Professional Pilot Program

From Your First Flight to a Professional Aviation Career

The FalKor Aviation Academy Professional Pilot Program is a structured, accelerated training pathway designed for students pursuing a career in aviation.

Whether your goal is to fly for the airlines, corporate aviation, or charter operations, or to become a flight instructor, our program provides a clear roadmap from zero experience to becoming a professional pilot. Each phase builds on the last through standardized training, one-on-one mentorship, and clearly defined performance standards.

Train with experienced instructors, modern aircraft, and a curriculum focused on developing safe, confident, and capable aviators—not just passing checkrides.

Your journey includes the following courses:

Private Pilot Certification Course
Instrument Rating Course
Commercial Pilot Certification Course
Multi-Engine Rating Course
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Initial Course
Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument (CFII) Course
Career Mentoring and Professional Development

Why Choose the Professional Pilot Program?

Structured Curriculum – A clearly defined training plan with measurable milestones.
Accelerated Progress – Train consistently and efficiently from start to finish.
One-on-One Mentorship – Personalized instruction from experienced professional pilots.
Modern Fleet – Train in well-equipped aircraft using today's technology.
Career-Focused – Develop the knowledge, professionalism, and habits expected throughout the aviation industry.
Employment Opportunities – Qualified graduates may be considered for flight instructor positions with FalKor Aviation Academy.

Learn more from us

Book a Tour

Book a Discovery Flight

Every professional pilot starts with a single flight. We'll help you build the skills, experience, and confidence to take the next step toward your aviation career.

Private Pilot

Phase One of the Professional Pilot Pathway

Every professional pilot started here.

The Private Pilot Certificate is the foundation of your aviation career. During this phase, you'll develop the knowledge, skills, and aeronautical decision-making required to safely operate an aircraft while building the habits expected of professional aviators.

This isn't simply about earning your first certificate—it's about establishing the discipline, proficiency, and confidence that will carry you through every stage of your training.

Students who train consistently can often complete this phase in 3–6 months, preparing them to continue directly into the Instrument Rating.

Throughout this phase, you'll develop proficiency in:

Aircraft control and flight fundamentals
Cross-country navigation and flight planning
Weather interpretation and risk management
Radio communications and airspace operations
Emergency procedures and abnormal situations
FAA regulations and aeronautical decision making

Our goal is not simply to prepare you for the checkride, but to develop the foundation expected of future commercial pilots and flight instructors.

Professional Pilot Training

Our syllabus-driven curriculum combines structured online learning with personalized one-on-one instruction to provide a consistent and efficient training experience.

Orientation & Enrollment

During your first lesson, we'll help you:

Apply for your FAA Student Pilot Certificate
Assist in applying for your FAA Medical Certificate (be careful if doing this on your own; questions answered here can derail your aviation career)
Set up your Sporty's Online Ground School and Flight Circle student portal
Review the course syllabus, grading system, and training standards
Meet your instructor and begin your first ground lesson

The Private Pilot Course is broken up into three stages.

Stage I – Pre-Solo:
- Build a strong foundation in aircraft control, takeoffs and landings, emergency procedures, and aviation fundamentals while preparing for your first solo flight.
Stage II – Cross-Country Flying
- Expand your skills beyond the local airport by learning navigation, flight planning, radio communications, and cross-country operations.
Stage III – Checkride Preparation
- Refine your flying skills, complete FAA training requirements, and prepare for the FAA knowledge exam and practical test with confidence.

FAA 61.109

Minimum of 40 flight hours of total flight time
10 hours of solo flight time as pilot in command (PIC), including 5 hours flying “Cross-country” (50+ Miles), including one "long" solo cross-country of 150+ Miles with landings at 3 airports.
3 hours of simulated instrument flight training.
3 hours of night flight training.
One on One Classroom Instruction and Evaluation
Pass the pre-solo in-house written exam. This exam is graded to 100% with your instructor prior to solo.
Pass the FAA Written Exam with a minimum of 70%.

For the Private Pilot Certificate, the FAA requires a minimum of 40 total flight hours, including at least 20 hours of flight instruction and 10 hours of solo flight training.

While 40 hours is the FAA minimum, most students require additional time to build the skill, confidence, and consistency needed to successfully complete the FAA practical test. This is why we built our program around the 60-hour timeline. We've had students finish at 42 hours, but most come closer to 60.

Our Private Pilot course includes structured ground lessons to support each phase of training. These ground lessons cover the knowledge, planning, regulations, weather, aircraft systems, and decision-making skills required to become a safe and capable pilot.

Ground lessons are not meant to REPLACE home study; they enhance it. The best ground lessons are discussions around the topics you've been studying at home.

We take advantage of weather delays; if your scheduled flight lesson is affected by weather, we convert it to a ground lesson from the syllabus or a simulator session. This keeps you moving forward in your progress towards the FAA Practical Exam.

Training frequency directly impacts both completion time and overall cost.

Students who train consistently retain skills better, progress faster, and require fewer repeat lessons.

