Top Flight Schools Revealed

Each student has a vision of what that school should be like. For some, that means a large university with Division I football games to attend on the weekends, but for others, the right track is an accelerated program leading to a career in as little as 12 months.

For those interested in the more accelerated route, FLYING researched flight schools across the country, breaking each program down to provide a look into the overall experience.

To help you make an informed decision on which flight school may be the right fit for you, FLYING gathered information and ranked each program in four categories:

●     Career Partnerships

●     Value

●     Fleet

●     Facilities/Location

After a thorough research process, FLYING determined the top flight schools to consider when choosing where to pursue a professional career as a pilot. They include: 

Founded by airline pilots more than 35 years ago, ATP Flight School is the largest flight training establishment in the U.S. ATP’s nationwide network of 71 training centers located in 31 states allows for more efficient scheduling and examiner availability. The Airline Career Pilot Program is one of the fastest ways to become a professional pilot, in just seven months.

ATP is dedicated to creating an efficient path to becoming an airline pilot. With accelerated programs, affordable tuition, and airline partnerships, it has become one of the leading flight training centers in the nation.

Points Earned

10 out of 10 in Industry Partners

9 out of 10 in Value

8 out of 10 in Fleet

10 out of 10 in Facilities and Location

Overall: 37 out of a possible 40 points

Located in Arizona, Florida, and Texas, Aeroguard Flight Training has four locations across three states that offer an accelerated flight training program with connections to multiple airlines. Partnering with many airlines opens up opportunities for students to start on their career path early. Students can also pursue a bachelor’s degree in aviation, thanks to the flight school’s affiliate partnership with Liberty University, while flight training at Aeroguard.

Points Earned

9 out of 10 in Industry Partners

9 out of 10 in Value

9 out of 10 in Fleet

8 out of 10 in Facilities and Location

Overall: 35 out of a possible 40 points

Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology has four campuses—Tulsa, Oklahoma; Broomfield, Colorado; Inglewood, California; and Riverside, California—offering several Associate of Applied Science aviation-focused degree programs. The college has been around since the 1920s and has trained more than 100,000 pilots.

Spartan College is dedicated to training pilots efficiently and investing in their success. A 17-month professional pilot program makes Spartan stand out, and with tons of industry connections, students can ease up the pipeline to the airlines.

Points Earned

9 out of 10 in Industry Partners

8 out of 10 in Value

7 out of 10 in Fleet

9 out of 10 in Facilities and Location

Overall: 33 out of a possible 40 points in colleges

Located in Smithfield, North Carolina, Blue Line Aviation's 50,000-square-foot headquarters with state-of-the-art facilities bring the flight school to a new level. Blue Line Aviation would be the perfect fit for student pilots looking to be immersed in training from day one. The short, accelerated training schedule gives life to a new career in months instead of years.

Points Earned

5 out of 10 in Industry Partners

9 out of 10 in Value

9 out of 10 in Fleet

10 out of 10 in Facilities and Location

Overall: 33 out of a possible 40 points

Check out all the flight schools and their scores in FLYING’s Flight School Guide.