About Our Flight Lessons
Fly Taos Sky provides a variety of flight training opportunities including private, instrument, commercial, instructor, multi, ATP, high-altitude and mountain flying.
We pride ourselves on providing the following:
- Affordable rates
- Student-centered training
- Qualified Instructors with years of experience
- A variety of training options
- Well-maintained aircraft
- Ground School and Community Building Wednesday night Taos FBO 6pm – 8pm – Free
Pricing info – brief:
- Discovery flight – $100 for 1 hour
- Hourly rental cost:
- Piper Cherokee 140 – $150/hour wet
- Piper Cherokee 180 – $160/hour wet
- Instructor rates:
- Michael McCann, CFII/MEI/ATP – $85/hour
- Jessica Caskey, CFI – $50/hour
- Fraser MacPhee, CFI – $60/hour
- Ground School –
Types of Training Offered and FAQs
Private Pilot Certificate
This is the starting point for every pilot. You’ll learn all the essentials you need to be a proficient aviator. Private Pilot training varies from student to student depending on a number of circumstances. The minimum number of required hours is 40 hours however students usually obtain their Private Pilot certificate closer to 60-80 hours. If you are dedicated and can commit to flying at least 3 times a week it is feasible to obtain the training and proficiency needed to get your Private Pilot certificate within a few months!
Price Breakdown:
The times listed below are FAA minimums. It can be difficult to obtain proficiency in the times listed, therefore, it is wise to add 10% to the total price for planning purposes. All costs listed are for flying the Piper Cherokee 140 (to fly the 180 add an additional $10/hour to aircraft costs)
| 30 hours of dual (flight time with an instructor) @ $200/hr | $6,000 |
| 10 hours of solo time @ $150/hr | $1,500 |
| 20 hours of ground instruction @ $30/hr | $600 |
| Written Test | $175 |
| 3rd Class Medical Certificate | $100 |
| Checkride (3 hrs flight time and $600 examiner fee) | $1,050 |
| Total cost in the Piper Cherokee 140 | $9,425 |
Commercial Pilot Certificate
A commercial pilot certificate allows you to receive compensation for flying. If you’re able to commit to flying 3-4 times a week and already have some time built it is feasible to get this certificate within a few short months. At Fly Taos Sky we are dedicated to helping you build your time and offer a number of opportunities to do so at discounted costs!
Price Breakdown
The times listed below are FAA minimums. It can be difficult to obtain proficiency in the times listed, therefore, it is wise to add 10% to the total price for planning purposes.
NOTE: This estimate assumes you already have your Private Pilot Certificate with an Instrument Rating.
All costs listed are for flying the Piper Cherokee 140 (to fly the 180 add an additional $10/hour to aircraft costs)
| 20 hours of dual (flight time with an instructor) @ $220/hr | $4,600 |
| 135 hours of solo time and time building @ $150/hr | $20,250 |
| 20 hours of ground instruction @ $30/hr | $600 |
| Written Test | $175 |
| 2nd Class Medical Certificate | $100 |
| Checkride (3 hrs flight time and $800 examiner fee) | $1,250 |
| Total cost in the Piper Cherokee 140 | $26,975 |
Instrument Rating
An instrument rating trains you to fly solely by reference to the flight instruments. Instrument training will help sharpen your skills and make you a safer pilot.
We have two technically advanced aircraft with state of the art avionics to provide for a highly sophisticated instrument training experience. We operate with a Garmin GTN 650 and Garmin 430 as well as have Garmin G-5s and 275s in our aircraft.
Price Breakdown
The times listed below are FAA minimums. It can be difficult to obtain proficiency in the times listed, therefore, it is wise to add 10% to the total price for planning purposes.
NOTE: This estimate assumes you already have your Private Pilot Certificate.
All costs listed are for flying the Piper Cherokee 140 (to fly the 180 add an additional $10/hour to aircraft costs)
| 15 hours of solo cross-country @ $150/hr | $2,250 |
| 20 hours of dual (with a CFII) @ $225/hr | $4,500 |
| 20 hours of IFR time building @ $200/hr | $4,000 |
| 20 hours of ground instruction @ $30/hr | $600 |
| Written Exam | $175 |
| Checkride (3 hrs flight time and $600 examiner fee) | $1,050 |
| Total cost in the Piper Cherokee 140 | $12,575 |
We absolutely do! Taos is located in a high alpine environment. Mountain Flying is top of mind here each and every day. We offer accelerated mountain flying courses for those looking to gain knowledge of mountain flying techniques and looking to become safer and more proficient pilots! Call us to learn more and to discuss pricing.
If you have your own aircraft, Michael is a phenomenal instructor and MEI rated. He has over a dozen type ratings and experience in all kinds of aircraft. He’d love to teach you how to fly your twin engine! Call us to learn more and to discuss pricing!
We offer Instrument Proficiency Checks, Flight Reviews, ATP Training, Upset Recovery Training, Discovery Flights, and more! Perhaps you’ve been out of the seat for a little while and want to brush up on your skills or you want to keep up on your instrument approaches. Maybe you’ve never flown a Piper Cherokee and want to try it out or you’re in town visiting and would like to take your family up for a quick flight! Whatever your needs are, we are sure we can meet them!
