From first flight
to the left seat.
Every professional pilot started where your kid is right now. This is the complete FAA-defined pathway — broken down so families can see exactly what's ahead, what it costs, and why starting young changes everything.
Faster. Cheaper. Better pass rate.
Most families don't realize how much money and time they leave on the table by waiting. Here's what the data looks like when students start training young.
Accelerated Timeline
Students who start young complete the Private Pilot pathway 2–3 years ahead of adults who begin training after college. Starting at 14–16 means your student can hold a commercial certificate before most peers graduate high school.
Checkride Pass Rate
Our students pass their FAA checkrides on the first attempt. Our structured, mastery-based curriculum means no one sits a checkride before they're genuinely ready — not when a booking slot opens up.
Major Cost Savings
University flight programs run $80,000–$120,000. Private training through Kids in Aviation to CFI typically costs $30,000–$45,000 total — the same credentials, at a fraction of the price, with no student debt.
Mastery-Based Pacing
Every lesson builds directly on the last. We don't move to the next stage until the current one is locked in. That means fewer repeated maneuvers, fewer surprise checkride failures, and fewer expensive do-overs.
Arizona Funding Available
Every stage of the Path to Pilot — from Discovery Flight to test prep — is covered under Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Families can apply ESA funds directly to flight lessons, ground school, and more.
The Destination
Airline captains earn $250K–$400K annually. The U.S. faces a shortage of 12,000+ pilots through 2033. Students who start training now are positioning themselves for one of the most in-demand and well-paid careers in aviation history.
Cost comparison: University program vs. Kids in Aviation path
Same FAA credentials. Very different price tags.
- 4-year degree required alongside flight training
- Fixed pace — you move with the class, not your skill level
- Student loans follow you for decades
- No flexibility for ESA or scholarship funding
- Start at 18+, graduate at 22–23
- Start at 14–16, hold a PPL before most peers graduate
- Mastery-based pace — move when you're ready, not the calendar
- ESA-eligible from Day 1, scholarship funding available
- 100% first-attempt checkride pass rate
- CFI-level credentials by age 18–19 with zero debt
Every stage, every requirement.
The official FAA-defined milestones from Student Pilot to CFI.
Student Pilot Certificate
- Must be 16 years old for airplane (14 for glider)
- CFI completes and submits application through IACRA
- Obtain a 3rd class medical certificate or higher
Private Pilot Certificate
- 17 years old minimum
- 3rd class medical or higher
- Minimum 40 hours flight time: 20 dual with a CFI, 10 solo, 3 cross country, 3 night, 3 instrument
- Pass the Private Pilot written knowledge exam (70% minimum)
- Pass a practical checkride with an FAA examiner or DPE
Instrument Rating
- Hold a Private Pilot certificate
- Minimum 3rd class medical
- Pass a written instrument knowledge test
- 50 hours cross country PIC and 40 hours instrument time
- Pass a checkride and oral exam with an FAA examiner
Commercial Certificate
- Hold a Private Pilot certificate
- 120 hours total flight time: 55 dual, 65 solo, 10 solo as sole occupant, 3 hours cross country dual
- Pass a written exam and checkride with an FAA examiner
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
- 18 years old minimum
- Commercial certificate and instrument rating
- Minimum 250 hours flight instruction
- 3rd class medical or higher
- Logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor
- Pass the FAA CFI Knowledge Exam and Fundamentals of Instruction Exam