Yes, two ways: interest-free direct payments with us over up to twelve months, or Stratus Financial over up to fifteen years with a soft credit check. Both start from a deposit rather than the full course price, and both keep you on the package rate rather than pushing you onto the more expensive pay-as-you-go rates. Nobody has to produce $10,400 in one go to start a private pilot certificate.
What we cannot do is also worth stating plainly, because it saves people weeks: we train under Part 61, we do not hold Part 141 approval, and we therefore cannot accept the GI Bill for private pilot training or issue an I-20 form. This page sets out the plans, the deposits and the alternatives. It sits under our flight training FAQ, and our main flight training financing page has the application detail.
Route One: Interest-Free Direct Payments
We spread course prices ourselves over up to twelve months, with no interest and no third party involved. The usual shape is a deposit of $2,500 and a small number of monthly installments, sized to the course. There is no credit application, because you are paying us directly rather than borrowing.
| Course | Price | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Sport Pilot | $8,400 | $2,500 down, then 3 payments of $1,966 |
| Private Pilot Standard | $10,400 | $2,500 down, then 4 payments of $1,974 |
| Private Pilot Comprehensive | $15,400 | $2,500 down, then 6 payments of $2,150 |
| Instrument Rating | $11,700 | $2,500 down, then 4 payments of $2,300 |
| Multi-Engine Rating | $5,100 | $2,500 down, then 2 payments of $1,300 |
| Teens Pilot Course | $4,200 | $2,500 down, then 1 payment of $1,700 |
Plans for the other courses, including Private Pilot Premium at $22,000, the Turbo Cirrus Private Pilot course at $23,400, the Commercial certificate at $15,400 and the flight instructor program at $15,400, are arranged on the same basis. Ask and we will write one out.
Route Two: Stratus Financial
For the larger programs, and for anyone who wants a longer horizon than twelve months, we work with Stratus Financial, a lender that specializes in flight training. Terms run up to fifteen years, and the first step is a soft credit check, which shows you your rate without leaving a mark on your credit file. Our airline pilot career program at $84,000 is the usual reason people take this route, because a nine-month full-time program is difficult to fund from cash flow while you are not working.
Two pieces of advice we give everybody who asks about a fifteen-year term. First, borrow for the training, not for the living expenses around it, because the training is the part that produces the earning capacity. Second, look at the total repaid, not the monthly figure, and compare it against what the certificate is actually for. A $12,000 private pilot certificate financed over fifteen years is a strange decision; an $84,000 career program financed over ten is an ordinary one.
What Financing Does Not Cover
Three costs sit outside any course price and outside any plan, because they are paid to somebody else: the FAA knowledge test at approximately $175 at a PSI testing center, the designated pilot examiner's fee of roughly $800 to $1,000 in Southern California, and your FAA medical examination, billed by the aviation medical examiner. Budget for those separately. Books and materials are included in our packages. Our sibling page on the hidden costs of flight training lists everything else people forget.
The Funding Routes We Cannot Offer
The GI Bill for private pilot training. VA benefits for flight training are tied to approved programs at approved institutions. We are a Part 61 school without that approval, so we cannot bill the VA for a private certificate. Ratings beyond private are handled differently elsewhere, and our sibling page on GI Bill and VA benefits for flight training explains what applies where. If you are a veteran, talk to us anyway, because there are other ways people fund this.
An I-20 for an M-1 student visa. The same Part 61 status is the reason. See citizenship and flight training for what international students can and cannot do here.
Money You Do Not Have To Repay
Before borrowing anything, spend an afternoon on scholarships. National associations, aircraft type clubs, regional groups and foundations award flight training scholarships every year, from a few hundred dollars to a full certificate, and a surprising number of rounds close under-subscribed because people assume they will not win. The application is usually an essay and a logbook page. We keep a working list on aviation scholarships. Whether a 529 education savings plan can be used for flight training depends on conditions worth reading carefully, which our sibling page on 529 plans for flight school sets out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Get A Loan For Flight School?
Yes. Stratus Financial lends specifically for flight training on terms up to fifteen years, and the first step is a soft credit check that does not mark your credit file. We also spread our own course prices interest-free over up to twelve months, which suits most private pilot students better.
What Deposit Do I Need To Start Flight Training?
Our direct payment plans are built around a deposit of $2,500, followed by monthly installments sized to the course. A $229 discovery flight is the only thing you need to pay before that, and it is credited in full toward your course if you enroll within twenty-four hours.
Do You Take The GI Bill?
Not for private pilot training. VA benefits require an approved program, and we train under Part 61 without that approval. Talk to us anyway if you are a veteran, because scholarships and other funding routes often apply.
Does Financing Cost More Than Paying In Full?
Our own twelve-month direct payment plans are interest-free, so no. A fifteen-year loan from a lender carries interest like any other loan, so look at the total repaid rather than the monthly payment before you sign.
Is Financing Cheaper Than Paying Lesson By Lesson?
Usually, yes, because financing keeps you on the package rate. A Piper Warrior is $179 an hour inside a course and $269 an hour paying as you go, and over a sixty-hour certificate that difference is far larger than most finance costs. The comparison is on paying as you go versus buying a package.
Related Reading
- Flight training FAQ — forty answers for new students.
- Flight training financing — the full plans and how to apply.
- Can I pay as I go — what flexibility actually costs per hour.
- Aviation scholarships — money you do not repay.
- Flight school loans — comparing lenders and terms.
- Flight school cost in Los Angeles — the whole budget, line by line.
Get A Plan In Writing
Tell us which course you want and what you can put down, and we will write out a payment plan you can look at before committing to anything. Call (818) 330-1318 any day from 9 AM to 9 PM, or book a free consultation. If you have not flown with us yet, start with a discovery flight at $229 for sixty minutes, credited in full toward your course if you enroll within twenty-four hours. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406.