Young Aviators Summer Program

Most pilots begin flight training as adults. During training, they develop the flight skills required to safely operate the aircraft, they build up a deep knowledge of aerodynamics, regulations, aircraft systems, and procedures, and learn to make safe decisions and minimize risks. Most adult learners have time constraints that extend their training over a period of many months, flying once or twice a week, as their schedule permits

The Young Aviators Summer Program is a 9-week intensive flight training program designed specifically for young pilots that takes place in the summer between school years. It is comprised of daily ground briefing sessions, flight training, classroom training, and associated homework assignments. 

Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm for nine weeks. If successful, the student should be able to complete nearly all of the training required to prepare them for a Private Pilot checkride.

Program Requirements

  • Students should be of an age and maturity level suitable for flight training (typically age 16-20)
  • Students are expected to attend every day 9am-5pm, and commit their full attention to the program from June 9, 2025 to August 8, 2025

Prerequisites

To get the full benefit of the Young Aviators Summer Program, participants should have already competed some tasks by the beginning of summer:

Program Costs

All flight training is expensive, and this program is no different with students often investing $20,000 or more into flight training. The largest costs are the one-on-one flight time incurring aircraft rental costs and flight instructor training fees, which occur every day after each lesson.

Young Aviators Summer Program participants will be charged a $1,800 sign-up fee at the start of the program to cover Private Pilot Ground School, three months of SCFC Club membership dues, and a summer’s worth of group flight briefings, afternoon group training sessions, and all group events. Then after each flight, the student’s account is charged an amount equal to the cost of aircraft flight time and instructor time for that lesson.

There are some other associated costs. Students will need FAA books as study materials and some tools and equipment used in flight training. Also, the FAA requires students to pass two standardized tests – an FAA Knowledge Test taken at a testing center, and an FAA Practical Test with a paid examiner, both of which have fees paid to the examiner. 

All flight training is toward competency standards with clear performance measurements at every stage. Different students may require more or less training hours than others, which affects training hours and overall cost. For more information about the training process, and the expected costs, check out SCFC’s Club Orientation Videos.

What Makes the Young Aviators Summer Program Different?

Anyone can start flight training at any time, at their own pace. The Young Aviators Summer Program is the most focused way to advance a young pilot’s ability during the open weeks of summer, in an environment of their peers. The same competency standards are met, but students learn better and retain information better when surrounded by like-minded student pilots working toward the same goal.

To sign-up for the Young Aviators Summer Program or to find out more information, contact San Carlos Flight Center at (650) 946-1700.