Flight Training

What to expect

Flight Training is one of the most challenging, exciting, and rewarding pursuits available to anyone. ItÕs hard work, but the kind that makes people want work harder.

Student pilots can expect their flight training to begin with a Discovery Flight, just to get a sense of the aircraft, flight environment, and their initial level of comfort. You might find your discovery Flight to be nervous but also thrilling. You might be exited to take the controls and want to fly all day. EveryoneÕs experience is a little different.

After the Discovery Flight, you will start on your first phase of flight training, the pre Solo. During this phase, you will be introduced to various flight maneuvers, along with landings (of course). Student Pilots at Sunbreak Aviation can expect extra emphasis learning how to fly in traffic patterns using the Flight Lab and its accurate digital model of the Aurora State Airport.

Solo

Adventure Phase

Prepare for Checkride

Flight Test

Sunbreak Aviation partners with Sasquatch Aviation to provide flight training for our students Ñ weÕre in the same building, which makes things easy.

This will require building hours across flight tasks, a first solo, some adventures, and preparation for the flight test.

At Sunbreak Aviation, our students do a substantial amount of training in a flight simulator. This creates the foundation for building hours.

Knowledge test. Ground school, test prep. Not a small task, as time consuming as the flying. A failing score wonÕt work, but a low score requires additional work. Training with Sunbreak Aviation to get a high score on the test has benefits.

Medical exam: YouÕll need one of these before your first solo, but you probably should get one before then just to be sure. We provide them at our location (click here). You also can conduct an online search for a Designated Medical Examiner (DME) and schedule an appointment. See our Flight Medicals page for information on disqualifying conditions.

What is costs

The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours logged in specific ways, but most students will log anywhere from 60-90 hours.

An aircraft will be required for all of these flight tasks, as well as about two hours of flight time for the Private Pilot flight test.

Instructors will charge time during the flight, as well as pre- and post-flight time on the ground. However, they wonÕt be charging on days when you have solo flights.

The knowledge test fee, and study supplies, and the flight medical.

All told, this can be anywhere from $18,000 - $25,000 or more.

The billing rates at the flight school you select are one important factor.

Another is the time you have available to train. In general, scheduling lessons with less time between lessons (such as twice a week) will get good results.

And offloading initial flight tasks to a simulator will reduce costs as well. Everyone is different, which means that everyone who gets a certificate will get it at a different price. Schedule time to visit with us and we can help you arrive at an estimated cost based on your circumstances.

Where to start

What happens next?

Moving. Up: The career students, instrument, commercial, CFI. We can talk to you about this stair-step process on the way to a career with the airlines.

Building skills: People who want to add the Instruments Rating for increased utility.

Owners: Time to buy an aircraft

Safe and fun: People who want to rent and take friends and family flying. Nothing wrong with that. If thatÕs your dream, we want to be a part of your story.

Contact us to learn more.