Flight School Cost in Washington: PPL Pricing, Named Schools, and Hourly Rates for 2026
Pacific NW. Weather-limited. Higher fuel cost. Boeing-corridor career proximity.
Flight school in Washington costs $14,000 to $19,000 for a Private Pilot License, with Cessna 172 wet rental at $200 to $240/hr and CFI instruction at $70 to $100/hr. Full career-track training from zero to ATP minimums runs roughly $110,000 (traditional path) to $123,995 (ATP Flight School fixed price).
Metro-tier breakdown
| Metro | Cessna 172 wet | CFI hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle / Boeing Field / Renton | $210 to $250/hr | $75 to $105/hr |
| Spokane | $195 to $230/hr | $65 to $90/hr |
| Olympia / South Sound | $200 to $240/hr | $70 to $100/hr |
FAA-certificated Part 141 flight schools in Washington (alphabetical)
Every 14 CFR Part 141 pilot-school location the FAA lists in Washington: 25 locations under 18 air agency certificates, #5 of 51 states and territories, clustered in Auburn (4), Puyallup (3) and Everett (2). 25 have a page with the FAA record, nearest airport and peer schools; all are locatable. Part 61 instructors are not certificated and are not listed.
25 of 25 FAA locations plotted. Hollow pins (2) sit at a ZIP centroid rather than the street address. In the interactive chart, pins group into counts until you zoom in.
Chart tiles: OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, data from OpenStreetMap. Boundaries: US Census Bureau cartographic boundary files (public domain). School positions: US Census geocoder; airfields: FAA NASR.
| School (FAA agency name) | City | From you | Nearest public airport | Certificate | Designator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aero Maintenance Inc | Vancouver | KVUO Pearson Field, 0.2 mi | JD6S635N | JD6S | |
| Avian Flight Center Inc | Bremerton | KPWT Bremerton NTL, 0.2 mi | HPKS747K | HPKS | |
| Big Bend Community College | Moses Lake | KMWH Grant County International, 1.7 mi | EL8S116Q | EL8S | |
| Cascade Aviation LLC | Burlington | KBVS Skagit Regional, 0.4 mi | CA2S415L | CA2S | |
| Central Washington University | Ellensburg | KELN Bowers Field, 2.5 mi | MJ8S322Q | MJ8S | |
| Classic Helicopter Corp | Auburn | S50 Auburn Municipal, 0.2 mi | GJOS323L | GJOS | |
| Clover Park Technical College | Puyallup | KPLU Pierce County/Thun Field, 0.7 mi | MK8S323Q | MK8S | |
| Green River College | Auburn | S50 Auburn Municipal, 2.4 mi | DL8S090Q | DL8S | |
| Mission Aviation Training Academy | Arlington | KAWO Arlington Municipal, 0.6 mi | MNTS453L | MNTS | |
| Moody AviationCertificate holder: Moody Bible Institute of Chicago | Spokane | KSFF Felts Field, 0.4 mi | DVPS374D | DVPS | |
| Parkwater Aviation Inc | Spokane | KSFF Felts Field, 0.4 mi | 6W4S958L | 6W4S | |
| Pavco Inc | Gig Harbor | KTIW Tacoma Narrows, 0.2 mi | PVCS320H | PVCS | |
| Rainier Flight Services | Auburn | S50 Auburn Municipal, 0.2 mi | 1B8S346L | 1B8S | |
| Rainier Flight Services (BFI) | Seattle | KBFI Boeing Field/King County International, 1.3 mi | 1B8S346L | 0121 | |
| Rainier-Everett (PAE) | Everett | KPAE Seattle Paine Field International, 0.4 mi | 1B8S346L | DB8S | |
| Rainier-Tacoma (TIW) | Gig Harbor | KTIW Tacoma Narrows, 0.5 mi | 1B8S346L | 2B8S | |
| Regal AirCertificate holder: Morcom Aviation Services Inc | Everett | KPAE Seattle Paine Field International, 0.4 mi | MOMS155T | MOMS | |
| Safety in Motion Flight Center Inc | Olympia | KOLM Olympia Regional, 1.1 mi | 1SZS107L | 7ZSS | |
| Shepherd AeroCertificate holder: Diversity Aviation, LLC. | Bellingham | KBLI Bellingham International, 0.5 mi | 443S060Q | 443S | |
| Sierra FoxCertificate holder: Spanaflight | Puyallup | KPLU Pierce County/Thun Field, 2.1 mi (approx.) | 56NS286L | 56NS | |
| Sim Flight Center, Inc.Certificate holder: Safety in Motion Flight Center Inc | Puyallup | KPLU Pierce County/Thun Field, 0.2 mi | 1SZS107L | 1SZS | |
| Snohomish Flying Service Inc | Snohomish | S43 Harvey Field, 0.2 mi | GIQS307E | GIQS | |
| Spanaflight Aviation | Auburn | S50 Auburn Municipal, 0.1 mi | 56NS286L | 36NS | |
| Spanaflight Aviation | Tumwater | KOLM Olympia Regional, 0.6 mi | 56NS286L | 66NS | |
| Spanaflight Aviation | Kent | S36 Crest Airfield, 2.0 mi (approx.) | 56NS286L | 76NS |
Listed alphabetically, never ranked. Hover or tap a row to light its pin on the plate, and use the location button to sort the list by distance from you. Source: FAA AV-Info "Find a Facility", 14 CFR Part 141 pilot schools, public domain, data updated 24 Aug 2026; status as reported by the FAA on that date. Nearest public-use airport from FAA NASR (effective 6 August 2026). See the national Part 141 directory for every state.
