Educational only. Confirm this with your CFI (certified flight instructor), an AME (aviation medical examiner), and each program. We are not the FAA, a flight school, or an airline. Full disclaimer

Grease the JourneyGrease the Journey: the smooth path from zero hours to airline pilot.
Menu

State guide · California

Learn to Fly in California

Schools, clubs, and instructors. Educational only. Confirm each step with your CFI.

Flight schoolsFind an instructor
Not financial, tax, or legal advice

This is general educational information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Grease the Journey does not endorse or broker loans. Rates, terms, and benefit rules come from the lender, the school, or the VA, and they can change. Consult the lender, the VA, or a licensed financial professional before you borrow or use benefits. Nothing here promises earnings, a job offer, or any other outcome.

Never rush a badge. Fly only what you're trained and ready for, and plan it with your instructor. Safety first. Last checked October 2026.

Flight training in California

California has five R-ATP colleges and nine ATP centers.

  • Flying clubs

    12 listed in this file.

  • Flight schools

    7 rows in this file.

  • Airline base

    United · SFO, LAX

Flying Clubs

View all 12 clubs

Never affected by sponsorship. Free flying club listings and the A–Z school list are never reordered or affected by sponsors.

Flying clubs are member-run groups that share the cost of aircraft. Because there's no profit markup, hourly rates are often lower than at a flight school, which makes a club one of the cheapest ways to build hours after your private certificate. You also get a community: mentors, safety pilots, fly-outs, and people who know the local examiners and instructors. The trade-offs are monthly dues, a buy-in or initiation fee at many clubs, waitlists, and the fact that not every club offers instruction or accepts student pilots. Rates move with fuel prices, so confirm current costs with the club before you join.

Clubs last checked 2026-10. The file counts 12: 6 community, 5 military, 1 university, 0 school-run. Data quality in the file: good.

Showing 12 of 12. Clubs without a published hourly rate stay at the bottom of the rate sort.

Flight Schools

Never affected by sponsorship. Free flying club listings and the A–Z school list are never reordered or affected by sponsors.

View all 7 schools

University programs

San Jose State University (opens in a new tab)

Active

B.S. Aviation (Professional Flight)

City and airport
San Jose · KRHV
Part 141
Yes (Part 141 hours quoted)
Restricted ATP
1,000. Bachelor's on FAA list (rev. 9/15/2026); confirm 61.160(b) vs (d) with school
Published flight cost
About $62k ($20,050 Private + $14,050 Instrument + $27,650 Commercial)

Scope: excl. tuition

Source year: Updated 07/2025

Aid and GI Bill
Not foundNot found
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

California Aeronautical University (opens in a new tab)

Active

A.S. and B.S. professional pilot

City and airport
Bakersfield (main campus) · KBFL
Part 141
Verify
Restricted ATP
1,000 / 1,250. B.S. (likely 1,000) and A.S. (1,250) on FAA list (listed under Ventura)
Published flight cost
About $102,911 out-of-state degree incl. PPL–CFII, AMEL, tuition (third-party)Verify

Source year: 2026

Aid and GI Bill
Up to $10,000 tuition reduction for recent high school grads in the B.S.
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

California Baptist University (opens in a new tab)

Active

B.S. Aviation Flight

City and airport
Riverside · KRAL
Part 141
Verify
Restricted ATP
1,000. Bachelor's on FAA list (rev. 9/15/2026); confirm 61.160(b) vs (d) with school
Published flight cost
About $90,968 Private through Commercial (third-party summary of CBU lab fees)Verify

Source year: 2026–27

Aid and GI Bill
Not foundNot found
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

William Jessup University (opens in a new tab)

Active

B.S./B.A./A.S. Aviation

City and airport
Rocklin · Not found
Part 141
Verify
Restricted ATP
1,000 / 1,250. Bachelor's on FAA list (rev. 9/15/2026); confirm 61.160(b) vs (d) with school
Published flight cost
About $89k ($22k, $20k, $37k, $10k in years 1–4)

Scope: cost-of-attendance estimate

Source year: Not stated

Aid and GI Bill
Not foundNot found
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

San Diego Christian College (opens in a new tab)

Verify

B.S. Aviation Technology

City and airport
Santee · Not found
Part 141
Verify
Restricted ATP
1,000. Bachelor's on FAA list (rev. 9/15/2026); confirm 61.160(b) vs (d) with school
Published flight cost
Not foundNot found
Aid and GI Bill
Not foundNot found
Airline partners
Not found

College reported closing its Santee campus (July 2026) and had an accreditor notice of concern. Confirm the program still runs

Sources

Other

ATP Flight School (opens in a new tab)

Locations
Camarillo (CMA); Carlsbad (CRQ); Livermore (LVK); Long Beach (LGB); Los Angeles–Brackett (POC); Oakland–Hayward (HWD); Riverside (RAL); Sacramento (SAC); San Diego (MYF)
Part 61 or 141
Verify
Published cost
$123,995 from zero; $90,995 with private

Scope: fixed tuition; ~$10.5k–$12k exam fees and up to $5k location premium extra

Source year: 2026

VA approved
Verify

Sources

Cadet Programs

View all

  • Delta Air Lines

    Propel Pilot Career Path (Collegiate & CFI path)

    Open

    View

  • JetBlue

    Gateway Select

    Open

    View

  • Envoy Air (American)

    Envoy Cadet Program

    Rolling

    View

Costs, hubs, notes, and sources

Data quality in the file: partial. California has five R-ATP colleges and nine ATP centers. San Jose State is the public option at about $62k flight (Private–Commercial), while private universities run $90k–$103k.

All California flight schools, A–Z

  • ATP Flight School
  • Coast Flight Training & Management

State money

SCAPA Scholarships (supported by CalPilots)

Closed (annual)

Association scholarship

Administrator
South County Airport Pilots Association / California Pilots Association
Who receives it
students
Amount
Five $3,000 awards in 2026 (plus two $1,500)
Eligibility
Aspiring aviation professionals. 2026 deadline Sept 18.
Covers flight fees
Verify

Sources

Airline hubs and bases

Regional and other carriers

Notes

Examiners and medical examiners

Sources for California

California FAQ

How do I become an airline pilot in California?

California has five R-ATP colleges and nine ATP centers. Last checked 2026-10. Confirm it with a CFI and each school.

What flight schools are listed for California?

The file lists 7 schools. Names are in Flight Schools on this page.

What published flight costs are listed for California?

Published costs are on each school row. Prices can change. Check the school for the current figure.

Safety is the most important badge

Never rush a badge. Fly only what you're trained and ready for, and plan it with your instructor. Safety first.

Safety pledgeIMSAFEDECIDE