Learn to Fly Here!

Getting Started

Whether you want to fly for fun, business travel, or as a career, we can help you reach your goal. Booking a Discovery Flight is the best way to get started.

Discovery Flight

Cost

$150 - payment (or gift certificate) due at time of flight

Duration

1.5 Hours

Flight Time

Approximately 45 minutes

What to expect: The entire experience is a mix of ground instruction and flight. During the flight, you will learn how to control the airplane… and then you will have the opportunity to fly the airplane yourself under the supervision of our certified flight instructors.

Frequently asked questions about your Discovery Flight

You can show up on time for your appointment. There is no reason to be early as your instructor may still be working with another student.

Wear comfortable, seasonal clothing and good footwear.

Your flight will last about 45 minutes but the whole experience will take about an hour and a half.

We want your flight to be a great experience. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will reschedule it for a better day.

Your Instructor will take some time before the flight to go over the basics of how to fly the plane.

After takeoff, and when you are comfortable and ready, your Instructor will let you take the controls and be the pilot.

We can fly over your house if it is near Binghamton. Mention this to your Instructor so he can find it on his portable GPS before you take off.

After the flight, your Instructor will take the time to answer any question you may have about aviation or learning to fly.

Buying for someone else?

We offer gift certificates!

How to redeem: Our gift certificates are digital: you will receive yours via email following purchase. Once you have given the gift certificate to the intended recipient, they can schedule a flight by calling (607) 862-5600, or by requesting a flight time here.*

Buy Gift Certificates

Benefits of buying gift certificates

We sell gift certificates year round, so they are great for birthdays and other occasions. We fly year-round, so gift certificates can be redeemed anytime. In many cases (depending on weight,) at least one and sometimes two additional passengers can ride along at no extra cost.

Gift Certificate Options

Discovery Flight

Fly the plane and see what it's like to be a pilot

$150

Designed for someone interested in learning to fly but wanting to try it first.

45 minutes of flight time

Around 1.5 hours total

Ground instruction and Q&A

Purchase

First Lesson

A first step toward flight training

$220

Offers enthusiasts a deeper look into the process of becoming a pilot.

1 hour of flight time

Around 1.5 hours total

Ground instruction and Q&A

Purchase

Fixed Flight Training Gift

The gift for a committed pilot-to-be

$100-500

If you wish to give a larger amount, please call us for details.

Fund their flight training account

Purchase

*All prices subject to change without notice. A nominal fee is included in the gift certificates purchase for processing.

About the Goodrich Pilot Training Center

At the Goodrich Pilot Training Center, we believe that learning to fly should be a fun and rewarding experience. We also believe that it should be affordable. By combining a quality flight and ground training program with reasonable prices, we meet these two very important goals.

We have been flight training in the Southern Tier since 1998. Whether you are flying for fun, for business, or for a career, we can pass on our experience to help guide you to your goals.

More About Us

Becoming a Private Pilot

The minimum requirement to obtain a private pilot’s license is 40 hours of flight time.

An estimated summary of minimum flight training costs are provided in the table below.

Private Pilot’s License Costs To Meet FAA Minimum Requirements

$5,800 for 40 hours total flight time at $145/hr

$1,000 for 20 hours dual flight instruction at $50/hr

$1,000 for 20 hours ground instruction at $50/hr

$450 for ground school package

$150 for the FAA written test

$150 for the FAA medical examination

$700 for the final check ride with the pilot examiner

$9,250* Total for the private pilot license

(There is no NYS sales tax on the flight or instruction time)

Although the FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight time, most students require slightly more — usually around 60 to 70 hours. This figure is mostly dependent on how frequently you fly and how much time you spend outside of your lesson studying the ground school materials. By flying on a consistent basis at least once a week, it is possible to reduce total training time because your retention of skills will be higher. A conservative estimate for obtaining a private pilot’s license is $10,000 to $12,000.

Becoming a Commercial Pilot or Pursuing Advanced Ratings

Goodrich Pilot Training Center can help you with advanced ratings as well, including instrument, commercial, CFI, or CFII pilot certificate. We also provide flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks in your plane or ours and multi-engine and float training in your aircraft.