There is no FAA weight limit on pilots, and no weight limit written into any pilot certificate. What limits you is the weight and balance of the particular airplane on the particular day, with you, your instructor, the fuel and any baggage all on board at once. That is an arithmetic problem with a definite answer, not a policy, and for most people the answer is that they can train without any restriction at all.
Larger students train with us regularly. The practical questions are which airplane you fly, how much fuel it carries for your lesson, and whether the cabin is comfortable enough that you can concentrate for an hour. This page explains how each of those works. It sits under our flight training FAQ, with the rest of the eligibility questions. Fixed published limits apply only to pre-sold flights, such as a discovery flight in Los Angeles at 180 lb per person in the Warrior, and they are set out below.
Why The Limit Is The Airplane, Not You
Every airplane has a maximum certificated takeoff weight and a permitted range of center-of-gravity positions. Before a flight the pilot in command works out the actual loaded weight and where the balance sits, and the flight is legal and safe only if both are inside the envelope. The Cessna 162 Skycatcher, for example, has a maximum gross weight of 1,320 lb, and everything in it counts toward that figure: the empty airplane, two people, and the fuel.
Because the empty weight varies between individual airframes, the honest answer to "how much can I weigh" is specific to a tail number and a fuel load. That is why we will not publish a single number and call it a policy. We will run the calculation for a real airplane on a real day, and tell you what it says.
The Four Things On The Scale
Four variables share the available payload, and three of them are adjustable.
You. Fixed on the day, and the only one you cannot change. Your instructor. We can usually pair a heavier student with a lighter instructor, which frees up real capacity and costs nothing. Fuel. This is the big lever. Fuel is heavy, and a lesson in the traffic pattern does not need full tanks. We can depart with less, provided we still meet the reserve in 14 CFR 91.151, which requires enough fuel to reach the first point of intended landing and then fly for at least thirty minutes by day, or forty-five minutes at night, at normal cruising speed. Baggage. Easy to solve: leave the bag in the office.
Adjusting fuel is the standard technique and it is not a compromise on safety. It does shorten how far you can go in one flight, which matters for cross-country lessons and not at all for pattern work.
Which Airplane Suits A Heavier Student
| Aircraft | Seats | Cabin | Package Rate | Notes For Larger Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 162 Skycatcher | 2, high wing | Compact, 1,320 lb maximum gross weight | $179/hr | The tightest airplane on our ramp on both weight and shoulder room |
| Piper Warrior PA-28-161 | 4, low wing | Four-seat cabin, one door | $179/hr | The usual answer: more payload and more room at the same course rate |
| Diamond DA20-C1 | 2, low wing | Narrow, bubble canopy, stick | $229/hr | Excellent visibility, least shoulder room of the four |
| Piper Arrow PA-28R | 4, low wing | Four-seat cabin, complex | Part of the $15,400 commercial course | Commercial and complex training, similar cabin to the Warrior |
| Cirrus SR22 Turbo | 4, low wing | Widest cabin, two gull-wing doors | $479/hr | Most comfortable cockpit we operate, and the easiest to get into |
| Redbird MCX simulator | Full-motion device | Fixed cockpit | $120/hr | No weight limit at all |
For most students the practical recommendation is the Piper Warrior. It is a four-seat airplane priced at the same $179 per hour inside a course as the two-seat Skycatcher, it has more payload to work with, and it is a better airplane in which to spend an hour if you are broad across the shoulders. If comfort is the deciding factor and budget allows, the Cirrus SR22 has the widest cabin of anything we fly.
The Published Limits On Our Discovery Flights
Our discovery flight products carry fixed published limits, because those flights are sold in advance without a weight and balance conversation. They are a useful reference point even though training is handled individually.
| Flight | Limit |
|---|---|
| Discovery flight, one person flying, Piper Warrior | 180 lb per person |
| Discovery flight for two | 180 lb per person, 360 lb combined |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight | 200 lb per person, 400 lb combined |
| Full-motion simulator experience | No limit |
If you are over one of those figures, that is a reason to call rather than a reason to stop. Training flights are planned individually, and a flight that does not fit a fixed product limit often fits perfectly well once we choose the airplane, the instructor and the fuel load deliberately.
Weight And The FAA Medical
The FAA medical standards in 14 CFR Part 67 contain no weight limit and no body mass index threshold. An aviation medical examiner assesses conditions, not a number on a scale. Some conditions that correlate with higher body weight, such as obstructive sleep apnoea, hypertension or diabetes, have their own documented pathways, and several of them are routinely certificated once the paperwork is in order. The mistake to avoid is submitting an application before you have talked it through, because a denial closes off options that are otherwise open. Our page on the FAA medical certificate in Los Angeles covers the exam, and what disqualifies you from being a pilot covers the conditions that genuinely matter.
What To Do Next
Call (818) 330-1318 and tell us your weight and your height. It is not an awkward conversation for us; it is a routine planning input, like asking how tall someone is before fitting a bicycle. We will tell you which airplane to start in, whether an instructor pairing helps, and what the fuel plan looks like for a first lesson. If the numbers are tight in every airplane, the honest answer is that they are tight, and we will say so rather than let you find out on the ramp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There A Maximum Weight To Become A Pilot?
No. The FAA sets no weight limit for any pilot certificate and no weight limit in the medical standards of 14 CFR Part 67. The binding constraint is the weight and balance envelope of the airplane you fly, which varies by type and by individual airframe.
Can I Learn To Fly If I Am Over 250 Pounds?
In most cases yes, usually in a four-seat airplane such as the Piper Warrior rather than a two-seat light sport trainer, with a lighter instructor and a fuel load planned for the lesson. Call us with your weight and height and we will run the actual numbers.
Does The Airplane Fly Less Safely With More Weight On Board?
Not if it is inside the envelope, which is what the calculation exists to confirm. A heavier airplane needs more runway, climbs more slowly and lands faster, all of which the performance charts predict and all of which the pilot plans for. Outside the envelope is a different matter, which is why nobody guesses.
Can We Just Take Less Fuel?
Often, yes, and it is the standard solution. The limit is the reserve required by 14 CFR 91.151: fuel to reach the first point of intended landing plus thirty minutes by day or forty-five minutes at night at normal cruising speed. Less fuel means a shorter flight, which suits pattern work and constrains cross-country lessons.
Is There A Height Limit For Pilots?
Not a regulatory one. Very tall pilots occasionally find headroom or rudder-pedal reach awkward in a specific type, which is a fitting question rather than an eligibility question. Sit in the airplane before you commit to a course built around it.
Related Reading
- Flight training FAQ — forty answers for new students.
- The airplanes you will fly — every type on our ramp, with rates.
- FAA medical certificate — the exam, the classes and the paperwork.
- What disqualifies you from being a pilot — the conditions that actually matter.
- The full-motion simulator — no weight limit, and hours that can count.
- Discovery flight FAQ — the published limits for one-off flights.
Ask Us With Real Numbers
The fastest way past this question is a two-minute phone call. Call (818) 330-1318 any day from 9 AM to 9 PM and we will plan a first lesson around your actual weight, or book a free consultation and we will do it in person. A discovery flight is $229 for sixty minutes and is credited in full toward your course if you enroll within twenty-four hours. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406.
