Texas Flight Schools
Texas is a great place to learn how to fly, offering pilots a range of wide open spaces and a large variety of flying conditions. The Lonestar State is big enough to feature every type of scenery including large national forests, plains as far as you can see, and hundreds of miles of Gulf Coast to admire from the sky.
A wide range of flight schools in Texas can help you achieve your goals as a pilot, whether you’re planning on doing it professionally or just as a thrilling hobby. These aviation schools are available throughout the state, offering students the chance to learn anywhere across this vast territory.
Texas Flight Aviation
Spring, TX
$395 per course
Texas Flight Aviation is a family-owned and operated school serving students in the greater Houston area from David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport. Since 2008, the Texas Flight family has helped over 2,000 pilots realize their dreams of flying with a combination of a professional approach and an informal and welcoming atmosphere.
A staff of 18 instructors and a fleet of 17 planes await students of all levels, from absolute beginners to trained professionals hoping to get in some flight time. Prospective pilots can get training to receive their private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, CFI, CFII, and MEI certifications.
Aircraft rentals are available across the fleet and start at only $133 an hour. There are several Cessna, Piper, and Diamond aircraft to choose from in single and dual-propeller configurations. Hourly instruction is...
Texas State Aviation
San Marcos, TX
$65,000
Texas State Aviation sits comfortably between Austin and San Antonio, serving pilots of Central Texas. The location is ideal because it’s just outside of the air traffic jams that occur above both cities, giving you the opportunity to learn in calm skies.
It’s a great, lower-stress environment to learn proper radio procedures and close enough to get experience in more crowded skies once you’re ready.
You can earn almost every level of certification at Texas State Aviation, including private pilot, instrument rating, commercial, and even some specialty ratings like tail-dragging and upset/spin training. Students need to meet the necessary hours of flight time which ranges from 40 hours to 250 hours based on the program.
In addition to your own schedule, you can take courses at Texas State Aviation through...
Aeroguard Flight Training Center
Georgetown, TX
$10,000 – $90,000
Located in Georgetown, just north of Austin in the heart of Central Texas, Aeroguard Flight Training Center is an out-of-the-way flight school that can take you from beginner to professional pilot.
The Pilot Pathway program is open to students serious about a career in aviation. This is a direct pipeline through certification to a possible lucrative job opportunity with SkyWest Airlines. The many airports in the nearby areas give pilots a diverse experience with 100+ instrument approaches.
There is also a program that partners you up with Purdue University Global to earn a bachelor’s degree in professional flight alongside your flight training. In as little as three years, you can...
Baylor Institute For Air Sciences
Waco, TX
$200,000
The prestigious Baylor University in Central Texas can be the perfect place to start a career in aviation. The acclaimed faith-based private university is home to Baylor Institute For Air Sciences, offering an all-inclusive Bachelor of Science: Professional Pilot degree.
The state-of-the-art Baylor University Flight Center is just 10 minutes from the Big 12 Baylor campus. Students enjoy college life while taking all the necessary pilot certifications as part of the degree program. Under a 4-year Bachelor’s, you’ll become a pilot early on in your studies.
Or you could focus on the business side of aviation and earn a BSA with an Aviation Administration major. Career paths include working in...
Central Texas College
Killeen, TX
$750 per course
Central Texas College offers an associate’s degree in aviation that gives you the necessary skills to achieve your commercial pilot certificate as well as a host of other marketable skills to land you a job in the aviation field.
This two-year full-time degree program consists of 60 total credit hours and encompasses a complete college education focusing on aviation. As opposed to the crowded skies of many other schools, Central Texas College will have you flying around the relatively calm spaces above Killeen and the surrounding countryside.
It’s far enough away from the major metro areas of central Texas that you won’t run into too much traffic but close enough...
Delta Qualiflight
Fort Worth, TX
Delta Qualiflight Academy of Aviation serves students in the Dallas Fort Worth Metropolitan area looking to start the journey to become a pilot. There are programs to obtain every level of certification, including private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot single and multi-engine, flight instructor, and airline transport pilot.
