Flight School Options in San Antonio (TX)

Editor’s note: The following article is not intended to be a ranking, but is only to serve as a list of possible options. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary.

Attending a San Antonio flight school can open doors to a rewarding and fulfilling career as a commercial pilot. And the great news is, San Antonio has more than a dozen schools to provide you options for your education. Learn more about the schools and the degrees or certifications you can receive as part of these programs.

Quicklook: Flight School Options in San Antonio

• ATP Flight School
• Sky Safety Flight Academy
• Bario Aviation
  Alpha Tango Flying Services
  VT AAA

5 Flight Schools in San Antonio

Learn about flight schools in San Antonio to make an informed decision about the best place to seek your pilot license. 

ATP Flight School

ATP opened a new flight instruction location in San Antonio in early 2020. The new school makes it so that ATP Flight School now has 70 locations throughout the country, giving it great breadth. Thanks to its many connections and reputation, the school also has a high job placement rate and can partner with students to find employers willing to offset their education expenses.

Location: 1770 Skyplace Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78216

Tuition & Fees: Individuals that already hold a private pilot license will pay $65,995 to become a commercial airline pilot. If you don’t have your private pilot certificate yet, tuition is approximately $83,995. 

Financial Assistance: ATP offers assistance finding a loan as well as tuition reimbursement programs with partner airlines.

Accreditation: Yes

Program Length: Graduate in as little as 5 months if you hold a private pilot license or 7 months if you don’t. 

Endorsements: Multi-engine add-on

School Size: Approximately 8,258 students earn their FAA certificate from the school each year. 

Job Placement: Yes

Virtual Learning: Yes

Sky Safety Flight Academy

Sky Safety Flight Academy offers an excellent pilot license experience. And if you’re looking for a program with online options, this is a great one since the school partners with Liberty University to offer in-flight training to go along with the university’s online aviation programs.

Location: 8535 Mission Road, #206, San Antonio, TX 78214

Tuition & Fees: Tuition is approximately $54,000.

Financial Assistance: Sky Safety Flight Academy partners with Liberty University for its classroom training and degree programs. You can get the most benefit from scholarships and grants through the Liberty University degree program.

Accreditation: Yes

Program Length: Earning a commercial pilot license takes 8-12 months.

Endorsements: Multi-engine, multi-engine instructor, commercial flight instructor

School Size: The average class size is 17 students.

Job Placement: No

Virtual Learning: Yes

Bario Aviation

Bario Aviation is a newer flight school in San Antonio. Mario McGee founded the school in 2015. The school operates out of Kelly Field. It dedicates its work to helping students find jobs and have fun learning how to fly. Bario Aviation also provides maintenance services for aircraft owners.

Location: 401 N. Frank Luke Dr., San Antonio, TX 78226

Tuition & Fees: Each student is unique in how many in-flight hours they need to become proficient at flying. However, based on averages, flight school costs about $14,000 for a private pilot license and an additional $70,000 for a commercial pilot license.

Financial Assistance: No

Accreditation: No

Program Length: The time it takes to earn your commercial pilot license will vary based on how often you schedule your in-flight training. The average timeframe is a year.

Endorsements: Complex, high performance, multi-engine

School Size: Class sizes for ground school will vary based on when you enroll. Classes are generally no larger than 20 students.

Job Placement: No

Virtual Learning: No

Alpha Tango Flying Services

Alpha Tango is committed to offering affordable flight school training. You can earn your private license for as little as $8,000 and then further your education to earn your commercial pilot license for an additional $30,000. The school was founded in 1980, making it one of the older schools in the area. It also offers sales and maintenance for aircraft.

Location: 1110 99th Street, San Antonio, TX 78214

Tuition & Fees: Tuition is approximately $38,000

Financial Assistance: No

Accreditation: No

Program Length: The school offers several different programs to advance your pilot career. The private pilot license generally takes 2-4 months and is a prerequisite for enrolling in the commercial pilot license, which can take an additional 6-12 months depending on the time you dedicate to it.

Endorsements: Multi-engine

School Size: Classes start on a rolling basis, so class sizes will vary based on when you enroll. Most coursework is completed one-on-one.

Job Placement: No

Virtual Learning: No

VT AAA

VT AAA is a flight school located northeast of San Antonio at the New Braunfels Airport. The school accepts students with no experience or flight time at all, which means you don’t even have to have a private pilot license to begin the school’s Professional Pilot Pathway.

Location: 1764 Entrance Road, New Braunfels, TX 78130

Tuition & Fees: $73,340 for the Professional Pilot Pathway, which takes you from never having flown an airplane to earning your commercial pilots license.

Financial Assistance: Yes, the school helps connect students with scholarships, and regional airlines are willing to pay tuition reimbursement for pilots. Plus, you could qualify for financing to help pay for your training.

Accreditation: No

Program Length: 12-15 months, even if you’re starting from the beginning with needing a private pilot’s license.

Endorsements: Multi-engine, CFI

School Size: Most classes are one-on-one with your instructor

Job Placement: Yes

Virtual Learning: No

How Does Flight School Training in San Antonio Work?

Flight schools in San Antonio can offer either private or commercial licenses or both. A private pilot license permits you to fly for personal purposes without accepting payment for the travel. Commercial pilots can earn a wage for their skills. The job opportunities for commercial pilots could include:

• Cargo pilot
• Aerial photographer
• Crop duster
• Rescue pilot
• Corporate pilot
• Charter pilot 

Commercial pilots in Texas earn a mean wage of $106,040, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of 2020, there were 4,610 commercial pilots employed in Texas.

San Antonio Flight School Facts & Figures

Before getting too deep into learning about flight schools in San Antonio, learn these important facts and figures about schooling in the area.

Number of Schools

San Antonio houses 13 flight schools, though 3 are outside the main outer loop of 1604, which could mean they are a little farther for you to travel to than the other options.

Number of Students per Class

The student-to-teacher ratio will vary by the school you select, but on average, the classroom portion of flight school is about 20-1. 

Tuition Rates

The average tuition rate to earn your private pilot license in San Antonio is $11,200. To earn your commercial pilot license, the average cost is $87,995.

Average Loan Amount

Your total student loan amount will vary based on the program you select and how quickly you accomplish your flight hours. If you have the luxury of time, you can work while you go through school to fund your training. Otherwise, you might need to take out a loan of about $80,000 after obtaining a Pell Grant or other scholarship.

Scholarship

You might be eligible for a Pell Grant of up to $5,500 based on your financial need. Some schools offer additional scholarships. Be sure to ask your admissions team before committing to a program.

Job Placement

Flight schools have excellent job placement rates, which means you could be on your way to a valuable career in as little as 5 months.

San Antonio Pilot Employment Facts & Figures

Learn more about top pilot employers in San Antonio to see if a career as a commercial pilot might be right for you.

Employment 

San Antonia is a major city with ample commercial pilot jobs. Here’s a look at a few of the largest employers.

Biggest Employer	Average Salary	Full or Part Time Pilots
Marathon Petroleum Corporation	$150,701	Full time
Atlas Air	$183,040	Full time
Global Medical Response	$86,000	Full time
National Airlines	$178,880	Full time
Airbus	$116,029	Full time

Salary

While Texas has a high salary for commercial pilots, San Antonio has an ever higher average salary at $136,901. That’s $11,408.42 per month and $2,738.02 per week.

Take the Next Step Toward Becoming a Pilot in San Antonio

San Antonio is a great city to start a pilot career as Texas is one of the top states for employing pilots. Start your career by learning more about the schools listed here and subscribe to FLYING Magazine for industry news and information. 

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