Flight instructor · KFFZ
JacobHicks
CommercialCFI
Let’s get into the sky and fly!
- Teaches
- Private · Commercial
- Students
- Taking new students
Learn to fly · KFFZ · private pilot
Learn to flyin Mesa.
A private pilot certificate at Falcon Field in about 4 months at 3 lessons a week, planned at $19,300 with everything in it. It starts with one hour in the air.
6 FAA checkrides on record since September 2026. Every one passed on the first attempt.
- Flight
- 60 hr
- Simulator
- 2.5 hr
- At 3 a week
- 4 mo
01The path
Four stepsto your certificate.
Discovery flight
One hour with an instructor, and you fly the airplane. $199, and it goes in your logbook.Shows you whether you want the next 60 hours.
Ground school
Our private pilot course ($799) gets you ready for the FAA written test, about $175. Most people take it alongside their first lessons.Proves you know the rules, weather and airspace.
Flight lessons
About 45 hours with your instructor and 15 on your own: first solo, cross-countries and night flying. 2.5 hours are in the simulator.Proves you can fly the airplane safely by yourself.
Checkride
An FAA examiner asks questions on the ground, then flies with you. The examiner fee is about $1,500.Pass, and you are a private pilot.
02Pace and timeline
Your pace setsthe calendar.
The same 60 hours, spread three ways. Start in November and this is roughly when you finish. Flying more often keeps skills from fading between lessons, which is why we recommend three a week.
1–2 lessons a week
8months
Finish around July 2027
About $2,300 a month
3 lessons a week
Recommended4months
Finish around March 2027
About $4,650 a month
4–5 lessons a week
3months
Finish around January 2027
About $6,950 a month
Built from the private pilot plan in our Program Builder, at about 1.4 hours in the airplane per lesson, with room for weather. Your Flight Plan puts real dates on it.
03What a lesson is
Brief. Fly.Debrief.
- 01
Brief. On the ground: what you will fly today, what good looks like, and what to watch for.
- 02
Fly. About an hour and a half in the airplane, with your instructor beside you until you solo.
- 03
Debrief. Each maneuver graded against the FAA standard and saved in the portal, with what to work on next.
Lesson 28 · Private pilot
Short-field takeoffs and landings
1.4 hr flight · 0.5 hr brief and debrief
Short-field takeoffPA.IV.C
3 · ProficientVx climb set within 50 ft. Rotate closer to 51 knots.
Short-field landingPA.IV.D
3 · ProficientStable approaches. One of three landed past the 150 ft mark.
Steep turnsPA.V.B
4 · MasteryAltitude within 50 ft, bank within 5°, rolled out on heading.
Power-off stallPA.VI.A
2 · PracticeRecover at the first buffet, not the full break. Rudder for a wing drop.
DebriefStalls again next lesson before anything new. Read the PHAK section on slips and skids first.
NextLesson 29 · Stalls and slow flight review
04What it costs
One number,with everything in it.
Built from the rates our students are billed at. Change the airplane, the block, your pace or the hours you already have in the Program Builder.
Private pilot · planned
$19,300
With FULL THROTTLE blocks
- Simulator saves, already in the number$525
- FULL THROTTLE blocks save, already in the number$1,200
- Airplane and fuel
- Your instructor
- Briefings
- Ground school
- Written test
- Checkride (examiner fee)
- Medical and headset
Rates from our portal · updated Nov 2, 2026
05What you need
Less thanyou think.
Age
There is no minimum age to take lessons. You can fly solo at 16 and earn the certificate at 17. There is no upper limit.
A medical
A third-class FAA medical before you fly solo. Book it early, in case anything needs a second look.
English
You need to read, speak, write and understand English, the language of air traffic control.
Proof of citizenship
A passport or birth certificate before your first lesson. Not a US citizen? The TSA approves your training first, and we help.
Student pilot certificate
Free from the FAA. We file the application with you, and it arrives before your first solo.
No degree
No college, no aviation background. Most of our students start from zero.
06Your instructors
Meet thembefore you fly.
Every instructor has a page with their certificates, how they teach, and a way to book a discovery flight with them.
From our portal · updated Nov 6, 2026
Flight instructor · KFFZ
ThomasFerrier
CFICFII
Train with confidence in Arizona skies
CFI & CFII · Discovery flights & primary training · Patient, structured, checkride-ready instruction at Falcon Field.
- Teaches
- Private · Instrument · Commercial
- Students
- Taking new students
Questions
Before yourfirst lesson.
Am I too old to learn to fly?
No. There is no upper age limit. If you can pass a third-class FAA medical, you can earn a private pilot certificate, and many people start in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
How long does it take?
About 4 months at 3 lessons a week, the pace we recommend. At 1 to 2 lessons a week it is closer to 8 months. Weather, your schedule and how often you fly matter more than talent.
Can I learn on weekends only?
Yes. Flying at least twice a week keeps skills fresh between lessons, so if you can add one weekday, you will usually need fewer lessons overall.
What does it cost?
We plan the private certificate at $19,300 with FULL THROTTLE blocks. That includes the airplane, fuel, your instructor, briefings, ground school, the written test and the examiner fee.
Does simulator time count?
Up to 2.5 hours count toward the private certificate (14 CFR 61.109(k)). Our students pay only the instructor for it, $50 an hour.
What should I do first?
Book a discovery flight. It is one hour in the air for $199, and you will know by the end whether this is for you.
Where it takes you
Sedona for lunch. Your call.
A private certificate lets you take friends and family almost anywhere, in good weather, by day or night. It starts with one hour for $199.