Sky’s the Limit for Aspiring Pilots

Photo courtesy High Flight Academy. Photo by Shari Berg

For many, the dream of piloting an aircraft remains just that—a dream. But at local airports in the Pittsburgh region, aspiring pilots of all ages are turning those dreams into reality through flight schools like High Flight Academy.

“The first thing we always recommend for everybody is a discovery flight,” explained Nathan Geibel, admissions coordinator and assistant general manager at High Flight Academy. “It gives them the opportunity to go up with one of our pilots and experience what it’s going to be like for them if they decide to pursue training.”

That discovery flight can be transformative, as Karisa Vaccaro discovered. She’s working toward her commercial license through Aces Aviation with the Community College of Beaver County. “I went on a discovery flight... and I just fell in love with it there,” she recalled.

After experiencing the thrill of flying firsthand, prospective students must decide whether to pursue flying recreationally or professionally. Their choice determines their training path.

For those who decide to proceed, enrollment is the next step. This process takes about 45 minutes and includes citizenship verification—a security measure implemented after the 9/11 attacks. Noncitizens can still learn to fly but must first complete a security threat assessment with the TSA, said Geibel.

Photo courtesy High Flight Academy. Photo by Shari Berg

New students are then set up on two essential FAA websites: IACRA, for registering their student pilot license, and the FAA medical portal. While not required to begin training, an FAA medical certificate from an approved doctor is mandatory before a student’s first solo flight.

Next is ground school, where students learn the fundamentals of airplane operation and flight theory. They’re also introduced to Flight Schedule Pro, software that helps manage training schedules.

For recreational pilots, the primary goal is obtaining a private pilot certificate. This certification allows pilots to fly single-engine planes like the Cessna 172 and take passengers on flights—though not for compensation.

There are two routes to certification: Part 141, requiring a minimum of 35 hours, and Part 61, requiring at least 40 hours. However, as Chris Hayden, chief flight instructor at High Flight Academy, noted, “Those are not usually where people complete because they’re learning a brand-new skill, and it takes time to get through everything. What we usually see is 60 to 70 hours. The national average is 77 hours.”

The frequency of lessons significantly impacts progress. “If they’re just doing private, it’s up to them how often they want to fly. But we do encourage you to fly as often as you can because it’s going to move you through the program quicker. The more breaks you take, the more lessons you repeat, the longer it takes you to earn your certificate,” Geibel advised.

Killian Perkins, a Pine-Richland High School senior enrolled in pilot training, learned this lesson firsthand. “Stay on top of your training. It’s an expensive process to do any sort of flight training. If you try to fly but then feel overwhelmed and take a big break, it takes a lot to get caught up, and that’s just more money that you’re spending on training.”

Photo courtesy High Flight Academy. Photo by Shari Berg

Many students who start with recreational flying develop a passion that evolves into career aspirations. The next step for career-minded pilots is an instrument rating. This certification allows flying in adverse weather conditions, including through clouds, and requires an additional 35 to 40 hours of training.

High Flight Academy uses a full-motion simulator to help reduce costs during this phase. “It helps us keep costs down by not having to take up a real plane,” Geibel explained. “The machine costs as much as a real plane, but it doesn’t have all the operational costs. It’s about half the cost.”

Following the instrument rating, pilots pursue commercial certification through either Part 61 (requiring 250 total hours) or Part 141 (an additional 120 hours regardless of previous experience). With this license, pilots can be paid to fly, though not yet for commercial airlines.

To meet the FAA’s 1,500-hour requirement for airlines, many aspiring commercial pilots become certified flight instructors—allowing them to build hours while getting paid.

“That’s where our college partners come in,” said Geibel. High Flight Academy partners with local colleges including PennWest Edinboro, the Community College of Allegheny County, the Community College of Beaver County, and Liberty University. These programs offer associate or bachelor’s degrees in aviation, potentially reducing the required hours for an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate to 1,250 or even 1,000 hours.

There’s no minimum age to begin flight training, though students can’t obtain their private certificate until age 17 and can’t fly solo until 16. If medical requirements are met, there’s no upper age limit either, said Hayden.

Vaccaro is currently at about 210 hours and needs only 30 more for her commercial certificate, after which she’ll pursue her CFI to become an instructor. With her bachelor’s degree, she’ll need 1,000 hours—rather than the standard 1,500—to qualify for airlines.

Cost is a significant consideration. Private certification typically runs around $15,000. For those pursuing a professional path, High Flight Academy’s 12-month accelerated High Gear Career Program costs approximately $80,000, covering six ratings up to multi-engine instructor. Financing options are available through partners like Stratus Financial and Sallie Mae.

Regardless of one’s flying goals, currency is essential. “Every pilot, every 24 months, needs to do a flight review to be legal to fly,” Hayden said. This typically involves one hour of ground instruction and one hour of flight review for active pilots, with more time needed for those who haven’t flown recently.

Whether inspired by family connections like Perkins, whose interest was kindled by his father’s enthusiasm for aviation, or driven by professional aspirations, flight training offers a unique blend of challenge and fulfillment.

As a woman in aviation, Vaccaro faces additional challenges. “It’s rare to see other women. I don’t think it’s advertised to younger women that it’s something they can do.”

Despite this, she encourages others. “It’s for anyone. If you have a passion for flying or think you might, why not try it?”