Fly at your own pace, with a schedule that works for you. Most lessons are two hours long and consist of a pre-flight briefing, actual flying time, and a post-flight debrief. Broadly, earning a pilot’s license requires three main accomplishments: demonstrating knowledge/skill requirements, meeting federal minimum flight times, and passing your knowledge and practical tests.

Stage I: Pre-Solo
15-30 hours

The first part of learning to fly is straight up learning how to operate an airplane. Students learn to takeoff and land, turn, and do basic maneuvers. This stage ends with the unforgettable experience of flying alone for the very first time.

Stage II: Flying Cross Country
10-20 hours

In the second stage, pilots learn to navigate using maps and navigation instrumentation in what’s commonly called “cross country” flying. Although we don’t actually fly across the country, the skills pilots learn are sufficient so that they could!

Stage III: Checkride Prep
5+ hours

By this stage, most knowledge and flight time requirements are usually met. We now focus on refining all we’ve learned so far so we can ace the knowledge test and checkride!

Like anything worthwhile, flying is a time commitment. The great news is that we have helped hundreds of pilots—from high-achieving high schoolers to time-choked CEOs—figure out how to make time for it.

FAA Minimum Requirements

40 hours of total time
20 hours of instruction (“dual”), which includes:
3 hours at night
3 hours of basic instrument work
10 hours solo
5 hours solo cross country
10 hours of additional training (dual or solo)

More Typical Experience

75 hours of flight time
The national average is roughly 75 hours of flight time, but our average at Mach 5 is about 50 hours. There’s a lot to learn as a pilot, and 40 hours isn’t that much time, so plan to go a little over! Safety is our #1 focus, so we won’t send a student to their checkride if we don’t think they’re ready. And that’s good for everyone!

Start to finish, these are the major steps:

Take an introductory flight and meet some instructors!

Get a student pilot certificate and medical certificate

Progress through Stages I, II, and III at your own pace

Take a 60-question FAA written exam at our in-house proctoring center

Get ready for your checkride

Take your checkride: This is a two-parter. The first is a 2-3 hour oral exam, where you demonstrate a practical knowledge of the required subject areas. The second is a 2-3 hour flight where you demonstrate your ability to apply that knowledge in the airplane

Go for your first flight as a Private Pilot!!

Training costs include airplane rental, instructor fees, examiner fees, and books and materials. We highly recommend planning conservatively so that you don’t pile on extra stress if you’re slightly over-budget. We take our students’ budgets very seriously, but no flight school worth attending will prioritize budget over safety and competence. Call us for an estimate.

Aircraft Rental & Instruction

Call us for an estimate or view our rate sheet for hourly costs per aircraft.

Aircraft Rental (50 hours): $7,500 - $9,750
Instruction (50 hours): $4,750

Exam Fees

~$1,150
Medical Exam: $175
Written exam: $175
Checkride fee: $800

Books, Material & Miscellaneous

~$105
Plotter: $15
Sectional: $15
E-6B: $20
FAR/AIM: $25
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: $30

Optional Materials:

Foreflight Subscription: $120/yr
iPad: $350-$1000

The learning doesn’t stop after your checkride. Part of being a safe, confident pilot is consistently building on your knowledge and skillset. We’re proud to offer a variety of training programs to help you do just that!

EXPLORE ADVANCED TRAINING COURSES