This flight school is meant to help prospective pilots make a career out of the skill and has all of the tools and expertise to ensure success.
Located on the runways of Fort Worth Meachem Airport, you’ll be steps away from flying into the exciting airspace over north central Texas. Their special location can prepare you for the proper handling of an...
In The Pattern
Denton, TX
$9995
In The Pattern has two locations serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, with one to the north at Denton Enterprise Airport and one to the southwest on the grounds of Granbury Regional Airport. They are an AOPA Foundation award-winning school, recognized as one of the best flight schools in the United States.
This is a one-stop-shop for pilots of all levels who are looking to advance their skills or make a career of it. Students can attend ground school and log all necessary flight times with In The Pattern. They’ll see to it that you receive the highest quality education in an efficient manner.
In The Pattern offers a competitively...
Nationwide Aviation
Roanoke, TX
$15240
Nationwide Aviation operates as a full-service flight school at two locations in Fort Worth. One school is located at Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke, and the other is on the runway of Parker County Airport in Hudson Oaks.
Elevate Flight Lessons allows you to go from zero experience to a career as a pilot in as little as nine months. This is an intensive program meant for students who are looking to streamline the process of certification and get paid for their passion in as short a time as possible.
Check out Nationwide Aviation’s website for the most up-to-date pricing for training as well as hourly rates for plane rental...
U.S. Aviation Academy
Denton, TX
$97,000
U.S. Aviation Academy sits on the grounds of the Denton Enterprise Airport to the northwest side of Dallas. This puts you just outside the busy airspace above DFW but close enough to get a feel for what a high-traffic area is like.
If you are interested in getting a degree in aviation while also achieving various pilot certifications, you can do this through the U.S. Aviation Academy’s partnership with Liberty University. Going this route will net you a bachelor’s in Aviation.
Accelerated flight training is available to those who want to become a professional pilot in as little time as possible. Through the U.S. Aviation Academy program, you can achieve...
What do you need to become a pilot in Texas?
Becoming a pilot in Texas is as easy as acquiring the necessary pre-certificates, attending ground school through a reputable vendor, and reaching the flight time requirements for the desired certification. This can be in as little as a few weeks for a private pilot certification all the way up to a year or more to become an airline pilot.
You’ll need to determine exactly what level of certification you’re aiming for and establish a realistic timeline for completing it. A flight school will help to streamline the process and get you certified in the least amount of time possible, but it’s worth shopping around for the best rate and schedule.
Of course, you’ll need to spend some money to accumulate the necessary flight time and test as required.
How much does flight school cost in Texas?
Just how much flight school will cost depends on a variety of factors but the most important decision that will affect the price is the level of certification.
In order to get a private pilot’s certificate, you can expect to pay anywhere between $10,000 and $15,000, depending on how much you have to spend on aircraft rentals, ground school, and testing. Many hours are solo and conditional to give you the proper experience as a pilot in charge, but you can save some serious money by shopping around for the best hourly rental rates. At the end of the day, you’re looking to complete a specific amount of hours flown, and it won’t matter if the aircraft was a standard model as opposed to one filled with performance features.
If you want to fly professionally for a commercial airline company, you can expect to spend around $90,000 from start to finish. The average floats right around this number and as with any level of certification requiring flight time, varies considerably based on where you log these hours.
Scholarships can be a fantastic way to absorb some of the cost of flight training. Major airlines partner with many flight schools to provide a direct path from school to career. High demand is expected for airline pilots for at least the next 20 years.
How much do pilots get paid in Texas?
So you’ve gone through all the training necessary to become a pilot and now want to make a career of it. In Texas, it’s a lucrative field, with the average airline pilot making right around $100,000 a year. Exactly how much you’ll make depends on how long you’ve been flying, what sort of pilot you are, and where in the state you are based.
On the low end, starting pilots may make around $50,000, but seasoned pilots who have maintained a career trajectory with the same airline over many years can see as much as $300,000 – $500,000 annually. There is a growing need for pilots moving into the 2030s and 2040s, and salaries will continue to rise to meet this demand.