For Parents and About Us
Everything you need before your kid's first flight — safety, instructors, ESA, and what makes us different. Kept simple.
What to expect on your first visit
Step by step, from booking to the drive home.
Book online or call us.
Pick a program, date, and location. A confirmation email with directions and the waiver follows. About five minutes.
Sign the waiver.
Emailed after booking. Three minutes. Flag any medical or sensory needs here.
Arrive.
Park out front and come in the main door. An instructor greets you — you don't need to find anyone.
Pre-flight briefing.
15 minutes of ground school for flight programs. Sit in if you like. Your kid learns the controls before takeoff.
The program itself.
Fly, tour, or class. Parents wait in the pilots' lounge with a ramp view — never more than minutes away.
Debrief.
Your kid comes back and tells you everything. The instructor gives a short summary and a next step if you want one.
What next?
If your kid is lit up, we'll plan the next step — another flight, the 5-Class Curriculum, or a membership. No pressure.
Safety
What we do, and why.
Our aircraft
FAA-certified, inspected on FAA schedules, maintained by certified mechanics. A full preflight before every lesson.
Our weather policy
No marginal-weather flights. Weather cancellations reschedule at no charge. Instructors have final go or no-go authority — no override.
Our instructors
Every instructor is an FAA CFI, background-checked annually. Many hold CFII and MEI ratings. They chose to teach kids.
On the ground
Two-adult rule for any indoor non-public space. Every student signed in and out. Clear drop-off and pickup at every location.
In the air
Every flight starts with a preflight briefing. Parents get a message before and after. Students can return to the airport anytime, no questions asked.
Documents
Waiver, insurance certificates, and maintenance schedule available on request before booking.
Arizona ESA funding
We're an approved vendor your ESA funds work here.
We're an approved Arizona ESA vendor. Apply your funds to classes, camp, lessons, and memberships.
ESA-ELIGIBLE PROGRAMS
- Discovery Flight
- Intro to Flying
- 3-Class Curriculum
- Private Flight Lessons
- 3-Day Test Prep
- Path to Pilot
- Aviation Adventures Summer Camp
- All membership tiers
Reimbursement
- 1.Book your program on our site.
- 2.Email kidsinaviation@gmail.com for a receipt.
- 3.Download the ESA Attestation Form (below).
- 4.Submit both through your ESA portal under "Kids in Aviation."
Direct Pay
- 1.Email kidsinaviation@gmail.com for a direct-pay invoice. Include your student's name and desired program.
- 2.We'll send a QuickBooks invoice to submit for approval. We are listed as "Kids in Aviation."
- 3.On approval, your student is enrolled — no out-of-pocket payment.
All ESA payments are non-refundable.
Once ESA funds are submitted or disbursed for a program, they cannot be refunded, transferred, or reversed. Please confirm your program selection and schedule before completing payment.
Required before flight training.
The documents below are mandatory. Your student cannot begin any flight training until signed copies are submitted to kidsinaviation@gmail.com and approved by Kids in Aviation.
Neurodivergent families
No separate track. Just a teaching approach built to work for every kid.
Built from the start for neurodivergent and neurotypical learners alike. No separate track — just a teaching approach that works for every kid, with instructors who know what they're doing.
Mastery-based pace
No kid pushed before they're ready, none held back by a class moving on.
Instructor matching
Several of our instructors have significant neurodivergent-student experience. We match deliberately — tell us about your kid in advance.
Advance intake
Before the first program, we'll ask what to know: sensory preferences, communication style, what calms them, what to avoid.
Sensory-friendly equipment
Every student gets a noise-reducing headset. Additional sensory needs accommodated when flagged ahead.
Predictable structure
Every session follows the same arc, so kids know what's coming. No surprises unless we warn you first.
Shorter intro sessions
Available for kids who need a gentler start — flag it when you book.
"We modify it to whatever their learning needs are and their learning pace — and it's working out really good, because everyone learns differently."
Jonathan Behnke, founder, Mesa Tribune
Full parent FAQ
Organized by topic. Straight answers, no jargon.
Safety
Age & Experience
Logistics
Weather & Cancellations
Pricing
After the First Flight
About the planes
Modern aircraft with integrated safety systems designed for student pilots.
Cirrus SR-20
4 seats, 200hp 4-cylinder engine
- Garmin Perspective avionics with dual 12-inch screens
- Airframe Parachute System (CAPS)
- Modern glass cockpit
Cirrus SR-22T
5 seats, 315hp turbocharged 6-cylinder engine
- Garmin Perspective avionics with dual 12-inch screens
- Airframe Parachute System (CAPS)
- Seatbelt airbags in front seats