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Student pilot flying a Cessna, seen from the back seat

Northwest Arkansas flight school · Springdale, AR

Airplane Flight Training

Five FAA certificates and ratings, from your first solo to teaching others to fly, all trained out of our Springdale base.

Your path, step by step

Most students start with a Private Pilot License and add ratings in this order. Jump in wherever you are.

1

Private Pilot

40 hrs · FAA minimum

2

Instrument

40 hrs · Instrument time

3

Commercial

250 hrs · FAA minimum

4

CFI

No min. · Hours required

5

CFII

No min. · Hours required

Student pilot flying a Cessna, seen from the back seat

Private Pilot License

Earn your first fixed-wing license out of our Springdale base — the aerodynamics, navigation, and regulations behind flying a single-engine airplane.

40 hrs

FAA minimum

~75 hrs

U.S. average*

17

Minimum age

$170/hr

Cessna 172 · plus instruction at $70/hr

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Student's hands on the yoke and throttle in front of a training airplane's instrument panel

Instrument Rating

Train out of our Springdale, Arkansas base to fly safely through clouds, haze, and the low-visibility days that ground VFR-only pilots.

40 hrs

Instrument time

50 hrs

Cross-country (PIC)

15 hrs

With a CFII

$170/hr

Cessna 172 · plus instruction at $70/hr

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Training airplane N5742U parked on the ramp under a bright sky

Commercial Pilot License

Turn flying into income. Master complex aircraft, commercial maneuvers, and the FAA standards for flying for hire, training out of Springdale, Arkansas.

250 hrs

FAA minimum

50 hrs

Cross-country

18

Minimum age

$220/hr

Cessna 182 · plus instruction at $70/hr

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Instructor and student checking fuel during a Cessna preflight inspection

Certified Flight Instructor

Turn your own flying experience into a career — teach fixed-wing students the skills that took you from student pilot to certified aviator.

No min.

Hours required

2

Written exams

1

Checkride

$85/hr

CFI & CFII instruction

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Flight instructor and student in a Cessna cockpit during a training flight

Certified Flight Instructor - Instrument

Add instrument instruction to your fixed-wing credentials — a sought-after certificate and a common step toward building hours for an airline career.

No min.

Hours required

1–2

Written exams

1

Checkride

$85/hr

CFI & CFII instruction

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New to flying?

Take the controls on a discovery flight with an instructor before you commit to a course.

Paying for training

Stratus Financial and Flight Training Finance both finance airplane training. See our financing page for how to apply.

Talk to an instructor

Questions about a course, scheduling or cost? Call 479-365-3640

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