Pilot Path

Chart your path to the left seat.

Tell us where you want to end up and how often you can fly. We'll map the route — your timeline, what a typical week costs, and the total investment — along with the FAA requirements to get there.

  1. What's your end goal?

  2. What do you already hold?

    Ratings build on each other — an Instrument rating, for example, starts from a Private certificate. We'll only map what's left.

  3. How many days a week can you fly?

    Flying more often means you retain more between lessons — and usually finish in fewer total hours.

    How long is a typical visit?

Please note: We can only provide instruction up to the level our most-qualified instructor is rated for. Some advanced ratings may require finishing with another provider — ask us what we currently offer before you plan around it.

The route

The bare-minimum path.

Every certificate is its own journey, but the Private path is the one most students walk. Here's the order of operations — start to checkride — without the fine print.

  1. Discovery flight

    Your first lesson at the controls with an instructor. No commitment — it's how most students decide to start.

  2. Student certificate & medical~$150 medical

    Apply for a student pilot certificate (IACRA) and get an FAA medical exam from an Aviation Medical Examiner.

  3. Ground school~$300–500

    Learn the knowledge — airspace, weather, regulations, navigation. Self-study, online, or with an instructor, often alongside flying.

  4. Pre-solo training

    Takeoffs, landings, maneuvers and emergencies until you pass a pre-solo written and earn your solo endorsement — then your first solo.

  5. Cross-country, night & test prep

    Required dual and solo cross-country flights, night flying, and instrument introduction while you prep for the written.

  6. FAA knowledge (written) test~$175

    Pass the 60-question knowledge test at an approved testing center before your checkride.

  7. Checkride — schedule early~$600–800

    Examiners (DPEs) are often booked weeks out, so plan and reserve your date ahead. The checkride is an oral exam plus a flight test — pass it and you're a Private Pilot.

Before you start

Legal & eligibility requirements.

Every certificate has the same core gates set by the FAA. Here's what applies to nearly everyone — your instructor walks you through the details for your specific goal.

AgeYou can begin training at any age. You must be 16 to fly solo and 17 to earn most certificates — Commercial and CFI require you to be 18.
English proficiencyYou must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English, per FAA regulations.
Medical certificateMost certificates require an FAA medical exam (third-class for Private, second-class for Commercial). Sport pilots may fly on a valid U.S. driver's license instead.
Knowledge & practical testsEvery certificate and rating requires passing an FAA knowledge (written) test and a practical test — the checkride — with a Designated Pilot Examiner.
IdentificationBring a government-issued photo ID and proof of U.S. citizenship (passport, or birth certificate plus ID) to your first lesson, as required by the TSA.
Non-U.S. citizensIf you are not a U.S. citizen, you must be approved through the TSA Flight Training Security Program before beginning training toward a certificate or rating.