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Cost Reference / AOPA, FAA, BLS, VA Primary Sources
TennesseeCost figures last verified: April 2026

Flight School Cost in Tennessee: PPL Pricing, Named Schools, and Hourly Rates for 2026

Nashville hub growing. Lower cost of living. Strong Cessna / Beechcraft general aviation culture.

PPL all-in$11,500 to $16,500Aggregated from named-school pricing
Cessna 172 wet rate$175 to $215/hrPer-hour wet rate band
CFI hourly$55 to $80/hrIndependent and Part 141 staff
VFR days / year260 to 290NOAA climate normals

Metro-tier breakdown

MetroCessna 172 wetCFI hourly
Nashville$180 to $220/hr$60 to $85/hr
Memphis$175 to $215/hr$55 to $80/hr
Knoxville / Tri-Cities$175 to $210/hr$55 to $80/hr
Chattanooga$175 to $215/hr$55 to $80/hr

Named flight schools (alphabetical)

SchoolLocationPartPricingSource
ATP Flight SchoolNashvillePart 141ACPP fixed pricing $123,995 / $90,995 with PPLView
Nashville Flight TrainingJohn C. Tune (KJWN)Part 61 / 141Per-hour, see published ratesView
Middle Tennessee State University AerospaceMurfreesboroPart 141Collegiate aviation tuition + feesView
Sky Tennessee AviationMultiple TN locationsPart 61Per-hour, see published ratesView

Schools listed alphabetically, never ranked. Pricing is current to April 2026 from the published source. Verify with the school at the time of enrolment.

Tennessee-specific cost factors

  • Lower cost of living than coastal hubs
  • MTSU aerospace is one of the largest collegiate aviation programmes in the Southeast
  • Nashville job market active for regional FOs
  • Modest weather day losses, good year-round flying

Scholarships and grants

Major aviation scholarships available regardless of state include AOPA Flight Training Scholarships, EAA Flight Training Scholarships, Women in Aviation International, OBAP, NGPA, LeRoy Homer Foundation, and Tuskegee NEXT.

Tennessee-specific programmes:

VA-approved Part 141 schools in Tennessee

Veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill must enrol at a VA-approved Part 141 school for flight training to be covered. The current VA-approved school list is published at VA.gov. Several of the named-Part-141 schools above are VA-approved; verify each individually at the VA site at the time of enrolment.

See the financing options page for the GI Bill PPL-coverage gap and the alternatives available to veterans.

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Primary sources

  1. Pilot License Cost. AOPA, accessed April 2026. https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/students/pilot-license-cost
  2. Approved Part 141 Pilot Schools. FAA, accessed April 2026. https://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/schools
  3. Climate Normals (VFR-day data). NOAA, accessed April 2026. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals
  4. ATP Flight School pricing page. Nashville, accessed April 2026. https://atpflightschool.com/airline-career-pilot-program/locations.html
  5. Nashville Flight Training pricing page. John C. Tune (KJWN), accessed April 2026. https://nashvilleflighttraining.com/
  6. Middle Tennessee State University Aerospace pricing page. Murfreesboro, accessed April 2026. https://www.mtsu.edu/aerospace/
  7. Sky Tennessee Aviation pricing page. Multiple TN locations, accessed April 2026. https://skytnaviation.com/
  8. Tennessee HOPE Scholarship. State / institution, accessed April 2026. https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/money-for-college/state-of-tennessee-programs/tennessee-hope-scholarship.html
  9. MTSU Aerospace scholarships. State / institution, accessed April 2026. https://www.mtsu.edu/aerospace/