FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes. Paying for your aviation training has never been easier.

FLT Academy partners with trusted national lenders like Sallie Mae, ZuntaFi, and Stratus Financial—giving you flexible options to fund your training and stay on track without the financial stress.

Each lender offers different loan structures, interest rates, and repayment terms, so you can choose the option that fits your needs and goals best.

To explore current financing options and compare programs, visit our Financing page or speak with an enrollment advisor today.

Let us help you take the next step toward becoming a professional pilot—without the uncertainty of lesson-by-lesson payments.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to advance your certifications, FLT Academy offers flight training programs built to get you airborne—confidently and professionally.

We offer everything from individual pilot ratings to Career-Track programs, each designed to give you the flight time, experience, and qualifications needed for a successful aviation career.

Our training offerings include:

• Private Pilot Certificate

• Instrument Rating

• Commercial Pilot Certificate

• Multi-Engine Add-On

• Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)

• Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII)

• Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI)

No matter your starting point, FLT Academy has a pathway to help you earn your wings and reach your goals.

Yes. Not only does our pilot training put safety at the forefront, but so do our practices both in the air and on the ground— at every moment. Before our students test for their pilot’s rating, we make sure they are experts in safety, readily equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to handle any situation. When you’re not in one of our aircraft, you can be assured that all of its maintenance needs are being met.

Our planes are inspected every 50 and 100 hours by our in-house seasoned mechanics. Each plane is seen by our maintenance staff twice a month and sometimes more. There is no expense spared in the maintenance and safety of our planes. It makes all the difference.

The time it takes to complete flight training depends on several factors, including your availability, training frequency, study habits, and prior experience.

At FLT Academy, we’ve seen the following average timelines for students who maintain consistent, full-time progress:

• Career-Track+ Program: 13-18 months

• Career-Track Program: 10-15 months

• Private Pilot Certificate: 2-3 months

• Instrument Rating: 2-3 months

• Commercial Pilot Certificate: ~3 months

• Certified Flight Instructor (CFI): 2-3 months

• Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument (CFII): 2–4 weeks

• Multi-Engine Add-On: 2–4 weeks

• Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI): 2–4 weeks

Actual completion times may vary based on a student’s schedule, study habits, flight proficiency, and ability to stay on pace with training. Maintaining availability and momentum is key to faster progress.

Yes, FLT Academy specializes in accelerated flight training.  Regardless of program enrollment, we have minimum flight training standards.

• • Accelerated Program Minimum Flight Training Standard: Five lessons per week
  • Less-Accelerated Program Minimum Flight Training Standard: Three lessons per week

Training time requirements are set by the FAA and vary depending on the certificate or rating you’re pursuing.

FLT Academy operates under FAR Part 141 for the Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Certificate, and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). These programs follow a structured FAA-approved syllabus with minimum hour requirements and stage checks to ensure consistent progress. This allows students to meet certification requirements with fewer hours compared to Part 61 training—provided they train consistently and maintain proficiency.

For other advanced training, like the Multi-Engine Add-On, CFII (Instrument Instructor), and MEI (Multi-Engine Instructor), we train under FAR Part 61, which offers more flexibility. These ratings are based on proficiency rather than a strict minimum hour count. Students can progress as quickly as they demonstrate the necessary skills and knowledge.

No matter the path, our goal is to train safe, competent, and confident pilots—on a timeline that matches both FAA standards and your personal progress.

Yes—FLT Academy’s training programs are built specifically to prepare you for employment once your training is complete. Whether you pursue our SkyWest Cadet Program, our Contour Airlines pathway, or build time as a flight instructor, the goal is the same: to help you become employable, competitive, and confident in the job market.

Thanks to our structured training under FAA Part 141, our graduates meet the qualifications required by many regional airlines and commercial operators. Students on the SkyWest path begin earning seniority from day one and have direct access to mentorship and recruitment support throughout training.

That said, aviation is a dynamic and often nomadic career—especially early on. Being flexible with location, and willing to go where the jobs are (instead of waiting for a job to appear where you are) will lead to faster employment, more opportunities, and a stronger long-term trajectory.

We’ll give you the training and tools to be employable—where you take your career from there is up to you.

FLT Academy is based in Utah, with campuses in Woods Cross (KBTF) and Spanish Fork (KSPK). We are proud to say that we are Utah’s top-rated flight school, helping students get the necessary training to start their careers in aviation.

For enrollment in an FLT Academy flight program, contact us today. We’ll help you with any questions along the way.

An intro flight is the perfect kickstart to following your dreams of a career in aviation. Individuals will take to the skies in one of our 50 aircraft with a trained flight instructor, gaining a birds-eye view of the ground while receiving valuable insights. The intro flight is a hands-on experience, allowing individuals to take the controls into their own hands and get a feel for flight. 

