• At least 17 years of age

• Student pilot certficate

• Third class medical certificate

• FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test (passing grade is 70%)

• FAA practical test (aka “checkride”)

• Flight training as listed in Flight Hour Requirements (below)

The FAA minimum flight hours is 40 hours of flight time. The national average is 65-85 hours.

Total flight hours in our private pilot syllabus: 77 hours including approximately 55 hours dual and 12 hours solo. You can shorten this considerably with ground lessons, home study, and flying more frequently.

We take pride in the quality of our instruction and that we have been in business of flight training for over 60 years. We do not train just to pass the test; we train you to be a proficient, skilled and safe pilot.

Dual flight training minimum in any aircraft for at least 20 hrs including:

• 3 hrs dual *cross country in a single engine airplane

• 3 hrs dual *night time in a single engine airplane

  • Including one dual cross country night flight over 100 nm

  • Including 10 takeoffs and landings at night dual to full stop

• 3 hrs dual instrument time (hood or actual) in single engine airplane

• 3 hrs dual checkride prep in a single engine airplane in past 2 calendar months

Solo flight minimum in single engine airplane for 10 hrs including:

• 5 hrs solo cross country time in single engine airplane

  • Including one flight over 150 nm total, 3 landing points, and at least one leg over 50 nm

• 3 solo takeoffs and landings to a full stop at an airport with a working control tower

* Night Time is any flight time between the end of evening civil twilight and the start of morning civil twilight. Easiest place to find these is

* Cross Country flight must include a landing at an airport more than 50 nautical (not statute) miles from the original point of departure. Additional cross country requirements apply – e.g. night XC must be over 100nm total. The long solo XC has to include one leg of over 50 nm, plus be over 150 nm total.

On average, our course costs between $16,500 to $21,000 to complete.

Estimated flight instruction cost based on our private pilot course of 77 hours (includes airplane rental and dual instruction) = approximately $14,000 plus an additional cost for ground lessons which average $2,500 for 40 hours of one-on-one ground instruction (hour amount varies from student to student).

Ground lessons are required to be ready for each stage check and the checkride. The oral portion of the checkride is longer than the flight portion, so knowledge is vital to becoming a competent pilot.

Many students prefer to go more in-depth in their training or can’t fly as regularly. This can lead to a need for higher training time. Approximately 100 hours of flight time may have an average cost of $21,000. We also have students who complete their training in 50 or 60 hours for an average cost of $12,000. Bottom line…a lot of it is up to you!

You can train in either a tricycle-gear airplane, such as the Cessna 172, or you can earn your license in a tailwheel aircraft, like the Citabria 7ECA. Please see our aircraft for details.

What are Stage Checks?

As you near the completion of each stage, your instructor will ask the office to schedule the Stage Check with a senior instructor.

The primary goals of stage checks are to verify you are ready for the next phase of training, provide detailed feedback on areas that need more attention, and make you comfortable flying with a different person observing you in preparation for the checkride, which is the final flight test for earning your Private Pilot certificate.