North America · Authority: FAA
232 researched schools and 507 verified programs so far. This is the research done to date, not a complete list of every provider in United States.
State:AlabamaAlaskaArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsin
232 schools
Independent flight school · Cortland, United States
Part 61 flight school at the Cortland County Airport offering introductory flights and private pilot instruction; also an Aircraft Spruce dealer.
Independent flight school · Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, United States
Flight school with offices at Herlong and Fernandina Beach airports offering sport, private, instrument, commercial and CFI training.
Independent flight school · West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, United States
Palm Beach County flight school with bases at North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport (F45) and Lantana (KLNA) offering private through CFI training.
Professional flight academy · Peachtree City, United States
Peachtree City, Georgia campus offering a Part 141 career pilot program with multi-engine focused option.
Independent flight school · Allentown, United States
Flight school at Lehigh Valley International Airport offering airplane instruction from private pilot through multi-engine ATP courses since 1992, with discovery flights and student housing.
Independent flight school · Beaver Falls, United States
Flight school at Beaver County Airport offering discovery flights, private, instrument, commercial and multi-engine training, affiliated with the Community College of Beaver County aviation school.
Specialist training provider · Anchorage, United States
Alaska school at Lake Hood Seaplane Base in Anchorage offering backcountry courses (2-day and 5-day) and standard flight instruction.
Professional flight academy · Sanford, United States
Flight academy at Orlando Sanford International Airport with Part 141 professional pilot, ATP CTP and Purdue Global degree pathways; accepts international students.
Professional flight academy · Miami, United States
Flight school at Miami Executive Airport (KTMB) stating Part 141 and Part 61 training from private pilot to commercial, plus a jet transition course.
Independent flight school · Frederick, United States
Maryland flight school with bases at Frederick Municipal Airport and Martin State Airport, offering private through multi-engine training, tailwheel and endorsements, and a partnership with the Community College of Baltimore County.
Flying club · Palo Alto, United States
Palo Alto flying club and flight school with a large G1000 fleet, offering discovery flights and private through multi-engine training.
Independent flight school · Lititz, United States
Charter, maintenance and flight-school operator at Lancaster Airport in Lititz offering training from private pilot through flight instructor, with a university degree partnership.
Specialist training provider · San Jose, Monterey, United States
California flight school at San Jose Reid-Hillview and Monterey offering Part 61 and Part 141 private pilot training plus tailwheel, aerobatics and upset recovery courses.
Independent flight school · Daytona Beach, United States
Daytona Beach International Airport flight school describing itself as a Part 61 provider, with published estimated prices by course and aircraft.
Independent flight school · Olive Branch, United States
Flight school at Olive Branch Airport in north Mississippi, near Memphis, with a large Cessna fleet, an on-site FAA testing center and training from private pilot through CFI and multi-engine.
Independent flight school · Smithfield, United States
Rhode Island flight school at North Central State Airport offering discovery flights, private pilot, instrument and commercial training under Part 61 with its own Foundational Based Training syllabus.
Independent flight school · Farmingdale, United States
Flight school at Republic Airport on Long Island focused on Sport Pilot training in Bristell light-sport aircraft, with courses up to Commercial and CFI and introductory flights.
Independent flight school · McKinney, United States
McKinney, Texas flight school offering training from Private Pilot through CFI/CFII, rentals, flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks.
Specialist training provider · Anchorage, United States
Alaska seaplane and backcountry specialist offering float rating courses at Lake Hood in Anchorage in summer and a mountain/bush course out of Wasilla.
Independent flight school · North Clarendon, United States
Flight school at Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport offering private pilot, instrument and commercial instruction and discovery flights.
Professional flight academy · Brooksville, United States
Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport flight academy offering discovery flights and private, instrument, commercial and multi-engine ratings.
Professional flight academy · Scottsdale, Addison, Conroe, United States +1 more
Multi-campus flight school with bases in Texas, Arizona, Florida and New Jersey offering introductory, private, instrument, multi-engine and instructor training.
Independent flight school · Andover, United States
Tailwheel-focused flight school at Andover-Aeroflex Airport in New Jersey, teaching tailwheel endorsements since 1987 as well as spin awareness, upset prevention and basic aerobatics in a Piper J-3 Cub.
Independent flight school · Long Beach, United States
Long Beach glass-cockpit flight school (Aero City Group) offering Part 61 private through ATP training and aircraft rental.
Results are listed alphabetically; there is no price ranking because prices in different currencies, price types and bases are not comparable. Schools marked Sponsored are paid placements and never change approval status or order.
In the United States pilot certification is federal and set by FAA regulations in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Part 61 sets the eligibility, knowledge, experience and testing requirements for each certificate and rating, and training can be given by an authorized instructor outside any approved school. Part 141 is an alternative route: FAA-certificated pilot schools run approved, FAA-reviewed courses under the general operating rules of that part. Part 142 covers training centers, which provide training in simulators and training devices as an alternative means to accomplish training required by several other parts. Which route a school uses affects how its course is structured, so students should ask a school which part it operates under.
