Paying for training · KFFZ
Three waysto pay for it.
Pay after each lesson, prepay a block for a lower rate, or finance the Accelerated track. Arizona families can put an ESA toward lessons too, within the state's rules.
- 01
Pay as you go
$20,500
Charged after each lesson
- 02
Prepaid block
$19,300
FULL THROTTLE · 20% off the airplane
- 03
Financed
$533–$595/mo
48 payments · $250 down · 12% to 18% APR
Rates from our portal · updated Nov 2, 2026
01Ways to pay
Same training,three ways to pay.
The training is the same whichever way you pay. Flex students pay as they go or prepay blocks; Accelerated students pay stage by stage or finance.
- Flex
Pay as you go
$0
up front, you pay after each lesson
Each lesson is charged after you fly, to the card or the credit on your account. That hour is the airplane, the fuel and your instructor.
Every rate - Flex
Prepay a block
$260
an hour of flying with FULL THROTTLE
Add $7,000 or more at once and the airplane is 20% off until your next top-up. Credit is non-refundable once you stop training, so buy what covers the next month or two.
- TOP OFF
- $5,000 · 10% off
- FULL THROTTLE
- $7,000 · 20% off
- Accelerated
Finance it
$533–$595
a month for the private stage
48 payments at 12% to 18% APR after $250 down, through Flight Training Finance. The Accelerated track flies 3 days a week or more and reaches CFII in 8 to 12 months; you can also pay it stage by stage.
How financing works
02Financing · Accelerated track
Flight Training Finance,in its own terms.
Flight Training Finance lends for flight training and pays the school only as you train. Its published rates are 12% to 18% APR, with $250 down. How often you fly sets the term: at 3 lessons a week it is 48 monthly payments.
Instrument, CFI and CFII on their own are under 45 airplane hours, so FTF sets shorter terms for them case by case. Questions for FTF: 800-667-0201, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Central.
Flight Training Finance brochure(opens in a new tab)Flight Training Finance FAQ(opens in a new tab)
FTF terms read Nov 2, 2026
Monthly payment
$533 to $595
48 monthly payments at 12% to 18% APR, the first about 30 days after you sign.
- Planned
- $20,500
- Down
- $250
- Financed
- $20,250
An illustration on Flight Training Finance's published terms, not an offer of credit. FTF sets your rate from the credit history, income and obligations of you and any co-borrower, and your training agreement sets the amount financed.
Apply
On Flight Training Finance's site, with a recent pay stub, last year's W-2 and your FAA medical certificate. A co-borrower is optional.
Sign
Once FTF approves you, you sign a training agreement with us for your stage, and the loan contract with FTF.
Train
The loan sits in a funding account. After each lesson we send FTF its invoice, you approve it, and only then are we paid.
Finish, or stop
Money left at the end can go to more flying or come off your loan. Stop early and 90% of the training you have not had is credited back.
03Arizona ESA
The ESA,in plain terms.
An Empowerment Scholarship Account puts state education money in a ClassWallet account for an Arizona student, kindergarten through 12th grade, who is not in a public or charter school. Three-quarters of awards are $7,000 to $9,000 a year, and your award letter has the exact amount.
It can help pay for lessons, but approval is the department's call, so ask the ESA office before you count on it: 602-364-1969.
A.R.S. 15-2402(opens in a new tab)ESA Parent Handbook 2025–26(opens in a new tab)ESA report, FY2026 Q4(opens in a new tab)
Read Nov 2, 2026
What it can do here
- Lessons, if approved
- Families submit flight lessons as tutoring or teaching. The department approves expenses one by one, and flight training is not on its list of examples.
- Money that carries over
- What you do not spend stays in the account from one year to the next.
- Life after high school
- No new money arrives after graduation, but the balance can be spent on allowable expenses for up to four more years.
What to know first
- Core subjects come first
- Part of every year’s award must go to reading, grammar, math, social studies and science. Flight training does not replace them.
- No public school
- The student cannot be enrolled in a district or charter school while on an ESA.
- Every claim is reviewed
- The department checks each expense for an educational purpose and a reasonable cost, and can ask for more paperwork.
Apply with the state
Apply on the Department of Education’s ESA portal. After you sign the ESA contract, ClassWallet opens and funds the account in about three to five weeks.
Enroll as an ESA family
Tell us when you enroll. A parent or guardian manages the account, and we start ESA students at 13.
Pay, then claim
Pay for each lesson, then upload our itemized invoice, your receipt and our tutoring attestation to ClassWallet for reimbursement.
The FAA sets solo at 16 and the private certificate at 17. 14 CFR 61.83(opens in a new tab) · 14 CFR 61.103(opens in a new tab)
04Family and gifts
When someone elseis helping.
When a parent, a partner or a grandparent is paying, these are the ways to do it.
Paying for someone
Put your card on their account and each lesson is charged after they fly. Students under 18 have a parent or guardian on the account.
A co-borrower
FTF accepts a co-borrower, usually a parent or spouse, which can help an application. A co-borrower is just as responsible for the payments.
Give a first flight
A discovery flight is $199: an hour at the controls with an instructor beside them. You can keep it a surprise.
Gift a flightPrepay a block for them
Add $7,000 or more to their account at once and their lessons are 20% off the airplane until the next top-up.
Questions
Payingquestions.
Can I finance the Flex track?
No. Financing is for the Accelerated track, which flies 3 days a week or more. On Flex you pay after each lesson, or prepay a block for a lower rate.
What do I need to apply for financing?
Your personal details, a recent pay stub, last year's W-2 and your FAA medical certificate, so get the medical first. On the application, list the school as Desert Skies Aviation Training LLC, 2550 N Thunderbird Cir Ste 132, Mesa, AZ 85215.
Can I pay the loan off early?
Yes. FTF charges no prepayment penalty, and refunds unearned interest when you pay in full, as your state’s rules set out.
Can an ESA pay for a whole private certificate?
Not in one year. Our private estimate is $20,000, most awards are $7,000 to $9,000 a year, and part of each award must go to core subjects. Unused money carries over, so some families spread training across years, and every lesson claim is still up to the department.
ESA report, FY2026 Q4(opens in a new tab)A.R.S. 15-2402(opens in a new tab)
Can I get a refund on a block?
Training credit is non-refundable once you stop training, as set out in our enrollment agreement. That is why we suggest buying the block that covers the next month or two of flying rather than a whole certificate up front.
Your numbers, your pace
A plan you can pay for.
Bring your questions to a consultation. We lay out the stages, the pace and how you pay before anything is billed.