Set your sights on the skies with CROSSAIROCEAN Flight School

Set your sights on the skies! After high school, there are many options available for graduates besides attending college – plenty of graduates enter the workforce full time and some even take a gap year. But why not aim a little higher? For a nontraditional approach with an eye on the skies, consider enrolling in flight school lessons at CROSSAIROCEAN Flight School in Zephyrhills.

If you have always dreamed of flying, CROSSAIROCEAN can give you the tools to grow wings. The flight school offers training to students who want to acquire their private pilot certificate, instrument rating, or commercial pilot certificate, for both single and multi-engine airplanes. The best part? Learning to fly can be super exciting, fulfilling and an enjoyable experience.

“CROSSAIROCEAN focuses on having fun without compromising safety and integrity while ensuring the students succeed in their training,” said Ben Obasi, manager and flight instructor at the organization.

At CROSSAIROCEAN, the sky truly is the limit. Students get firsthand experience in flying an aircraft and learn the essentials via the flight school’s flight simulators. Flight simulators help students get a better grasp on the fundamentals of flying and provide an avenue for them to practice their skills in a less strenuous environment, Obasi said. Would-be pilots learn how to manipulate the flight controls, how to navigate and land the airplane as well as how to handle emergency situations, should they occur. These lessons all culminate in students’ first solo flight into the wild blue yonder!

Why fly? Besides the obvious, dreamy draw of learning how to soar through the sky, flight school is also one way to pursue a more cost-effective educational path compared to universities.

“Our goal at CROSSAIROCEAN is to show the joy of flying an airplane without breaking the bank,” Obasi said. “We offer flight training at a competitive price, so everyone has an opportunity to learn how to fly and fulfill their passion for aviation.”

According to Obasi, CROSSAIROCEAN has the best prices in the area for flight school, and the organization helps students save by offering them a free two-hour flight simulator session each week. The total cost of flight training varies, Obasi said, as individual students may take different amounts of time to master the skills necessary to pass their final exam and get their certificate.

“I would estimate the cost to get a private pilot certificate to be between $10,000 and $15,000, and the cost to acquire a commercial pilot certificate to be between $45,000 to $50,000,” he said.

This is compared to universities where the estimated flight cost is $30,000 for a private pilot certificate; on top of that students must pay for tuition to attend the university. The flight school path is more cost-effective and conducted at the pace of the student instead of the pace of a university. This can lead to an earlier finishing date and a quicker start to your flying career.

There are an array of organizations and agencies that offer grants and scholarships for flight school students. Some examples include the Federal Aviation Administration Grant, the AAERO Scholarship, scholarships from the Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (AOPA), and the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships and Awards. To learn more about securing grants and scholarships for flight training, visit https://www.faa.gov/education/grants_and_scholarships.

Ready to fly? Learn more about CROSSAIROCEAN Flight School at https://www.crossairoceanusa.com/ or call (352) 737-0800.