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.
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232 schools
Specialist training provider · Phoenix, United States
Part 142 training center in Phoenix, Arizona providing simulator pilot training for business turboprops and light jets.
Independent flight school · Carrollton, United States
Part 61 international flight school at Carroll County Airport offering PPL, CPL, instrument rating, ICAO language proficiency and foreign license validation, with sites also in Canada and Colombia.
Professional flight academy · San Antonio, United States
San Antonio flight academy established in 1999 at Stinson Municipal Airport, stating Part 141 status, with private, career and international pilot programmes.
Independent flight school · Bay St. Louis, United States
Veteran-owned Part 61 flight school and aircraft rental company at Stennis International Airport on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with published course cost estimates.
Independent flight school · Atlanta, United States
Flight school at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport stating Part 141 programs with Part 61 flexibility, offering discovery flights and sport pilot training.
Professional flight academy · Miami, United States
Flight academy at Miami Executive Airport offering a fast-track Part 141 cadet program, restricted to U.S. citizens and green card holders.
Professional flight academy · Dallas-Fort Worth area, United States
Dallas/Fort Worth flight academy stating Part 141 status, with private through airline-pathway courses and international programmes for M-1 students.
Independent flight school · Tracy, Byron, United States
Tracy Municipal Airport flight school with a second location at Byron, stating Part 61 and Part 141 programs.
Independent flight school · Ann Arbor, Jackson, United States
Flight school with bases at Ann Arbor Municipal Airport and Jackson, Michigan; courses from private pilot to commercial plus Cirrus training. The site does not state a Part 61 or Part 141 status.
Independent flight school · Torrance, United States
Torrance Airport flight school and rental operator offering discovery flights, flight training courses and aircraft sales.
Independent flight school · Torrance, United States
Torrance Airport flight school offering accelerated training from private pilot to CFI/CFII/MEI and discovery flights.
University flight-training unit · Carbondale, United States
University school of aviation whose Aviation Flight program prepares students for a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings at Southern Illinois Airport.
Helicopter school · Watsonville, Hayward, United States
Helicopter operator and school with bases at Watsonville and Hayward, listing helicopter training from recreational to professional pilot program.
Independent flight school · Corpus Christi, Victoria, United States
Veteran-founded flight school serving Corpus Christi and Victoria with a flight academy, aircraft rental and online study tools.
Independent flight school · Clermont County, United States
Flight academy offering private through professional pilot training, discovery flights and a career pilot program near Cincinnati.
Independent flight school · Milwaukee, Waukesha, Burlington, United States +2 more
FBO and flight school with flight training listed at Milwaukee Timmerman, Waukesha, Burlington, Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells and Janesville. The fetched pages do not state courses, aircraft, prices or a Part 61/141 status.
Flying club · San Jose, United States
San Jose flying club offering aircraft rental, Part 61 instruction from independent instructors and a formal Part 141 flight school.
Independent flight school · Venice, United States
Venice, Florida flight school stating Part 61 training from private pilot through instructor ratings, advanced training such as UPRT and tailwheel, and housing for international students.
Independent flight school · Portage Des Sioux, United States
Flight school and rental operator at St. Charles County Smartt Airport in Missouri that describes itself as a Part 141 school; fleet from a Piper J3 Cub to a Beechcraft Duchess.
Flying club · Palo Alto, United States
Flying club based at Palo Alto Airport with a glass-cockpit fleet and instruction from sport to commercial and instrument ratings; membership open to the public.
Independent flight school · Roanoke, United States
Roanoke flight school training in Diamond and Tecnam aircraft with a Redbird full-motion simulator, discovery flights and a private pilot ground school.
Flying club · Waukegan, United States
Member flying club at Waukegan Airport operating since 1948 with a four-Cessna 172 fleet; instructors available to members.
Independent flight school · Greenville, West Columbia, United States
Flight school with bases in Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina, specializing in Cirrus training and also offering private, instrument, commercial and instructor training.
Specialist training provider · Austin, United States
Instrument-only training provider for aircraft owners adding an instrument rating, running accelerated courses and weekend IFR ground schools in Austin.
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.