Commercial
The commercial rating is required for you to fly for hire, and is a critical step on the road to a career in the air. Our Piper Arrow is ideal for the commercial rating.
Proteus
at historic Santa Monica Airport
Founded in 1996, our mission is simple: provide the very best flight instruction and customer service to our students and renters.
To be a certificated private pilot, you need to fly with an instructor as well as solo later in your training for a number of hours set by the FAA. There is also a written exam and a practical test with an examiner known as a check ride.
Minimum age to fly solo
16 years
Minimum age for license
17 years
Dual
20 hours
Solo
10 hours
Dual cross country
3 hours
Solo cross country
150 miles
Night flying
3 hours
Instrument training
3 hours
Minimum total time to take check ride
40 hours
Typical flight hours to pass check ride with us
70 hours
The first step beyond the private certificate for most pilot is the complex and high performance endorsement, that allows you to fly faster and more complicated aircraft.
The commercial rating is required for you to fly for hire, and is a critical step on the road to a career in the air. Our Piper Arrow is ideal for the commercial rating.
More than half of certificated pilots end up training for an instrument rating. Instrument flights are very difficult to master and extremely useful.
Train with us in our Piper Arrow and quickly add a complex airplane endorsement to your certificate.
If you love to fly and you would like to get paid to teach others to fly, you should consider becoming a certificated flight instructor.
Situated on the sparkling Southern California coastline, Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO) is the oldest operating airport in Los Angeles County with a heritage dating back to 1919, in the pioneering days of Barn Stormers and Wing Walkers.
Learn to fly Cirrus
First lessons from
$394
Learn to fly Cessna
First lessons from
$272
Learn to fly Piper
First lessons from
$299