At Pilot Rise, safety isn’t a slogan—it’s a system. Every procedure, every flight, every decision is built around protecting lives and maintaining absolute trust in our aircraft and operations. From how we train our instructors to how we inspect our planes, our goal is simple: ensure every flight is as safe and predictable as possible.
We follow a structured Safety Management System built on four pillars recognized across aviation: Safety Policy, Risk Management, Assurance, and Promotion.
Everyone at Pilot Rise plays a part in maintaining safety—from students to senior instructors. Any person can initiate a “safety stop” at any time.
Key policies that define our culture include:
Open Reporting: There is no chain of command for safety concerns; anyone can report directly to management.
Weather Minimums: Clear, published limits for each experience level.
Towing Policy: Towbar pins are attached to aircraft keys, and tow bars must be removed immediately after use to prevent propeller strikes.
Training Standards: All pilots receive comprehensive training in checklists, procedures, and memory items.
Instructor Oversight: Every instructor passes rigorous hiring standards and ongoing evaluations.
Quality Tracking: Our in-house digital record-keeping system tracks performance and identifies areas for improvement.
Before every flight, instructors and pilots perform formal and informal risk assessments. Threats are identified, mitigations are planned, and decisions are continually reassessed. Operationally, we monitor trends, review potential issues, and communicate risks to our teams to ensure a proactive approach to flight safety.
We don’t assume safety—we verify it. Regular audits, instructor ride-alongs, and policy reviews ensure that our procedures are working in practice. When an issue is found, we act immediately, correcting and learning from every event. This continuous feedback loop keeps standards high and operations predictable.
Safety is part of our identity. We discuss it in meetings, during daily briefings, and in monthly Hicks Airport safety sessions. We foster a “just culture,” where anyone can raise concerns without fear of retaliation. That openness keeps everyone alert, engaged, and aligned on the same goal—safe, consistent flight operations.
We believe the best defense is multiple layers of protection. Our Swiss Cheese Model approach means we use overlapping safeguards—training, checklists, monitoring, audits, and culture—to catch potential issues before they become incidents. When one layer misses something, the next catches it.
In short: we choose to make the safe decision every time, even when it’s inconvenient or costly.
We maintain our fleet to standards that go far beyond what’s required. Our aircraft are serviced by a top-rated maintenance shop on the field—because reliability and precision matter more than cutting costs.
100-Hour Inspections: Every aircraft undergoes a full inspection every 100 hours of flight time. Most flight clubs and private owners skip this!
Beyond-Required Checks: Magnetos, which legally require no inspection intervals, are inspected every 500 hours. We do this for many things!
Transparency: All pilots and instructors can view the latest maintenance records through our scheduling system.
Fast, Quality Repairs: Worn components are replaced promptly—often with superior parts or upgrades rather than minimum replacements.
Preflight Training: Our students and instructors receive detailed preflight inspection training, adding one more layer of protection before every takeoff.
Our philosophy is simple: maintenance is not an expense—it’s an investment in safety, reliability, and peace of mind.
Every system, every policy, every flight at Pilot Rise exists for one purpose—to keep you safe while helping you grow as a pilot.
When you fly with us, you’re flying in one of the most safety-focused environments in general aviation.
Ready to fly? Book your flight today.
Experience the joy of flying on a 30-minute discovery flight! Chat with an instructor and explore what it takes to become a pilot. Is flying for you? Find out!
(Cessna 150: $129, Cessna 172: $149)