01Start here
Discovery Flight
Take the controls with a certified flight instructor and get a real first look at flight training before committing to a certificate.
- Price
- $150
- Flight time
- 30 minutes
- Total visit
- About 1.5 hours
- Prerequisite
- None
Flight Training Courses & Programs in DFW
Compare Pilot Rise flight training courses, certificates, ratings, and career programs at Dallas Executive Airport and Hicks Airfield. See prerequisites, timelines, estimated costs, and training options to find the path that fits your goals.
Flexible SchedulingFinancing Available
Compare Your Options
Compare Flight Training Courses
Every pilot starts from a different place. You may be taking your first flight, earning your first certificate, adding an instrument rating, preparing to fly professionally, or returning for advanced training.
Compare each Pilot Rise course by prerequisites, estimated cost, timeline, and training goal. You can train at a flexible pace or move quickly when your schedule allows. For a complete budget, use the Cost Planner. For scheduling options, compare our Training Paths.
Review Financing and College Credit for Pilot Certificates, or learn what to expect on a Discovery Flight before choosing your course.
Core Flight Training
Core Courses for Every Flight Training Path
Pilot Rise offers the major certificates and ratings pilots need for recreational flying, advanced training, or a professional career. Start at the course that matches your current experience, then continue as far as your goals require.
If your goal is a professional airline career, see the Career Pilot Program for the complete path from zero experience through Commercial, CFI, and CFI-I, including pacing options and program-level cost estimates.
Flying for fun or personal travel? These same courses can be completed individually without following the professional pilot path.
02First certificate
Private Pilot
Learn to fly safely as pilot in command, carry passengers, and build the certificate that every professional pilot earns first.
- Starting estimate
- $8,800
- Fast-track timeline
- As quick as 8 weeks
- Flight hours
- 40 hours FAA minimum; 50 to 60 hours typical
- Prerequisite
- No prior certificate
03Fly with more capability
Instrument Rating
Build the precision, weather judgment, and workload management needed to fly under instrument flight rules.
- Starting estimate
- $7,000
- Fast-track timeline
- As quick as 6 weeks
- FAA requirements
- 50h PIC cross-country + 40h instrument
- Prerequisite
- Private Pilot certificate
04Train to fly professionally
Commercial Pilot
Turn time building into purposeful training and earn the certificate required for many paid flying opportunities.
- Starting estimate
- $13,700
- Focused training
- 1 to 3 months + time building
- FAA minimum
- 250 total hours
- Prerequisite
- Private Pilot certificate
05Learn to teach
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
Develop right-seat proficiency, teaching judgment, lesson delivery, and practical-test readiness with career-focused coaching.
- Starting estimate
- $4,300
- Fast-track timeline
- As quick as 4 weeks
- Pilot Rise focus
- Right-seat skill + teaching quality
- Prerequisite
- Commercial Pilot certificate
06Add instrument instruction
Instrument Flight Instructor (CFI-I)
Add instrument-instructor privileges through focused training in instrument teaching, procedures, lesson delivery, and practical-test preparation.
- Starting estimate
- $3,300
- Fast-track timeline
- As quick as 2 weeks
- Pilot Rise focus
- Instrument teaching + procedures
- Prerequisite
- CFI + Instrument Rating
07See the airline path
Career Pilot Program
See the full zero-to-airline roadmap, including pace options, financing, and how Private, Instrument, Commercial, CFI, and CFI-I fit together.
- Starting point
- Zero experience or credit for previous training
- Accelerated timeline
- 9-12 months
- Finish line
- Commercial, CFI, and CFI-I
- Program estimate
- $37,000 - $59,000
- Flight time range
- 260 - 285 hours
Certificates, Reviews & Endorsements
Other flight training available in Dallas-Fort Worth
Already a pilot or looking for a different certificate? These programs provide a clear starting point, then your instructor adjusts the plan to your logbook and demonstrated proficiency.
Flight Review
Complete the ground and flight review required to continue acting as pilot in command while rebuilding any skills that have faded.
- Starting price
- $300
- FAA minimum
- 1h ground + 1h flight
- Timing
- Often one visit when proficient
- Plan more flight time if you have not flown recently
- Review regulations and the aircraft handbook before arriving
Sport Pilot Certificate
A lower-hour path to pilot certification for students whose goals and eligible aircraft fit sport-pilot privileges.