Students enrolled in the professional pilot program should plan on attending 4-6 lessons per week. At this pace, the private pilot certificate can be obtained in 2-4 months.

Completion time depends on individual performance. Everyone learns at their own pace, and it's okay if you take a bit longer. What matters is that you become a quality pilot!

Professional Pilot Pathway – Private Pilot Certificate cost estimate

A note about these numbers: At FalKor Aviation Academy, we believe in being upfront and honest about pricing. Most flight schools quote the FAA minimum hours and do not include ground instruction in their quotes.

Training Item	Quantity	Rate	Estimated Cost
Modern Cessna 172SP TAA Glass Equipped (block rate)	60 Flight Hours	$192/hr	$11,520
Flight Instruction	60 Flight Hours	$70/hr	$4,200
Pre & Post Flight Briefings	14.5 Hours	$70/hr	$1,015
Ground Instruction	45 Hours	$70/hr	$3,150
Estimated Program Total			$19,885

Program Assumptions

Our training estimates are based on a student completing the Private Pilot Certificate in approximately 60 flight hours while following our structured syllabus.

This estimate includes:

60 hours of aircraft rental (Modern Cessna 172SP TAA Glass Equipped)
60 hours of one-on-one flight instruction
29 instructor briefings (14.5 total hours) before and after each flight lesson
30 structured ground lessons, averaging 1.5 hours each (45 total hours)
Flight Circle scheduling and online progress tracking

Not Included

Sporty's Online Ground School
FAA Knowledge Test Fee
FAA Medical Certificate
Examiner (DPE) Checkride Fee
Headset and pilot supplies

Estimated Program Investment

$19,885

Pay as you go (pay for each lesson as you complete them.)
Discount "block time": Purchase 10 hours of flight time for a 10% discount. As long as you have hours on your contract, you just pay for the instructional time.
Program Financing. Finance up to 100% of your flight training, including deferred funding options via:
- Stratus Financial. (Coming soon)
- Affirm (Coming soon)
- AOPA Financing https://finance.aopa.org/flight-training-finance
- Grant and Scholarship Programs: Click here

Instrument Rating

Phase Two of the Professional Pilot Pathway

Learn to Fly Beyond the Horizon

The Instrument Rating is where pilots transition from flying by visual reference to operating safely and confidently within the National Airspace System using aircraft instruments.

This phase develops the precision, discipline, and aeronautical decision-making expected of professional pilots. Whether your goal is the airlines, corporate aviation, or charter operations, the Instrument Rating is one of the most important milestones in your training.

Students who complete this phase become more capable, more confident, and better prepared for the Commercial Pilot Certificate.

What You'll Learn

During this phase, you'll develop proficiency in:

Instrument flight procedures
IFR navigation and en-route operations
Instrument departures, arrivals, and approaches
Air Traffic Control communications
Weather analysis and aeronautical decision making
Advanced cockpit workload management

Why Earn an Instrument Rating?

An Instrument Rating significantly expands your capabilities as a pilot by allowing you to safely operate in a much wider range of weather conditions while developing the precision expected of professional aviators.

Benefits

Enhanced flight safety
Greater travel reliability
Improved weather capability
Increased precision and situational awareness
Stronger aeronautical decision-making
Essential preparation for Commercial Pilot training

Structured Professional Training

Our Instrument Rating curriculum combines advanced online learning with one-on-one flight instruction to provide a standardized and efficient training experience.

Training Highlights

Online Ground School:
- Master IFR regulations, procedures, and flight planning before applying them in the aircraft.
One-on-one classroom instruction:
- At Falkor Aviation, we are educators FIRST, pilots second. We learn on the ground, we practice in the air.
Structured Flight Training:
- Every lesson follows a standardized syllabus with measurable objectives and progressive milestones.
Advanced IFR Scenarios
- Develop real-world experience through cross-country flights, instrument approaches, holds, emergency procedures, and ATC operations.
One-on-One Mentorship:
- Train with experienced FAA Certified Flight Instructors who will prepare you for both the FAA practical test and the next phase of your professional training.
Student Portal:
- Track lesson completion, instructor feedback, and your progress toward graduation.

Where Will Aviation Take You?

Your certificate is only the beginning

The General Aviation Pilot Pathway prepares you to enjoy everything aviation has to offer, including:

Family vacations by air
Weekend breakfast flights and fly-ins
Aircraft ownership
Volunteer flying organizations
Business travel
Flying clubs and aviation events
Exploring new destinations
Building lifelong friendships within the aviation community

Why Choose FalKor Aviation Academy?

Structured, syllabus-based training
Experienced FAA-certified instructors
One-on-one instruction tailored to your goals
Modern, well-maintained aircraft
Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
Flexible scheduling
A welcoming community committed to safety, integrity, and excellence

Take the First Step

Whether you choose the Sport Pilot or Private Pilot pathway, every journey begins the same way—with a Discovery Flight.

Schedule your Discovery Flight and experience the freedom of flight or Book a Tour of our facility