Your Path to the Airlines

Career Pilot Training

Want to fly professionally or looking to become an Airline Pilot? Our Career Pilot Programs provide you with everything you'll need and more to help pave your pathway to the cockpit.

From zero experience to career-ready in as little as 8–9 months!

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The Skies Are Calling

A Career That Truly Takes Off

Post-pandemic pilot hiring remains strong following the hiring surges of 2022–2023, with hiring pace stabilizing into a more historic & cyclical nature. The FAA, Bureau of Labor, and Boeing analysts predict a need for more than 600,000 pilots globally in the coming two decades, and a growth of 4% to pilot employment through 2034 across commercial and airline sectors.

This growth continues to be driven by many factors, including high demand for air travel and mandatory retirements. Pilot compensation and quality of life have also seen a rise across the industry, with regional airlines — along with other commercial pilot jobs — becoming potential career destinations, rather than stepping stones to the major airlines.

Dependable Aviation's Career Pilot Training is the complete path that takes brand-new students all the way to career-ready aviators. Giving them all the certificates and professional foundation they will need to start getting paid to fly while building to 1,500 hours they'll need to become eligible to fly for major cargo, charter, and airline operations.

$226K
Median annual wage for airline pilots according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pilot salaries can range from $80k to over $450k based on job type, aircraft, and seniority.
3–4 Yrs
From zero experience to 1,500 flight hours & ATP minimums / Regional First Officer position
$80K–$110K+
Typical first-year salary of a First Officer at a regional airline today
Benefits
High salary potential, competitive retirement, flexible schedules, FREE & reduced travel
Airline pilot in the flight deck

The Full Career Pathway

From your first Discovery Flight to your first airline job

1
Discovery Flight
Your first hour
2
Earn Core Ratings
PPL → IFR → CPL
3
Earn Advanced Ratings
Multi add-on, CFI, CFII, MEI
4
Time Building
Build to 1,500 hrs · meet ATP mins
Alternative Commercial Flying Jobs
Teach as a CFI
More than one path!
Hired at Airline
Become a First Officer
Two Paths, Same Destination

Choose Your Timeline

Every student's schedule and goals are different. Whether you need flexibility or want maximum speed and immersion, both tracks land you at the same career checkpoint — Commercial Pilot with Multi-Engine Add-on, CFI + CFII, ready to begin getting paid to fly & building hours for the next phase of your career.

Standard

12–24 Months

Time By Stage

Accelerated

8–15 Months

Time By Stage

Discovery Flight & Enrollment
Private Pilot License
4–7 Months 2–4 Months
Instrument Rating
2–5 Months 1.5–3 Months
Commercial Pilot License
4–8 Months 2–3 Months
Flight Instructor
1–2 Months 2–4 Weeks
Flight Instructor Instrument
1 Month 2 Weeks
Multi-Engine Rating
2–4 Weeks 1–2 Weeks
Multi-Engine Instructor
2 Weeks 1–2 Weeks
Career Ready
Total: 12–24 Mo Total: 8–15 Mo
Standard Track

Fly around your life

Evenings, weekends, whenever fits your schedule! This style of program can be ideal for students balancing school, work, or family while working towards an aviation career. Training Schedules are created to have maximum flexibility and pacing that suits your needs while maintaining enough consistency to progress without requiring retraining. This career track is what we would associate with someone training between 1-3 times per week

Accelerated Track

Full Immersion Training

Designed for someone looking to completely dive into aviation, Our Accelerated Program offers Immersive training with set schedules, priority check ride dates and re-scheduling after flight cancellations due to weather etc. Reach career checkpoints faster by training 3-5 Days per week. Maximum efficiency flight training that shrinks the time to the airlines by as much as 50-60% over non accelerated pathways or University Flight Programs.

Choose Your Program

Career Pilot programs to take you from your current experience level to a Commercial Pilot with CFI, CFII, & Multi-Engine ratings

*All Career Packages include Multi-Engine Add-on by default*

Career Package + MEI Rating

Zero Experience to MEI

The full career package — every rating including Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI). Ideal for the pilot who wants the maximum amount of opportunities to build valuable multi-engine hours & instructor credentials before the airlines.

Accelerated Enrollment Benefits
15-hr Multi-Engine add-on + 17-hr MEI course
Graduate qualified to teach in both single and multi-engine aircraft
High Performance & Complex Endorsements Included
Earn every major rating required to launch your career

Package Details

Total Price
$119,870 when financed *
Total Program Hours:
  • 290 Single-Engine, 32 Multi-Engine Hours
  • 175 Hours of Flight Instruction
  • 134 Hours of Ground School
Ratings Earned
PPL · IR · CPL (SE+ME) · CFI · CFII · MEI

How Financed Programs Work

All programs are built on a conservative completion timeline so students stay within the boundaries of their financing. If a student over-flies or over-uses the stated hours, additional flight or ground time is billed at the current standalone hourly rate — either out of pocket or from other financed funds allocated in the package.

Conversely, if a student finishes under the estimated hours, any leftover funds can be applied toward their next portion of training, time-building, or aircraft rental at their discretion. Any unused funds not allocated to future training will be returned directly to Stratus Financial.

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-Go

Students can follow a simple pay as you go structure where they pay standalone hourly rates — pay only for the training you obtain, when you obtain it.

  • Aircraft rental (C172 / PA28)$215/hr (WET)
  • Flight instructor (dual)$80/hr
  • Ground instruction$80/hr

Our intuitive training software allows you to deposit training funds ahead of time onto your account, or you can be billed per session to card or ACH on file. Click here FLIGHT TRAINING to find out information on estimated cost per rating.

Financed with Stratus

Dependable Aviation partners with Stratus Financial — a lender built specifically for aviation students, to offer a clear path to the skies! Look below to make an application with zero impact to your credit score or for more information on financing!

  • Funds released as you train — not all upfront
  • Can cover all Flight Training + Ground School, & Checkride fees
  • Unused funds returned to your loan balance
  • Deferred payment options for select packages

Additional Costs to Consider (Not Included)

FAA Medical Certificate
All students are required to obtain at least a Third Class FAA Medical to train for PPL & IR. A First Class Medical is required for career students and to be applicable for financing through Stratus. Costs range ~$180–$300 per appointment. Visit FAA RESOURCES for more info.
Aviation Renters Insurance
Insurance is required before any solo flight — costs range $70–$100/mo. Find more information here POLICIES AND PROCEDURES on required coverage and providers.

Real World Training Real World Pilots

Dependable Aviation instructor and student

Career-Focused Instructors

We all know being an instructor is a great way to build hours, but for Dependable Aviation CFIs it just means more. Our CFI's teach not just because they can, but because they care. Fly with someone truly invested in your long term success and who has made teaching a core part of their own aviation journey, not just a pit-stop.

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Real world flight training scenario

Real World Training & Experiences

Training that goes beyond the checkride. Standardized curriculum mixed with real world experiences creates pilots who are confident and capable. Grass-strip landings, complex airspace navigation and landings at airports like Hartsfield Jackson Intl, & instrument approaches to minimums in real IMC are all part of the training experience at Dependable.

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Financial transparency in flight training

Financial Transparency

Family emergency? Unexpected life changes? If you have financed your training with Stratus you 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. Life can be unpredictable, your flight training shouldn't be.

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Ready to Start Your Flying 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

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