Your Path to the Airlines

Career Pilot Training

Zero to career-ready. Complete flight training that takes you from your first Discovery Flight all the way to Flight Instructor — the checkpoint that opens the door to a professional aviation career.

The Airlines Are Hiring

A Career That Actually Takes Off

The FAA and Boeing both project a shortage of over 600,000 pilots in the coming decade. Regional airlines are hiring aggressively, and mainline carriers — Delta, United, American, Southwest — are backfilling retirements faster than schools can produce qualified applicants.

Dependable Aviation's Career Pilot Training is the complete path that takes brand-new students all the way to Certified Flight Instructor — the professional milestone where you start getting paid to fly while building the 1,500 hours you need for the airlines.

600K+
Projected pilot shortage over the next decade
1,500
Flight hours required for airline (ATP) certificate
$100K+
Typical first-year regional airline salary today
CFI
Where you start earning as you build time

The Full Career Pathway

From your first Discovery Flight to your first airline job

1
Discovery Flight
Your first hour
2
Ratings
PPL → IFR → CPL
3
CFI + CFII
Get paid to teach
4
Time Building
Toward 1,500 hrs
Airline Hired
First-year captain
Two Paths, Same Destination

Choose Your Timeline

Every student's schedule and goals are different. Whether you need flexibility or want maximum speed, both tracks land you at the same career checkpoint — CFI + CFII, ready to build hours for the airlines.

Standard Track
Accelerated
Month 0
Discovery
Month 0
Private Pilot
~6–9 months
PPL
Private Pilot
~3–4 months
Instrument Rating
~4–6 months
IFR
Instrument Rating
~2–3 months
Commercial Pilot
~3–5 months
CPL
Commercial Pilot
~2 months
Flight Instructor
~2–3 months
CFI
Flight Instructor
~1–2 months
CAREER READY
Month 12–24
CFII
CAREER READY
Month 8–14
Standard Track

Fly around your life

Evenings, weekends, whenever fits. Ideal for students balancing school, work, or family while working toward a career.

Accelerated Track

Fly nearly every day

Full-time immersive training with dedicated instructors and priority scheduling. Reach the airlines faster. Adds a $2,500 flat entry fee to any career package.

Career Packages

Choose Your Program

Bundled programs designed to move you from your current level to CFI + CFII — the checkpoint where a professional aviation career begins.

Most Popular
Career Package

Zero to Hero

PPL → IFR → Commercial → CFI + CFII

$111,840

Complete career package · financing available

  • 175 hours flight instruction
  • 323 hours aircraft rental (WET)
  • 134 hours ground instruction
  • All FAA written & checkride fees
  • New student bundle (headset, iPad, flight bag)
  • Fuel surcharge protection included
Start This Program
Career Package

Credit for Solo

Already soloed? Start here.

$98,840

Career package · financing available

  • 143 hours flight instruction
  • 295 hours aircraft rental (WET)
  • 120 hours ground instruction
  • All FAA written & checkride fees
  • Fuel surcharge protection included
Start This Program
Career Package

Credit for PPL

Already have your Private Pilot? Continue on to Commercial + CFI.

$89,155

Career package · financing available

  • 120 hours flight instruction
  • 272 hours aircraft rental (WET)
  • 110 hours ground instruction
  • All FAA written, checkride & medical fees
  • Fuel surcharge protection included
Start This Program
Career Package

PPL, IFR, Commercial

Zero to Commercial single-engine.

$88,975

Career package · financing available

  • 145 hours flight instruction
  • 285 hours aircraft rental (WET)
  • 80 hours ground instruction
  • All FAA written & checkride fees
  • Fuel surcharge protection included
Start This Program

All programs use a conservative completion timeline. Unused funds can be applied toward time-building, add-on ratings, or refunded to your financing partner. Talk to us about which program fits your current experience.

Investment & Financing

Two Ways to Pay

Whether you're paying out of pocket or financing your training, we make the numbers clear up front — no surprise fees, no hidden markups.

Pay As You Fly

Standalone hourly rates — pay only for what you use, when you use it.

  • Aircraft rental (C172 / PA28)$215/hr
  • Flight instructor (dual)$80/hr
  • Ground instruction$80/hr
  • Discovery flight$299
Recommended

Financed with Stratus

Dependable Aviation partners with Stratus Financial — a lender built specifically for aviation students. You stay in control of your training funds and pay as you fly, so your money works for your goals.

  • Funds released as you train — not all upfront
  • Covers flight, ground, checkride & written fees
  • Unused funds returned to your loan balance
  • Deferred payment options for select packages
Explore Financing Details

Also Required (Not Included)

Aviation Renters Insurance
Required before any solo flight · ~$70–$100/mo
FAA Medical Certificate
1st Class for career students · ~$180–$300 one-time
Why Dependable

Real Training. Real Pilots.

Career-Focused Instructors

Our CFIs teach because they care — not just to build hours for their own airline application. You get instructors invested in your long-term success.

Real World Scenarios

Grass-strip landings, cross-country trips to Oshkosh, simulated engine fires, ILS approaches to minimums in real IMC. Standardized curriculum + real experience.

Transparent Refund Policy

Withdraw at any time. Unused financed funds return directly to Stratus to reduce your loan balance. Refunds processed within 30 days — no fine print, no games.

Let's Get You Started

Ready to Fly Your Career?

Talk to our team about which program fits your goals, timeline, and budget. First step is a Discovery Flight — no commitment, just come fly with us.

Send Us a Message

Fill out the form below or reach us directly — we'll respond within 24 hours