Prairie Winds Aviation

There is nothing to join. We are not a flying club.

If you are interested in flying with us, we will give you access to our scheduler which is the first step to get started. You simply have to ask by contacting us. If you are already a member of a flying club, we welcome you to use our aircrafts as backup.

It can take as little as a couple of months, but it depends on you. The more time you dedicate to studying and training with your instructor, the quicker you will get your certificate. Waiting too long between sessions can actually increase the total time it takes for you to complete. This is especially true with Sport Pilot and Private Pilot training. In either case, we will help you the best we can.

Estimates vary but expect to spend approximately $6,000 – $8,000 for Sport Pilot, or $8,000 – S10,000 for Private Pilot. This includes aircraft rental, instructor time and test fees. There are additional costs for renter’s insurance, FAA medical exam, headset, study materials, tests retakes, etc.

Either of these licenses is the only certificate you need to be a pilot. You can fly across the country and land at any of the 4,000 public airports in the United States. For your safety, you should get more training if you plan to fly in the mountains or back country, for example. By regulation, to fly a high performance, complex, or tailwheel aircraft you must get training and endorsement from a flight instructor which typically takes a few hours to a matter of days.

As a Sport Pilot there are restrictions you must abide to such as number of passengers, maximum altitude, airspace, night time, etc. As far as further expanding your pilot privileges and opening up opportunities, there are practically none. If you want to go further as a certificated pilot you must obtain a Private Pilot License or upgrade to it.

As a Private pilot you have less restrictions than a Sport Pilot. And, instrument rating is the recommended next step if you wish to further expand your pilot privileges and opportunities. You can go all the way to becoming an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP).

Absolutely!

Contact us to discuss what you have in mind. You can take an introductory flight for a minimal fee. Check the Discovery Flight page for more information.

This is the highest level of piloting privilege you can obtain. We don’t provide this training but can certainly advise you.

Yes! Even though aircraft rental, instructor fees, knowledge test fees and checkride fees are unavoidable, you can reduce total cost to complete by studying to gain knowledge yourself. There are many free resources such as FAA publications, online webinars and YouTube channels to help you do that. By gaining this knowledge on your own time, you can reduce total in-flight training time, ground school time with your instructor, and pass knowledge test on the first try.

Take a look at the Resources page.

We do not have any financing options at this time. We do accept credit cards for payment as you move along with your training, and for rentals.

First, let’s talk. Contact us to discuss your plans. Then, we’ll go from there to get you set up in our scheduler. Once set up, you’ll be able to schedule your training at your convenience and with guidance from your instructor.

We use Flight Circle for training and rental scheduling. Just click the “Scheduler” link at the top of this page. If you already have an account with Flight Circle, great! Otherwise, create a new account. In both instances, your request for access to the scheduler will be forwarded to us for approval. When approved, you’ll receive an email from us with further instructions on how to send us your documents (Government issued ID, Pilot Certificate, Medical Certificate, Non-Owned Renter’s Insurance). You will also have to be checked out in the aircraft you wish to fly with one of our instructors.

Yes! We will be adding aircrafts in the coming months (2026) as we grow with more students and renters. Stay tuned.