Private Pilot Certificate

Earn your private pilot license in Alaska

Training Schedule

Year Round; Train at Your Own Pace
Custom & Accelerated Options Available

Starting cost

$12,655

See Price Chart Below

Private Pilot Certification is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing a person to legally operate an aircraft with passengers. Whether your dream is to earn your FAA Private Pilot Certificate or you are planning to eventually earn advanced ratings, this step is the most fundamental toward becoming a professional pilot. It is the basis upon which all your flight experience and advanced training will be built.

If you are a United States citizen, the Transportation Security Administration requires us to simply make a copy of your birth certificate and photo ID issued by a government agency or a United States Passport to verify your citizenship. If you are not an American citizen, TSA will require you to complete a TSA screening process. Once the TSA screening is complete, you are ready to enroll in our private pilot course.

Private Pilot Certificate
Training Requirements:

  • Age Requirements

    You must be at least 17 years old to acquire your private pilot license. You must be 16 years old to solo. There is no minimum age to begin flight training.

  • Language Requirements

    You must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.


  • Medical Card

    You must possess at least a third-class FAA medical to solo.


  • Flight Instruction

    You must receive your flight training from a FAA certified flight instructor.

  • 40 Hours Minimum Flight Time

    This includes a mandatory 20 hours of dual instruction with a CFI and a mandatory 10 hours of solo flight time. See below for details.

  • Written Knowledge Test

    You must past a written FAA aeronautical knowledge test.


  • Private Pilot Flight Test

    You must pass your Private Pilot Flight Test with a FAA approved “Designated Pilot Examiner” (DPE), more commonly known as your Checkride.


40 Hours Minimum Flight Time

The FAA requires this to consist of 20 hours minimum of flight training with an instructor (Dual Instruction) and 10 hours minimum of solo flying in a single engine airplane. See a breakdown of what your flying requirements look like, in the next two columns:

20 Hours Minimum Dual Instruction Must Include:

  • 3 hours of cross country flight training in a single engine airplane
  • 3 hours of night flight training in a single engine airplane, that includes at least:
  • a) 1 cross country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance;
  • b) 10 take-offs and 10 landings to a full-stop with each involving a complete lap in the traffic pattern at an airport.
  • 3 hours of flight training by reference to instruments only
  • 3 hours of flight training in a single engine airplane within the 60 days prior to the practical test (a.k.a your “checkride”).

10 Hours Minimum Solo Flight Time Must Include:

  • 5 hours of solo cross country flying
  • 1 solo cross country flight of at least 150 nautical miles total distance with full-stop landings at 3 points and one segment of at least 50 nautical miles between take-off and landing
  • 3 take-offs and landings to a full-stop at an airport with an operating control tower

Blue River Pricing Estimates

Use our pricing chart to help give you an idea of what your training costs will be. Pricing is based on someone who has zero hours & includes checkride fees (subject to change). Cost will decrease if you’re transferring from another flight school & already have some hours logged. Price will increase if you need additional hours to prepare you for your checkride. Most students are ready to take their checkride after logging 45-55 hours.

Rating

Description

Rate

Hours

Subtotal

Private Pilot

Cessna 172 Rental For Checkrides

$190

2

$380

Checkride Examiner Fee

$1200

–

$1200

Dual Flight Instruction in Cessna 172

$265

30

$7950

FAA Written Exam

$175

–

$175

Ground Instruction

$75

10

$750

Online Ground School

$300

–

$300

Solo Rental of Cessna 172

$190

10

$1900

Private Pilot Total

$12655

Next Steps

How to earn your pilot license with Blue River Aviation

01

Take a discovery flight.

Begin your journey with an introductory flight alongside a certified instructor. Learn basic aircraft operations and experience the thrill of flying, sparking your interest in pursuing a Private Pilot Certificate.

02

Complete your primary training.

Develop flight skills through our comprehensive private pilot certificate training program by training with a certified instructor. Progress to solo flights, and fulfill required flight hours, cross-country flights, and night flying to become a proficient private pilot.

03

Pass your written and practical tests.

To complete your private training you must pass both a written and practical exam. Your ground school materials will provide you with the means to pass the written exam. The practical exam will consist of an oral and flight performance check which your flight instructor will prepare you for.

