California Flight Schools
California is a great place to learn how to fly with a huge variety of terrains to observe and the full array of flight conditions to test yourself.
There are flight schools all across the Golden State that will provide the necessary flight training to get you off the ground and headed toward a life-changing hobby or career as an airline pilot.
We outline all the details of the best flight schools in California for an aviation education here, with the costs ranging from getting a private pilot license to a full education and becoming a professional pilot.
Be sure to check out the FAQ included after, where you can find the answers to some of the most common questions about learning to fly in California.
California Aeronautical University
Bakersfield, CA
$35,951 - $49,750
California Aeronautical University is located on a beautiful campus on the grounds of Bakersfield International Airport. For over 125 years, Cal Aero has been teaching students from around the country the wonders of flight with its accredited programs. There are a large number of degree programs available at Cal Aero including associate, bachelor’s, and even a master’s in Aviation Science. The programs are designed to provide a marketable degree as well as providing various levels of flight certification.
Students who graduate through one of the programs at Cal Aero can expect to earn a private pilot’s license, commercial certificate, instrument rating, certified instructor, and even multi-engine rating.
If your goal is to become an airline pilot, Cal Aero offers pathways to a career through partner airlines including Delta, United, Mesa,...
California Flight Academy
San Diego, CA
$16,880 – $57,325
California Flight Academy is ideal for those who want to make a living as a pilot and are ready to work hard to achieve that goal. Through an accelerated program, you can earn all the ratings in as little as 12 months.
Their students learn to fly in the sunny Southern California skies surrounding San Diego as they take off from Gillespie Field in El Cajon. There is simply no better place in California to learn as you navigate a diverse and challenging airspace with spectacular views of the coast and mountains.
Once you have made your way through the professional pilot’s program, California Flight Academy helps you every step of the way to secure a career in the aviation industry. Work with a major airline, fly cargo and freight,...
California Flight School
Los Angeles, CA
$11,200-15,000
California Flight School is located on the grounds of Van Nuys Airport in the greater Los Angeles area. They have been in business for over 25 years teaching students of every level how to fly and helping them achieve their private, instrument, commercial, and multi-engine ratings.
The programs at California Flight School are designed to get you the most value for your money and to teach you only what you desire to learn. If you’re just looking to get a private license so you can enjoy this exciting hobby, it only takes a matter of weeks.
If you’re intent on being a commercial airline pilot, achieve this through their accelerated course that streamlines time and costs to get you certified as quickly as possible.
California Flight School is upfront about...
Advanced International Aviation Academy
Sacramento, CA
$14,277- $39,006
Advanced International Aviation Academy offers one of the fastest programs in California to achieve certifications at every level as a pilot. You can sign up for any of their FAA Part 141 and FAA Part 61 courses.
Through its Fast Track program, students can earn their private license within four weeks, instrument rating within another two weeks, commercial within six months, and the possibility to be airline-ready in eight months.
Thanks to Advanced International Aviation Academy’s location in sunny Sacramento, you can expect to have upwards of 320 days of sunshine a year to easily complete any flight hour requirements. There is also an international students program for those out...
Coast Flight Training
San Diego, CA
$85,000
Coast Flight Training is located in beautiful San Diego at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. The airport is renowned as one of the busiest small-craft airports in the country. San Diego and the greater area provide an incredible landscape and airspace to fly in while you learn.
Coast Flight Training gives you all the tools you need to succeed as the specialized training programs at Coast Flight Training put you on the fast track to an aviation career. The Airline Direct program is designed to be an efficient course to achieve your private, commercial, instructor, and multi-engine certifications all in one fell swoop.
The American Airlines Cadet program is also available...
Mach 1 Aviation
Van Nuys, CA
$15,000 - $20,000
Mach 1 Aviation is the exclusive Cirrus Platinum training center in Los Angeles County, offering a top-of-the-line program to students from all over the country. Students can come here to learn every aspect of flight and earn their stripes as private, instrument-rated, or commercial pilots.
