Frequently asked questions

At Aurora State Airport (KUAO), 22785 Airport Rd NE, Aurora, OR 97002, about 25 minutes south of Portland. Students come from Portland, Wilsonville, Salem and across the Willamette Valley.

Yes. Fly North Aviation is the unified brand of Willamette Aviation and Aurora Flight Training. Discovery flights, ground school and all flight training at Aurora State Airport now run under the Fly North name.

Book a FREE Pilot Roadmap Session: a school tour, your personal cost and timeline plan, and a first lesson in our simulator. Or take a $299 Discovery Flight in a real airplane. Many people do both.

A Discovery Flight is $299 and includes 60 minutes of flight time with a certified flight instructor, a preflight briefing and a logbook entry that counts toward your certificate. You can bring a guest along in the back seat.

A government photo ID, closed-toe shoes, sunglasses, and your glasses or contacts if you wear them. Headsets and the aircraft are provided.

Call (503) 678-1454, email frontdesk@flynorthaviation.com, or stop by. We're open every day, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Typically $13,000–$18,000 total, about 70 flight hours at a 2–3 lessons a week pace, plus the FAA examiner's checkride fee.

Aircraft rent wet (fuel included) from $129/hr for a Cessna 150 to $342/hr for the Piper Apache. Instruction is $80/hr, or $74/hr with Fly North Pro. A Cessna 172 with an instructor is $283/hr Standard or $257/hr Pro.

Standard has no monthly fee. Fly North Pro is $149/month and saves about 10% on rental and instruction, plus one free 3-hour ground session every week for private or instrument students, priority scheduling and member deals.

Yes. Training loans for professional programs are available through our lending partner, Stratus Financial. Many students also pay as they fly. Veterans: bring your military records to your Roadmap Session and we'll map your options.

We partner with local EAA chapters that offer flight training scholarships, and we help students apply for national scholarships from AOPA, EAA, Women in Aviation International and The Ninety-Nines.

Complete our Private or Instrument ground school, score 87% or higher on your first attempt at the FAA written within 60 days, and we credit 100% of your tuition toward flight training with Fly North. The credit is valid for 12 months.

A no-show or less than 12 hours' notice is charged $100 plus $25 per reserved aircraft hour, plus the instructor's time for the reservation.

4–6 months flying 2–3 times a week. About 3–5 months at 4–5 times a week, and 9–15 months at once a week or less.

16 to fly solo and 17 for a private pilot certificate. There's no minimum age to start lessons.

No. You need an FAA Third Class medical before your first solo. Our on-site medical examiner, Dr. Clee Lloyd, is here every Thursday. Book through dispatch.

Yes. The Third Class medical allows glasses or contacts, as long as your distance vision corrects to 20/40 or better in each eye.

A pre-solo written exam, the FAA Knowledge Test, and a checkride with an FAA examiner that includes an oral exam and a flight test.

Yes. Non-U.S. citizens complete TSA's Flight Training Security Program at fts.tsa.dhs.gov before training starts. Approval typically takes 2–4 weeks, so start early.

Yes. Bring a U.S. passport, or a birth certificate plus a government photo ID. We verify it once at enrollment.

Private Pilot, Sport Pilot, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine, and CFI, CFII and MEI, plus complex and high-performance endorsements. Tailwheel, spin and aerobatic training are available through our partner, Attitude Aviation, also at Aurora State Airport.

Our wide fleet of over 15 airplanes, from Cessna 150s and 172s to glass-cockpit G1000 trainers, a Cardinal RG and a Piper Apache twin, plus a Redbird FMX simulator.

Both. Part 141 follows an FAA-approved syllabus with stage checks. Our Part 61 track runs the same structured program with more flexible scheduling.

Every student has a Primary CFI and a Reserve CFI who can already see your progress, so your lesson slot isn't lost.

New sessions start every January, May and September, and we open extra sessions whenever 5 or more students are ready. Private Pilot runs Saturdays 8am–12pm or Tuesdays and Thursdays 6–8pm; Instrument runs Mondays and Wednesdays 6–8:30pm.

2–3 times a week is the sweet spot. Skills built through repetition stick; skills built once a week fade between lessons.

Your instructor watches the forecast and reschedules when conditions aren't safe for training. Weather delays are built into typical timelines.

Yes. Training has no fixed deadline. After about 90 days without flying, plan a short review with an instructor before you solo again.

Yes. With a private pilot certificate, a current medical, a flight review, renter's insurance and a checkout flight with a Fly North CFI, you can rent from our fleet.

Yes, through Starr Insurance / Aviation Marine, or you can sign a waiver accepting a $6,000 deductible per incident.

Yes. Lapsed medical, currency or just time away, we rebuild from where you left off with a flight review and refresher.

Yes. We evaluate your logbook and credit what you've earned, so nothing is repeated unnecessarily.