Soaring through the majestic Rocky Mountains is a dream for many. If you’re ready to turn that dream into reality, choosing the right flight school in Colorado Springs is your first step.
Below you will find detailed information about each flight school in the Colorado Springs area. Before taking flight, consider these factors when researching schools:
- Pilot Goals: Are you aiming for a private pilot’s license for recreational flying, or a commercial license for a professional career?
- School Reputation: Investigate the ratings/certifications offered, experience, and student reviews of the flight school and its instructors.
- Training Programs: Do the flight programs offered align with your learning style and preferred training methods, such as online ground school, traditional in-person classes, or accelerated courses?
Best Flight Schools in Colorado Springs
- Peak Aviation
- Arapahoe Flight Club
- ATP Flight School
- Springs Aviation
- The Flight School at Colorado Springs
- Rocky Mountain Flight Training Center
Peak Aviation
🗺️Colorado Springs Airport: 905 Aviation Way, Suite 145, Colorado Springs, CO 80916
☎️719-573-4452
🌐cospilot.com
Peak Aviation is Colorado Springs’ only Cessna Pilot Center, providing personalized one-on-one flight instruction. Their programs cover the full range from introductory discovery flights up through commercial pilot and certified flight instructor ratings.
Students earn their private pilot certificate through scenario-based training in Peak’s Cessna Skyhawk aircraft. This typically takes 2-3 weekly sessions over 4 months to log the minimum 40 hours of dual/solo flight time required by the FAA.
After private pilot, Peak offers instrument, commercial, CFI, and mountain flying courses to build advanced proficiency. The instrument rating allows pilots to fly in clouds, while the commercial prep meets the 250-hour requirement for that certificate. Certified flight instructors train through comprehensive coursework and instruction mentorship.
Peak Aviation prides itself on enthusiastic, professional flight instructors dedicated to efficiently advancing students’ skills and achieving their aviation goals in a safe training environment.
Programs Offered:
- Introductory Discovery Flights
- Private Pilot Certificate
- Instrument Rating
- Commercial Pilot Certificate
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
- Mountain Flying
Arapahoe Flight Club
🗺️Colorado Springs Airport: 1430 Aviation Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80916
☎️719-375-0634
🌐arapahoefc.com
Arapahoe Flight Club is a veteran-owned flight school offering training, tours, and aircraft rentals since 2019. They provide a variety of planes for members to access with excellent availability and prices.
Arapahoe prides itself on exceptional certified flight instructors delivering high safety standards. Their offerings include discovery flights to experience being a pilot, as well as training programs for private and commercial pilot certificates, instrument rating, and certified flight instructor.
The club also offers specialized training like commercial multi-engine add-ons, helicopter ratings, and a rotor transition program for helicopter pilots to add a fixed-wing endorsement. With convenientairport access, Arapahoe aims to be the premier flight club letting aviation enthusiasts take in memorable views while achieving their flying goals.
Programs Offered:
- Discovery Flights
- Private Pilot Certificate
- Instrument Rating
- Commercial Pilot Certificate
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
- Commercial Multi-Engine Add-On
- Helicopter Ratings
- Rotor Transition Program (Helicopter to Fixed-Wing)
ATP Flight School
🗺️Colorado Springs Airport: 1575 Aviation Way, Suite 112, Colorado Springs, CO 80916
☎️904-595-7950
🌐atpflightschool.com/locations/colorado/colorado-springs-flight-school-cos.html
ATP Flight School’s Colorado Springs training center is located at the Colorado Springs Airport (COS). The primary program offered is the Airline Career Pilot Program to become an airline pilot. This accelerated program takes 9 months from zero experience or 6 months if you already have a private pilot license.
The program cost is $108,995 starting from zero time or $86,995 with a private pilot certificate, including a training center premium. Discovery flights are available to experience ATP’s professional training before enrolling.
ATP owns a large training fleet of 565 Piper Archers, Seminoles, and Cessna 172s equipped with moving map GPS across their locations. The Colorado Springs facility has Cessna 172s and a CRX aviation training device.