The flight school is operated out of Van Nuys Airport, giving students the opportunity to learn about flying some of the most stunning and complicated airspace in the country over the LA basin.
This is one of the busiest air traffic spots in the country, and it allows students to learn the importance of communication in flight training.
With the location of Mach 1 Aviation,...
NorCal Flight Center
Lincoln, CA
$25,000
NorCal Flight Center offers low-pressure flight training for those looking to learn at their own pace in a low-commitment setting. It’s a school that prides itself on a low instructor-to-student ratio and can all but guarantee a highly personal learning experience.
As opposed to most schools which require you to pay upfront before you receive lessons, NorCal Flight Center only requires you to pay once you have completed a lesson. This is the sort of thing that makes them a great choice for young pilots who want to learn to fly as a hobby.
If you’re looking to take flying seriously and make a career out of it, this is...
Riverside Flight Academy
Riverside, CA
$8000 - $49,000
Riverside Flight Academy is located just off the runway at Riverside Airport, a very sunny city with excellent weather for flying. Hundreds of students have trusted the instructors of Riverside Flight Academy with their combined 100 years of experience.
The price estimates for pilot certifications make Riverside Flight Academy one of the most affordable schools for students to attend. A private pilot’s license could cost as little as $8,200 and a full-blown professional pilot program is advertised starting at only $49,000.
There are some obvious caveats here because it depends on how much flight and instruction time you require individually, but even with generous room for error, these are great...
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology
Los Angeles, CA
$94,000 - $123,000
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology offers an accredited flight school, technician programs, and a bachelor’s degree program in technology management. They have two locations in California: Inglewood, just a mile from LAX, and Riverside on the grounds of Flabob Airport.
If you’re looking to earn a degree and your pilot’s license at the same time, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology offers an associate’s program that puts you on the fast track to flying professionally. It features day and night classes for the ultimate convenience.
The total program from zero experience to full certification is around $94,000, with dozens of scholarship opportunities. Pathways for future employment have been made...
What do you need to become a pilot in California?
There are only a few prerequisites to obtaining your private pilot’s license in California. You must be at least 17 years old and able to speak, read, write, and understand English. You also need to obtain a student, sport, or recreational pilot certificate.
Once you’ve met these basic requirements, you can proceed to work toward passing the necessary written and practical exams required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This will include ground school training as well as flight training with and without instructors present.
Attending a certified, quality flight school can take all of the guesswork out of the process and get you flying in no time.
How much does flight school cost in California?
Flight school can help you achieve whatever level of pilot license you’re after, and the cost will be a wide range according to your needs. The cost to get the most basic credential, a Private Pilot License, hovers around $12,000 to $15,000 depending on your chosen school.
From this basic license, you can work your way up to a professional and finally commercial pilot license and the cost for this can vary greatly between schools. You should expect to be in for around at least $50,000 to achieve a professional license and that much again for a commercial pilot license. All in, the total from complete beginner to certified commercial pilot can be in the ballpark of $90,000 – $150,000.
Although that can seem like a daunting figure, it’s worth noting that several schools have scholarship opportunities as well as a positive record for career placement after students successfully complete their training.
Once you obtain your credentials, the most lucrative career tracks get you on course to earn great money.
How much do pilots get paid in California?
Pilots in California have one of the highest employment rates as the Golden State routinely ranks near the top spots for pilot jobs. The amount of pay directly correlates with the individual pilot’s experience, certifications and employment opportunities.
The baseline salary for commercial airline pilots averages around $77,000 a year and can reach well over $200,000 based entirely on experience and flight hours accumulated. Private pilots can expect a higher average salary of roughly $90,000 yearly with a lower ceiling, topping around $120,000.
Pilots can expect to see fantastic opportunities for growth, with overall employment in the industry forecasted to be 4% growth over the next decade. It’s an industry that always needs well-trained people to take up the task.