plane coming in to land at the palmer airport

SPORT Pilot Certificate

Earn your sport pilot license in Alaska

Training Schedule

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

Starting cost

$6,750

See Price Chart Below

Thanks to the FAA’s new MOSAIC ruling, a Sport Pilot Certificate is your ticket to experience the freedom of flight faster, cheaper & with fewer restrictions than ever before. It is ideal for anyone with an interest in general aviation, who doesn’t have long-term goals to fly commercially and simply wants to fly themselves around for fun. (If you change your mind, your hours will still count towards Private Pilot minimums). 

Sport Pilots are not required to obtain a medical certificate – a valid driver’s license takes its place, so long as they have never had a medical revoked or suspended – they must fly VFR only and are limited to a single passenger (even in four-seater aircraft). Sport Pilots can obtain an additional endorsement to fly at night but, to do so, must have at least a third-class medical certificate or a valid BasicMed qualification.

Sport Pilot Certificate
Training Requirements:

  • Age Requirements

    You must be at least 17 years old to acquire your sport 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.


  • Driver’s License

    You must possess only a valid Driver’s License. If you have previously had or applied for a Medical Certificate, it must not have been revoked or suspended.

  • Flight Instruction

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

  • 20 Hours Minimum Flight Time

    This includes a mandatory 15 hours of dual instruction with a CFI and a mandatory 5 hours of solo flight time. See below for details.

  • Written Knowledge Test

    You must past a written FAA aeronautical knowledge test.


  • Sport Pilot Flight Test

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


20 Hours Minimum Flight Time

The FAA requires this to consist of 15 hours minimum of flight training with an instructor (Dual Instruction) and 5 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:

15 Hours Dual Flight Instruction Including:

  • 2 hours of cross country flight training in a single engine airplane
  • 2 hours of flight training in a single engine airplane within the 60 days prior to the practical test (a.k.a your “checkride”).

5 Hours Solo Flight Time Including:

  • 1 solo cross-country of at least 75nm including:
  • a full stop landing at a minimum of 2 points
  • one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 25nm between takeoff and landing
  • 10 take-offs and landings to a full-stop with a complete lap in the traffic pattern for each

Blue River Pricing Estimates

Use our pricing chart to help give you an idea of what your training costs will be. Prices listed are for flight instruction in a two-seater Cessna 150 and will be greater if you choose to train in a Cessna 172. Pricing is based on someone who has zero hours, and includes checkride fees (subject to change). 20 hours is the legal minimum to earn a Sport Pilot Certificate. The actual time you will need to prepare for your checkride will be based on proficiency.

Rating

Description

Rate

Hours

Subtotal

Sport Pilot

Cessna 150 Rental For Checkrides

$150

2

$300

Checkride Examiner Fee

$1200

–

$1200

Dual Flight Instruction in Cessna 150

$225

15

$3375

FAA Written Exam

$175

–

$175

Ground Instruction

$75

10

$750

Online Ground School

$200

–

$200

Solo Rental of Cessna 150

$150

5

$750

Sport Pilot Total

$6750

Next Steps

How to earn your sport 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 Sport Pilot Certificate.

02

Complete your primary training.

Develop flight skills through our comprehensive sport pilot certificate training program by training with a certified instructor. Progress to solo flights and fulfill required flight hours, perfecting your takeoffs, landings and cross-country navigation techniques.

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

The Sport Pilot Certificate was created as a way to make general aviation more accessible to everyone. While actual training times will always vary by student, it is feasible that a committed student could meet the 20 hour minimum flight time requirement in as little as two weeks. 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 Sport Pilot License you may carry one passenger (but not get paid for it) in a Sport-Pilot-approved single engine airplane, during daylight hours, in visual flying conditions. An airplane allows you to turn weekends into full, two-day vacations, eliminating long car rides and traffic jams. Interested Sport Pilots can train further and obtain a night-flying endorsement from a CFI to legally fly at night, although a BasicMed qualification or third classic medical certificate will be required.

One of the main advantages of pursuing a Sport Pilot certificate is that a medical certificate is not required. So long as you have never had a medical revoked or suspended, all you need is a valid driver’s license to become a rated sport pilot.

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