- Planning
- Personalized estimate
- FAA minimum
- 20 hours for airplane single-engine
- Prerequisite
- No prior certificate
- A U.S. driver's license may satisfy the medical requirement when eligible
- Aircraft, passenger, operating, and endorsement limits still apply
Sport-pilot rules changed under MOSAIC. Review the current FAA guidance with your instructor.
Sport Pilot Instructor
Prepare for a flight instructor certificate with a sport pilot rating and learn to teach within sport-pilot privileges.
- Planning
- Custom training plan
- Airplane experience
- 150 total hours required
- Timeline
- Depends on experience already logged
- Airplane applicants need 100 hours PIC in powered aircraft
- Includes category-specific experience, knowledge, and practical-test preparation
Multi-Engine Commercial Add-On
Coming soon. You can still train from zero experience through Commercial, CFI, and CFI-I with Pilot Rise now.
- Status
- Coming soon
- Best timing
- Later in the airline path
- Need today?
- Not for zero-to-hero training
- Most students wait on multi-engine until closer to airline hiring minimums
- Dedicated multi-engine schools are often the most economical when that time comes
Instrument Proficiency Check
Restore instrument currency by demonstrating the required instrument tasks and retraining any item that is not yet proficient.
- Starting price
- $500
- Hours
- Proficiency-based
- Timing
- Focused ground and flight session
- Review flight planning, weather, regulations, approaches, missed approaches, and holding
- Practice procedures before the IPC to reduce retraining time
Complex Endorsement
Learn retractable-gear, flap, and constant-speed-propeller operation in our Mooney M20F.
- Starting price
- $700
- Starting plan
- 2.5h flight + 1h ground
- Typical need
- Many pilots need about 5 flight hours
- Systems, emergency procedures, and energy management
- Endorsement is issued when you demonstrate proficiency
Spin Training
Complete required CFI spin training or add valuable upset-awareness experience with an instructor in N447DK.
- Starting price
- $400
- Flight
- 2.0 hours
- Ground
- 30 minutes
- Included in the Pilot Rise initial CFI course
- Available to pilots training for CFI elsewhere
Other Training & Services
Need a specific skill, checkout, or reinstatement plan? We build focused training around your experience and goal.
- Pricing
- Aircraft + instructor time
- Timeline
- Built around the skill
- Start
- Call, text, or book online
- Grass landings
- Basics of formation flying
- Checkout flights for time building
- Instructor reinstatement
- Aerial photography
Quick Answers
Flight training course questions
Most new students start with a Discovery Flight, then choose the course path after they have seen the aircraft, met an instructor, and talked through the next step.
Which flight training course should a new student take first?
Most new students begin with a $150 Discovery Flight, then earn a Private Pilot certificate. You can also start directly with Lesson 1 if you already know you want to train.
How much does flight training cost at Pilot Rise?
A Discovery Flight starts at $150. Certificate and rating costs depend on the aircraft, preparation, proficiency, scheduling, outside fees, and hours already completed. Use the Pilot Training Cost Planner for current stage-by-stage estimates.
How long does it take to become a pilot?
Private Pilot can be completed in a few months with a consistent schedule. Instrument, Commercial, and instructor timelines depend on prerequisites, preparation, weather, checkride availability, and how frequently you train.
Can Pilot Rise train me from zero experience to an airline career?
Yes. Pilot Rise can train you from a first Discovery Flight through Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, CFI, and CFI-I. From there, many career students instruct to build the experience needed for airline hiring minimums.
Is financing available for flight training?
Yes. Pilot Rise offers flight training financing options, including paths for students planning to train from zero experience through professional certificates and ratings.
How does checkride scheduling work?
We begin designated pilot examiner (DPE) scheduling before training is complete. When you are nearing checkride readiness, Pilot Rise coordinates with a DPE to find a workable time while your instructor continues confirming proficiency, paperwork, endorsements, and aircraft readiness.
We are currently networked with 3 DPEs. You are also welcome to use a DPE of your preference.
Where can I compare locations, schedules, and the full training plan?
Start with the training-path comparison to choose a flexible, accelerated, or budget-conscious schedule. Then build a stage-by-stage budget and compare Pilot Rise training at Dallas Executive Airport and Hicks Airfield.
Discovery Flight
Ready to Fly?
Take a 30-minute discovery flight at our flight school in Dallas and Fort Worth, get hands-on time at the controls, meet an instructor, and see whether Pilot Rise is the right fit for your training. The flight is $150, or free with approved financing through one of our partners.