While ATP housing is currently unavailable at this training center, students can contact nearby apartments for individual leases or use ATP’s housing platform to find and share accommodations during their career pilot program.
Programs Offered:
- Airline Career Pilot Program
- Start from Zero Time (9 months)
- Start with Private Pilot Certificate (6 months)
- Discovery Training Flights
Springs Aviation
🗺️Meadow Lake Airport: 13775 Judge Orr Rd, Falcon, CO 80831
☎️719-602-5405
🌐springsaviation.com
Springs Aviation takes pride in having exceptional certified flight instructors (CFIs) who bring extensive knowledge and experience. The instructors provide personalized, high-quality training tailored to each student’s needs and goals – whether they are new pilots or looking to advance their aviation skills.
Springs Aviation offers a supportive learning environment where students can benefit from the expertise, professionalism, and passion of the CFI team. It has a diverse fleet for training, including Cessna 172 models across different levels from standard to advanced, as well as a Grumman AA-5, helicopter, and flight simulator.
In addition to foundational certifications like private pilot and instrument rating, the school provides specialty training programs such as commercial pilot, certified flight instructor, high-performance/complex endorsements, helicopter ratings, and a unique mountain flying course. Students can learn from highly experienced instructors in a professional setting aimed at taking their flying abilities to new heights.
Programs Offered:
- Discovery Flight
- Private Pilot Certificate
- Instrument Rating
- Commercial Pilot Certificate
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
- Mountain Flying Course
- High Performance and Complex Endorsements
- Helicopter Ratings (Private, Commercial, etc.)
The Flight School at Colorado Springs
🗺️Meadow Lake Airport: 8440 Cessna Drive, Hangar C #304, Peyton, CO 80831
☎️719-359-5644
🌐coloradospringsflightschool.com
The Flight School at Colorado Springs offers an innovative and accelerated approach to flight training. Their customized training plans are designed to help students become proficient pilots quickly and cost-effectively. The school prides itself on a no-nonsense, safety-first methodology without hidden fees or extra charges.
With a focus on virtual ground schools and instruction, students can save time and money typically spent traveling to the airport. Their accelerated programs cover all ratings from private pilot to certified flight instructor in an intensive format over approximately 6 months. This is achieved through smaller class sizes ensuring optimal access to aircraft and instructors.
The school’s experienced team provides advanced training tactics to maximize skill acquisition. Programs are structured for students to obtain rankings efficiently while still prioritizing a thorough mastery of the subject matter. The Flight School at Colorado Springs aims to produce highly capable pilots through an affordable, time-saving curriculum.
Programs Offered:
- Discovery Flight
- Private Pilot Certificate
- Instrument Rating
- Commercial Pilot Certificate
- Ground Instructor Certificate
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
- Instrument Instructor Rating
- Time Building Packages
Rocky Mountain Flight Training Center
🗺️Colorado Springs Airport: 325 Hamilton Ave, Hangar 133, CO 80914
☎️719-556-4310
🌐my.rockymountainflight.com/
The Rocky Mountain Flight Training Center is a United States Air Force Aero Club located at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. It provides flight training to active duty military personnel, reservists, National Guard, retirees, and their dependents, as well as base contractors and Civil Air Patrol members.
The center operates as a Part 141 approved facility by the FAA. Training programs are available for private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, certified flight instructor ratings, and other advanced courses. The club fleet consists of Cessna and Beech aircraft.
In addition to certification training, the center offers resources like mountain flying instruction at nearby airports. Membership allows use of the club aircraft for temporary duty travel per military regulations. The training center actively seeks certified flight instructors to join their team, advertising competitive pay and an outstanding organization.
Programs Offered:
- Private Pilot
- Instrument Rating
- Commercial Pilot
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
- Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument (CFI-I)
- Multi-Engine Rating
- Multi-Engine Instructor Rating
- Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) – Single Engine
- Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) – Multi-Engine
- Mountain Flying Course
- Helicopter to Fixed-Wing Transition Course