Don’t just take our word for it

250+ Happy Flight Training Students

  • “Learning to fly with Blue River has been nothing short of outstanding! The staff are always so helpful and the instructors are on top of their game day in and day out.”
    – Sebastian B.
  • Truly a phenomenal organization. These folks helped me obtain my private pilot license. I flew with several different CFIs and they were all great.
    Thanks to their use of flight schedule pro, and the ability to schedule myself I was able to find times that worked for me and my busy schedule. Another great aspect is flying out of Palmer so much beautiful scenery all around. If you’re on the fence, just do a discovery flight.
    – Daniel W.
  • Absolutely thrilled with my experience at Blue River Aviation! The instructors are top-notch. Their fleet of aircraft is well-maintained and up-to-date. The friendly staff and other students also helped me find a community and build long-lasting friendships while working on my private pilot license. I would highly recommend pursuing your training with Blue River Aviation.
    – Tayler H.

Whats Next?

Ready to get your private pilot license with Blue River?

Fill Out Our Inquiry Form

In return, you’ll get an email from us with everything you need to know to get started, and a link to download a “Training with Blue River 101” guide that outlines the steps, from your Discovery Flight to your Checkride.

Review our FAQs below

Feel free to call us (907-414-0371) with additional questions!

Book Your Discovery Flight

Frequently Asked Questions, Answered

– Candidate must be at least 17 years old to acquire your private pilot license. Candidate must be 16 years old to solo. There is no minimum age to begin flight training.

– Pass an FAA Third Class Medical exam.

– Complete a minimum of 40 hours of flight time; this includes 20 hours with an instructor and 10 hours of solo flight time.

– Pass the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test and the Practical Test.

Private pilot training can take anywhere from 1 month to 1+ years depending on your availability and home study. We are open year-round, 7 days a week. Flight training is flexible around your schedule and we can accommodate most scheduling needs. We find that students are most successful when they schedule multiple times a week and do lots of home study.

The more often you fly, the faster you’ll earn your license. Flying frequently avoids having to review previously learned skills that become “rusty” through lack of practice.
We recommend taking lessons at least 2-to-3 times per week until you solo and one lesson per week thereafter.

A headset is necessary for flight training. While we have a limited number of headsets available to rent ($20/flight) at the front desk, we highly recommend purchasing your own headset before you begin training. These can be purchased used (FB Marketplace, Ebay, etc.) or locally at Aircraft Spruce.

Once you’ve earned your PPL you may carry passengers (but not get paid for it) in a single engine airplane, day or night, in visual flying conditions. An airplane allows you to turn weekends into full, two-day vacations, eliminating long car rides and traffic jams.

While not technically required to start training, you must pass your medical exam in order to become a certificated pilot. As such, we highly recommend getting your medical exam early so there are no surprises. Click Here to find a FAA medical examiner near you.

You’ll start by taking a discovery flight. During this flight your instructor will demonstrate how to prepare for a flight and operate the airplane systems. You will be at the controls for takeoff and in-flight, and assist in the landing. The introductory flight lesson will give you a taste of the fun and excitement of learning to fly. Once you start, your instructor will ensure that your training is efficient, thorough and fun.

We know that each person is unique, and each person’s “learning curve” is therefore unique, so we don’t package our training courses into a “one size fits all.” At Blue River Aviation, you will only pay for the products and services that you actually need and use – and – we will tell you up front what all you will be paying for. Take a look at our pricing estimates

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

Yes, but you must complete the Department of Homeland Security FTSP (Flight Training Security Program) requirements. Visit their online portal: Click Here to Get Started

Yes, we train and fly year round! The summers in Alaska are amazing and offer plenty of good weather and long days for training. 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.

Ready to take off?

Let’s get you flying!

Let’s check that you’re human*
Curious What You’ll be Flying in?

The Best Airplanes in The Business.

Blue River Aviation is proud of our expansive fleet. We provide aircraft for a wide variety of flight training. These include: Technologically Advanced Aircraft (TAA), Complex, Floats, Skis, Tailwheels, and Multi-Engine. Go check out the Blue River fleet:

See Our Fleet