Question 1

How long does it take to  earn my commercial certificate?

Accepted Answer

This one varies dramatically due to the time building requirement. Once you've hit the minimum 250 hours (for Part 61), and assuming your certificate is current and you are proficient, the actual commercial training (e.g. maneuvers, systems, flight planning) doesn't take very long. If you have your sights set on your commercial rating from the start of your training, talk to your instructor about ways you can knock out the commercial training requirements in tandem with others, along the way. As with all of our training, Blue River offers flexible scheduling and extended training hours to meet the needs of each individual student.

Question 2

Can I do my commercial training part-time?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Many students train around work or school schedules. Our extended instruction hours (6 AM–10 PM) make scheduling flexible.

Question 3

What are the main benefits of earning a Commercial Rating?

Accepted Answer

The commercial rating enables you to fly for hire, and is a required stepping stone for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a pilot.

Question 4

I started my training with another flight school. Can I finish my training at Blue River Aviation?

Accepted Answer

Many of the students who come here have received previous training somewhere else. We are happy to help you finish your journey to become a commercial pilot.

Question 5

What is the weather like in Alaska? Do you fly year round?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we train and fly year round! The summers in Alaska are amazing and offer plenty of good weahter and long days for training. Like anywhere you go there are days that we can not fly due to bad weather. In the winter we keep most of the planes in hangars and plugged in so they are warm and ready to go even on the coldest days.

Summer 2026

Float Training