Published pricing anchors behind the Washington range
The PPL, Cessna 172 and CFI bands above are aggregated from these schools' published pricing pages (verified April 2026). They are pricing evidence, not a recommendation; the FAA list above is the authority on who is certificated.
| School | Location | Published pricing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galvin Flying Service | Seattle (Boeing Field) | Programme pricing published per stage | View |
| Spokane Turbine Center | Spokane | Programme pricing not publicly listed | View |
| Inflight Pilot Training | Olympia / Tacoma | Per-hour, see published rates | View |
| Snohomish Flying Service | Snohomish | Per-hour, see published rates | View |
Pricing is current to April 2026 from the published source. Verify with the school at the time of enrolment.
Washington-specific cost factors
- Marine Pacific NW weather: plan for IFR days even at PPL stage
- Higher fuel cost flows through to wet rate
- Boeing-corridor career proximity for transition pilots
- Density of small-town airports allows cheaper outlying training
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.
Washington-specific programmes:
VA-approved Part 141 schools in Washington
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. Some of the FAA-listed Part 141 schools above are VA-approved, but the FAA list does not record VA approval; verify each school 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.
Washington flight school cost: frequently asked questions
How many FAA-certificated Part 141 flight schools are in Washington?
The FAA's Part 141 pilot-school list (data updated 24 Aug 2026) carries 25 certificated locations in Washington under 18 air agency certificates, ranking the state #5 of 51 states and territories by location count. The largest clusters are Auburn (4), Puyallup (3) and Everett (2). 18 of the 25 listed addresses are under a mile from a public-use airport. The full list is on this page; Part 61 instructors are not certificated and so do not appear.
How much does flight school cost in Washington?
A Private Pilot License (PPL) in Washington costs roughly $14,000 to $19,000 all-in, aggregated across named-school published pricing. That covers aircraft rental, instructor time, ground school, exams, and supplies through the FAA checkride. Full career-track training from zero to ATP minimums runs far higher, on the order of $110,000 via the traditional path or $123,995 via the ATP Flight School fixed-price programme.
What is the hourly Cessna 172 rental rate in Washington?
Cessna 172 wet rental (fuel included) in Washington runs about $200 to $240 per hour, varying by metro and school. Seattle / Boeing Field / Renton sits around $210 to $250 per hour for a wet rate.
How much do flight instructors (CFIs) charge in Washington?
CFI instruction in Washington typically costs $70 to $100 per hour, whether an independent instructor or Part 141 staff. CFI time is billed on top of aircraft rental, not instead of it.
Does the Post-9/11 GI Bill cover flight training in Washington?
Yes, but only at VA-approved Part 141 schools, and coverage begins at the Instrument Rating rather than the PPL (it requires a current PPL and FAA medical in hand). For the 2026-2027 academic year (effective 1 August 2026), the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays the net cost of vocational Part 141 flight training up to $17,662 a year. Confirm a school's VA approval at VA.gov before enrolling.
Continue reading
Primary sources
- Pilot License Cost. AOPA, accessed April 2026. https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/students/pilot-license-cost
- AV-Info Find a Facility: 14 CFR Part 141 Pilot Schools. Federal Aviation Administration, data updated 24 Aug 2026, captured 28 August 2026. https://www.faa.gov/av-info/facility-dashboard
- NASR 28-day subscription, airport data (APT_BASE), effective 6 August 2026. FAA Aeronautical Information Services, accessed August 2026. https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/aero_data/NASR_Subscription/
- Climate Normals (VFR-day data). NOAA, accessed April 2026. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals
- Galvin Flying Service published pricing page (pricing anchor). Seattle (Boeing Field), accessed April 2026. https://galvinflying.com/
- Spokane Turbine Center published pricing page (pricing anchor). Spokane, accessed April 2026. https://spokaneturbinecenter.com/
- Inflight Pilot Training published pricing page (pricing anchor). Olympia / Tacoma, accessed April 2026. https://www.inflightpilottraining.com/
- Snohomish Flying Service published pricing page (pricing anchor). Snohomish, accessed April 2026. https://snofly.com/
- Washington Pilots Association scholarships. State / institution, accessed April 2026. https://wpaflys.org/
- Central Washington University aviation aid. State / institution, accessed April 2026. https://www.cwu.edu/aviation/