If you would like to schedule an introductory flight, you can do so here.

For students with no prior flight experience, here are the current estimated training costs at FLT Academy:

• Private Pilot Certificate: $22,000 – $25,000

• Career-Track Program: $99,000 – $110,000

• Career-Track+ Program: $115,000 – $128,000

These estimates are virtually all-inclusive—covering not just flight time and instruction, but also your headset, iPad, charts, books, subscriptions, written exams, FAA fees, and more.

Our pricing is built on real-world flight time averages, based on logbook audits from hundreds of past students. These estimates reflect what it typically takes to complete training in a structured environment—not just FAA minimums.

Could it cost more? Yes. Could it cost less? Also yes. But our goal is to give you a realistic picture of what to expect—so there are fewer surprises, and you can plan with confidence.

FLT Academy’s single-engine fleet includes the SportCruiser, Diamond DA20, and Diamond DA40. Our multi-engine training is conducted exclusively in the Diamond DA42.

For ground-based training, we operate Redbird FMX AATD full-motion simulators at both campuses. Our Woods Cross location is equipped with two FMX units, while Spanish Fork has one FMX available for student use.

You should plan to be on-site at the airport for about 4–5 hours per training day, which includes pre-flight prep, your flight lesson, and a post-flight debrief.

Because training is conducted under visual flight rules (VFR), flights must occur between sunrise and sunset. In addition to time spent at the airport, we recommend setting aside 1–2 hours per day for at-home study and review.

Yes—many of our students work flexible part-time jobs during training.

However, anything that limits your availability (including work, school, or personal obligations) can delay your training progress and increase your overall cost. Full-time jobs in conjunction with FLT Academy’s training programs have historically proven to be negative for the student, which is why FLT Academy highly recommends students NOT to work full time during their training.

We understand that many students have financial or family obligations, but accelerated flight training requires a level of availability that full-time employment typically cannot accommodate.

As such, full-time employment is incompatible with our programs. Flexible part-time work may be manageable, as long as your schedule allows for reasonable availability for both flights and ground school sessions.

Please also keep in mind that virtually all lenders have timelines factored into their loan approvals. Students who plan to finance their training should ensure they are completing their training milestones ahead of or on-time with the expectations of their lender, otherwise their financing may be rescinded.

Yes, we accept students at nearly any stage of training. However, there are a few important points to keep in mind:

• If you’re transferring in the middle of a certificate or rating, some ground and flight lessons may need to be repeated to verify your proficiency. This may increase overall training costs slightly.

• If you’re planning to transfer to FLT Academy after completing your current phase of training, you must pass your checkride before we can offer you an official enrollment date.

Yes. To comply with FAA regulations and aircraft safety standards, students flight weight must not exceed 280 pounds.

For students pursuing CFI certification, the flight weight limit is reduced to 250 pounds, due to aircraft spin training requirements.

In many cases, yes. Students who have not yet completed their commercial certificate are often eligible for the SkyWest Airlines Elite Cadet Program through FLT Academy.

Those joining for later phases—such as Multi-Engine, CFI, CFII, or MEI—may still be accepted into the program, but eligibility for the Elite Cadet status may not apply.

All students are required to attend and pass FLT Academy’s in-house ground school.

This ensures consistent training quality and prepares students for stage checks and in-house evaluations. Attendance is mandatory for all sessions if you’re enrolled in a Career-Track program.

A full-time student at FLT Academy completes at least five (5) flight lessons and/or solo flights per week, not including ground school.

Flights are scheduled based on student and instructor availability—mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends. Please keep in mind, roughly 90% of your training with an instructor will need to take place between sunrise and sunset.  Once you’ve earned your Private Pilot Certificate and Instrument Rating, solo time building for commercial training can be scheduled 24/7.

Yes! We always prioritize hiring from within. Our top-performing students are given the first opportunity to interview for CFI positions as openings become available.

However, employment is not guaranteed. We evaluate each candidate’s professionalism, performance, and readiness during their CFI training before extending any formal offer.

Rather than advertise a “best-case” number that few students actually achieve, we base our cost estimates on real-world data from hundreds of students’ logbooks.

No two students are exactly alike—learning styles, availability, and proficiency all affect total flight hours. We believe in honest, transparent pricing, so you can budget with realistic expectations.

At FLT Academy, we want to help everyone who’s passionate about flying pursue a career in aviation. But to ensure every student has consistent access to aircraft, instructors, and support resources, we have to carefully manage how many students begin training each month.

This helps prevent scheduling delays, overbooked instructors, and training slowdowns. By controlling intake, we protect the quality and efficiency of your experience—so you’re not stuck waiting to fly.

No.  FLT Academy exclusively offers training for airplanes (fixed-wing).  We do not offer helicopter (rotor-wing) or Flight Attendant training.