs FNPT II | January 2026 | Still in service |
| BE-FNPT 037 | Alsim AL42 | Simulateurs FNPT II | January 2026 | Still in service |
Where our students come from
A Walloon school with a European reach
More than 2,600 students have enrolled with the school since 2010. Recruitment is anchored in the Brussels–Charleroi corridor, covers the whole country and extends to some thirty countries, with the share of students from abroad growing with the level of training.
Where our students come from
Distribution of students enrolled from August 2010 to December 2025, by residence declared at enrolment. The area of each disc is proportional to the number of students.
Bruxelles-Capitale 374Brabant wallon 336Hainaut 299Liège 209Brabant flamand 205Namur 185Luxembourg (prov.) 120Anvers 50Limbourg 44Flandre-Orientale 36Flandre-Occidentale 35
Outside Belgium
553 students, 22 % of the total, lived outside Belgium when they enrolled, across 30 countries.
And 12 countries represented by one student: Autriche, Afrique du Sud, Chine, Irlande, Japon, Lettonie, Martinique, Pologne, Portugal, Slovaquie, Slovénie, Ukraine.
Distribution based on the country and postcode of residence declared at enrolment; 55 Belgian students without a usable postcode are not attached to any province. Discs are positioned on each province’s capital.
View the data
| Origin | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Bruxelles-Capitale | 374 | 19 % |
| Brabant wallon | 336 | 17 % |
| Hainaut | 299 | 15 % |
| Liège | 209 | 11 % |
| Brabant flamand | 205 | 11 % |
| Namur | 185 | 9 % |
| Luxembourg (prov.) | 120 | 6 % |
| Anvers | 50 | 3 % |
| Limbourg | 44 | 2 % |
| Flandre-Orientale | 36 | 2 % |
| Flandre-Occidentale | 35 | 2 % |
| Belgium — unusable postcode | 55 | 3 % |
| France | 311 | 12 % |
| Pays-Bas | 131 | 5 % |
| Luxembourg | 38 | 2 % |
| Allemagne | 16 | 1 % |
| Suisse | 14 | 1 % |
| Espagne | 5 | 0 % |
| Émirats arabes unis | 5 | 0 % |
| Maroc | 4 | 0 % |
| Royaume-Uni | 4 | 0 % |
| Canada | 3 | 0 % |
| Réunion | 4 | 0 % |
| Italie | 2 | 0 % |
| Qatar | 2 | 0 % |
| Curaçao | 2 | 0 % |
| Total (country known) | 2,501 | 100 % |
A recruitment basin that widens with the training level
Share of students living outside Belgium, track by track. The basin widens with the level of training: local for the private licence, European for the professional ratings.
Share computed on students whose address is known; a student taking several courses is counted in each of them. The instrument rating groups single- and multi-engine.
View the data
| Track | Students (country known) | Outside Belgium | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPL | 1,005 | 130 | 12.9 % |
| ATPL (théorie) | 341 | 68 | 19.9 % |
| CPL | 495 | 121 | 24.4 % |
| MEP | 685 | 176 | 25.7 % |
| IR | 408 | 131 | 32.1 % |
Management functions
An approved organisation operates with nominated management functions, accepted by the authority: they carry responsibility for training, safety and compliance. Each function has a designated deputy.
A reporting culture
Our safety commitment relies on every event, incident, hazard or risk being reported without hesitation. Every member of staff and every student is encouraged to do so, and bears that responsibility.
Reporting exposes no one to any form of reprisal. Its purpose is risk control and accident prevention, not the attribution of blame. No disciplinary action is taken against anyone who reports a safety issue or an unintentional error.
This protection does not extend to illegal acts, gross negligence or wilful disregard of rules and procedures.
This policy — Just Culture — is written into our organisation manual over the signature of the Accountable Manager. For a student, an error made in good faith and reported is treated as something to learn from.
Transparency
The strength of the organisation
Professional pilot training commits a candidate over several years and represents a substantial investment. The stability of the organisation running it is one of the criteria for choosing a school.
Our annual accounts are approved at the general meeting and filed with the Central Balance Sheet Office of the National Bank of Belgium, where anyone can consult them. Turnover, below, is their most direct reading.
Consult our accounts filed with the National Bank of Belgium
Turnover, financial years 2021 to 2025
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does the ATO approval guarantee?
It guarantees that the programmes, manuals, instructors, aircraft and procedures have been examined and approved by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority, and that they remain under oversight: authority audits, internal audits, management of findings. Training taken outside an ATO cannot lead to a professional licence.
At which sites can training take place?
The certificate declares two training sites: EBCI Charleroi and EBSH Saint-Hubert, both for theory and flight. PPL theory is also taught in Brussels, at the EPHEC Alma campus.
Does the school issue the licence?
No. We train, we certify the training received and we present the candidate for the tests. Licences and ratings are issued by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority, which collects its own charges.
Let’s talk about your training project
One first conversation is enough to establish your starting point, a realistic duration for the course and its budget. Every enquiry receives a personal answer.