Pilot Training Programs
Every FAA pilot certificate and rating on a single page. Prerequisites, hour requirements, what you’ll learn, where it’s offered, what it costs. Your roadmap from zero hours to airline transport pilot.
Part 61 vs Part 141
FAA Part 61 at both Riverside and Redlands. FAA Part 141 at Riverside (KRAL) only.
- Part 61 · flexible, self-paced, slightly higher hour minimums (40 hours PPL, 250 hours commercial)
- Part 141 · FAA-approved structured syllabus with stage checks, lower minimums (35 hours PPL, 190 hours commercial), required for some VA benefits, preferred by career-track students
Most students train Part 61. Career-track and GI Bill students at Riverside typically choose Part 141.
Private Pilot Certificate (PPL) {#private-pilot}
$12,000 starting · 3 to 6 months · Both airports
The certificate that lets you fly. Carry passengers, plan cross-country trips, fly for personal use. Foundation for every certificate after.
Prerequisites
- 17 years old (16 to solo)
- Read, speak, write, understand English
- FAA Third-Class Medical (or BasicMed)
Hour requirements (Part 61)
- 40 hours total minimum
- 20 hours dual, 10 hours solo
- 3 hours cross-country dual, 5 hours solo cross-country
- 3 hours night, 3 hours instrument, 3 hours test prep
Aircraft: Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Piper Warrior
Reality: National average is closer to 60 hours before checkride. Final cost depends on hours flown.
Learn more about Private Pilot training →
Instrument Rating (IR) {#instrument-rating}
3 to 4 months post-PPL · Both airports
Fly in clouds, low visibility, IMC. Required for serious cross-country in California winter weather. Prerequisite for most commercial pilot work.
Prerequisites
- Private Pilot Certificate
- FAA Instrument written exam
Hour requirements
- 50 hours PIC cross-country (often built during PPL)
- 40 hours actual or simulated instrument time
- 15 hours instrument training with CFII
You’ll train: ILS, RNAV (GPS), VOR approaches, holding patterns, partial-panel emergencies, IFR cross-country planning, ATC in IMC.
Aircraft: Cessna 172 (steam and G1000), Piper Warrior, Redbird simulator
Commercial Pilot Certificate (CPL) {#commercial-pilot}
6 to 12 months · Both airports (complex training at Riverside)
The certificate that lets you get paid. Banner towing, aerial photography, flight instruction (with CFI), pipeline patrol, cargo, gateway to airline employment.
Prerequisites
- Private + Instrument
- FAA Second-Class Medical
- FAA Commercial written exam
Hour requirements
- Part 61: 250 hours total, 100 hours PIC, 50 hours cross-country PIC, 10 hours complex
- Part 141: 190 hours total, structured syllabus
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee Arrow (PA-28R) for complex, Cessna 172, Beechcraft Duchess for multi-engine commercial.
Timeline: Most students build hours over 6 to 12 months, then complete commercial training in 4 to 6 weeks.
Multi-Engine Rating {#multi-engine}
10 to 15 flight hours · 2 to 4 weeks · Riverside only
Required for almost every airline path and most corporate flying.
Prerequisites: Private or Commercial Pilot Certificate, standard multi-engine ground knowledge.
You’ll train: Engine-out procedures, asymmetric thrust (Vmc), multi-engine performance, single-engine ILS, accelerate-stop and accelerate-go distances.
Aircraft: Beechcraft Duchess (BE-76), Redbird simulator for emergency profiles.
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI / CFII / MEI) {#cfi}
6 to 10 weeks initial CFI · 2 to 4 weeks per add-on
Teach others. Build the hours you need for an ATP. Most career-track pilots earn CFI immediately after commercial.
Three flavors:
- CFI · teach Private students in single-engine
- CFII · teach Instrument students
- MEI · teach in multi-engine (Riverside only)
Prerequisites: Commercial Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating (CFII), Multi-Engine Rating (MEI), FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) and CFI written exams.
You don’t learn new flying. You learn how to teach the flying you already know. The initial CFI checkride is notoriously rigorous because it certifies your judgment as a teacher.
Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) {#atp}
1,500 hours min · Riverside only
The highest pilot certificate the FAA issues. Every Part 121 airline captain holds one.
Prerequisites
- 1,500 hours total (1,250 with Part 141 commercial; 1,000 with four-year aviation degree)
- 500 hours cross-country, 100 hours night, 75 hours instrument
- ATP-CTP course completion
- FAA First-Class Medical
- 23 years old
What we offer: ATP checkride preparation in the Beechcraft Duchess once you’ve met hour requirements. We don’t run an in-house ATP-CTP course; we refer to approved providers.
High Altitude Endorsement {#high-altitude}
5 to 10 flight hours · 2 to 3 weekends · Redlands primary
California-specific because California has the terrain.
FAR 61.31(g) applies to pressurized aircraft with service ceilings above 25,000 feet. Beyond that, we train mountain and density-altitude operations as a practical safety endorsement for any pilot flying west of the Rockies.
You’ll train
- Density altitude calculations and performance impact
- Mountain weather: rotors, mountain wave, valley winds
- Canyon and ridge crossing techniques
- Departure and arrival at high-elevation airports
- Physiological effects of altitude on pilots and passengers
Where we fly it: Big Bear City Airport (KL35) at 6,752 feet MSL, Apple Valley (KAPV), and other density-altitude fields in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains.
High Performance & Complex Endorsements {#endorsements}
Required by FAR 61.31 for aircraft with more than 200 horsepower (high performance) or retractable gear / controllable-pitch propeller / flaps (complex). Typically earned alongside commercial training in the Piper Arrow.
Offered at: Riverside (KRAL) primary. Available at Redlands by scheduling.
Career Track (Zero to Hero)
12 to 18 months full-time · Riverside · Part 141 recommended
Zero hours to airline-ready. Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine, CFI in a structured timeline. Graduate ready to instruct and build hours toward the ATP minimums.
Contact us about the Career Track program
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A discovery flight or a phone call. We’ll walk through program fit, budget, timeline, and financing.