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

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State guide · Washington

Learn to Fly in Washington

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 Washington

Washington has four R-ATP schools but no ATP center.

  • Flying clubs

    5 listed in this file.

  • Flight schools

    6 rows in this file.

  • Airline base

    Alaska Airlines · SEA (HQ)

Flying Clubs

View all 5 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 5: 4 community, 0 military, 0 university, 1 school-run. Data quality in the file: partial.

Showing 5 of 5. 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 6 schools

University programs

Central Washington University (opens in a new tab)

Active

B.S. Professional Pilot

City and airport
Ellensburg · KELN
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
$125,193 (our sum of course and lab fees, Private through Multi-engine and CFI)

Scope: plus tuition

Source year: AY 2026–27

Aid and GI Bill
Fees are billed according to the student's financial-assistance funding source (per fee sheet)
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

Clover Park Technical College (opens in a new tab)

Active

AAT/AAS-T Professional Pilot

City and airport
Puyallup/Lakewood · KPLU
Part 141
Verify
Published flight cost
Aid and GI Bill
Not foundNot found
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

Green River College (opens in a new tab)

Active

B.S. Aeronautical Science / AAS Aviation Technology

City and airport
Auburn · KAWO / KRNT (via providers)
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
Per-course fees vary by provider (e.g., Private Flight 1 $8,915–$9,415)

Source year: Current catalog

Aid and GI Bill
Not foundNot found
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

Big Bend Community College (opens in a new tab)

Active

AAS Aviation (Pilot)

City and airport
Moses Lake · KMWH
Part 141
Verify
Aid and GI Bill
Not foundNot found
Airline partners
Not found

Sources

Other

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: good. Washington has four R-ATP schools but no ATP center. Clover Park's associate's (about $61.7k flight, Private–Commercial) costs half of CWU's $125k course and lab fees. The Museum of Flight funds unusually large private-pilot scholarships (up to $14k).

All Washington flight schools, A–Z

  • Galvin Flying
  • Hillsboro Aero Academy

State money

Museum of Flight flight-training scholarships

Active (annual)

Scholarship

Administrator
The Museum of Flight (Seattle)
Who receives it
students
Amount
Up to $14,000 (one award) plus others, incl. an Alaska Airlines scholarship
Eligibility
Washington high school students 16½ or older, for a private license; paid in stages
Covers flight fees
Yes

Sources

Washington Pilots Association chapter scholarships

Closed (annual)

Association scholarship

Administrator
WPA chapters (Paine Field, Bremerton, Southwest)
Who receives it
students
Amount
$3,000 or more (Paine Field)
Eligibility
Washington residents ages 17–29 in aviation careers. Paine Field 2026 deadline was Apr 15.
Covers flight fees
Verify

Sources

Airline hubs and bases

Regional and other carriers

Notes

Examiners and medical examiners

Sources for Washington

Washington FAQ

How do I become an airline pilot in Washington?

Washington has four R-ATP schools but no ATP center. Last checked 2026-10. Confirm it with a CFI and each school.

What flight schools are listed for Washington?

The file lists 6 schools. Names are in Flight Schools on this page.

What published flight costs are listed for Washington?

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