Private pilot
Part 61 sets the age, English, aeronautical experience and testing requirements for the private pilot certificate with an airplane, helicopter or other category rating.
Commercial pilot
A commercial certificate requires more flight experience than the private certificate and is a prerequisite for the flight instructor certificate.
Airline transport pilot
The ATP certificate is the highest airplane pilot certificate and has its own age and total-time requirements.
Names and privileges are local to United States. Similar names in other countries are not interchangeable.
| Code | Official name | Minimum age | Regulatory minimum flight time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPL-A | Private pilot certificate, airplane categoryAllows the holder to act as pilot in command of aircraft within the privileges of the certificate and ratings, without being paid for flying as a pilot. | 17 | 40 hTotal flight time for single-engine airplane under 14 CFR 61.109(a), including 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor and 10 hours of solo flight training. Most students need more than the minimum. | official |
| PPL-H | Private pilot certificate, rotorcraft category, helicopter classPrivate pilot certificate with a helicopter class rating, subject to the same Part 61 eligibility rules as other private pilot certificates. | 17 | 40 hTotal flight time stated in 14 CFR 61.109 for the helicopter paragraph; check the section for the dual and solo breakdown. | official |
| SPL | Sport pilot certificateA lighter-weight certificate for sport pilots with lower aeronautical experience requirements than the private certificate. | 17 | 20 hSingle-engine airplane land or sea under 14 CFR 61.313: 20 hours of flight time including at least 15 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor and at least 5 hours of solo flight training. | official |
| CPL-A | Commercial pilot certificate, airplane categoryAllows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft for compensation or hire within the privileges of the certificate and ratings. | 18 | 250 hTotal flight time as a pilot for airplane single-engine and multiengine class ratings under 14 CFR 61.129, with specified categories of training, cross-country and solo time. Paragraph (i) provides exceptions. | official |
| CPL-H | Commercial pilot certificate, rotorcraft category, helicopter classCommercial pilot privileges for helicopters; the total flight time requirement is lower than for airplanes. | 18 | 150 hTotal flight time as a pilot for a helicopter class rating under 14 CFR 61.129, including 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in helicopters. | official |
| IR | Instrument rating (airplane)Allows flight under instrument flight rules; the applicant must hold at least a private pilot certificate and be able to read, speak, write and understand English. | n/p | 40 h40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time (15 hours from an authorized instructor with an instrument-airplane rating) plus 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command, under 14 CFR 61.65(d). | official |
| ME | Additional class rating (e.g. airplane multiengine land)A pilot adds a class rating by receiving an instructor endorsement and passing a practical test; the training-time requirements of the pilot certificate need not be met again. | n/p | n/p14 CFR 61.63(c) does not set a minimum hours figure for additional class ratings. | official |
| CFI | Flight instructor certificateAuthorizes flight instruction within the category and class ratings listed; requires a commercial or ATP certificate with appropriate ratings. | 18 | 15 hAt least 15 hours as pilot in command in the category and class of aircraft appropriate to the flight instructor rating sought (14 CFR 61.183(j)); this is not total hours. | official |
| ATP | Airline transport pilot certificateHighest-level pilot certificate for airplanes; 23 years of age applies to certificates under the standard experience provisions and 21 under the restricted provisions of section 61.160. | 23 | 1500 hTotal time as a pilot for the airplane category and class rating under 14 CFR 61.159(a). Section 61.160 provides reduced-hour alternatives for certain training and military backgrounds. | official |
| TYPE | Type ratingA type rating is required to act as pilot in command of large aircraft and turbojet-powered airplanes. | n/p | n/p | official |
A regulatory minimum is a legal floor for the qualification. It is not the number of hours most students need, and not a guarantee of cost or completion time.
Airman medical certificates are issued under 14 CFR Part 67, which sets the eligibility standards for first-, second- and third-class certificates. Official medical information
Applicants for the instrument rating and flight instructor certificate must be able to read, speak, write and understand English.
Languages of instruction among researched schools: English.
Non-U.S. citizens who apply for flight training from a U.S. flight training provider are subject to TSA flight training security rules in 49 CFR Part 1552 and should check with the provider and TSA before starting. Visa and immigration requirements are separate and set by the U.S. government; this page makes no promise about eligibility.
Training approval does not establish immigration permission or international-student eligibility. Verify current rules with the official sources above.
14 CFR 61.75 describes how the holder of a foreign pilot licence issued by an ICAO contracting State may apply for a U.S. pilot certificate based on it; the certificate can only be used while the holder also has the foreign licence. Details and verification procedures are on the FAA website.
Country information last reviewed 16 October 2026. 5 official sources consulted.