Academy of Aviation

South American Flight Students

M1 Visa FAA Commercial Pilot Programs in the United States.

AoA Alumni

Career Success StoryAOA students and Flight instructor alumni, Capt. Rejaul Rajib and First Officer Eric Riker, share the cockpit of a Republic Airways flight out of LaGuardia on Jan. 14, 2022.

AoA Graduates

AOA Alumni InstructorsAOA Alumni and flight crew out of Chicago O’Hare: Rejaul Rajib in the left seat with Jamaal Simon closest to the camera.

AoA Graduates

Private Pilot Goal AchievedInternational Student Ugochukwu Osuocha is officially a Private Pilot with the help of CFI Darrin Long!

Academy of Aviation has taught students from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Puerto Rico.

Price, housing and qualification information is available right here.

Start your journey with Academy of Aviation by filling out the form below:





**F1 Visa for Flight Schools Has Been Discontinued.** The Student and Exchange Visa Program (SEVP/SEVIS) in late August 2021 determined that a degree program will be required, along with flight training, in order to offer the F-1 Visa.


Minimum Qualifications to Enroll with Academy of Aviation

17+ years of age
Passport with 2+ years until expiration
Proof of funding to present to the US Embassy during your student visa interview (approximately $35,000 - $45,000)
Able to obtain a minimum 3rd Class FAA Medical
Proficient level of English (evaluated by Admission Team)
High school diploma or equivalent.



Academy of Aviation vs. Competitors Price Comparison





Competitor Price

$45,000 - $89,000+
Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Single and Multi.
  • 1 campus option
  • No Accelerated Option, 12+ months to complete.
  • 1-3 month ground school before you touch an airplane.
  • Too many students, not enough planes.
  • Operations are not knowledgeable about other countrys' Civil Aviation Authority Requirements to co-validate your FAA Training.

NC/GA/NY Locations: PPL-CPL (Single + Multi) Course Details

Estimate your Duration of Training: International students are scheduled 5 days per week and our training sessions are 2 hours. Therefore, you can estimate 8-10 hours of flight per week. Referring to your quote above, in the section labeled "Total Logged Time", you can divide those hours by 10 for an estimate of weeks in order to complete all of your training.

Example Payment Schedules:

1) Payment Schedule based on PPL, IR, CPL SE, and Multi Engine Add on in the C-152** with a start date of July 12, 2023
You are only contracted for your tuition estimated at $41,888 and will pay checkride, written, non-tuition and pilot supplies fees as they become due.
1st payment due after you are issued the visa, minimum 1 week prior to arrival $5,000
7/12/2023 $5,000 + $400 Cessna kit (non tuition fee) = $5,400
8/12/2023 $15,744
9/12/2023 $15,744

2) Payment Schedule based on PPL, IR, CPL SE, and Multi Engine Add on in the C-172 G1000** with a start date of July 12, 2023.
You are only contracted for your tuition estimated at $48,343 and will pay checkride, written, non-tuition and pilot supplies fees as they become due.
1st payment due after you are issued the visa, minimum 1 week prior to arrival $5,000
7/12/2023 $5,000 + $400 Cessna kit (non tuition fee) = $5,400
8/12/2023 $18,971.50
9/12/2023 $18,971.50



**If you are 6+ feet tall and/or 180+ lbs, you are not eligible to fly the C152 due to the compact size of the aircraft.

NOTICE: Farmingdale Campus Additional Non-Tuition Landing Fee: $2-$3 per flight

Class Start Dates: The 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Curricular Practical Training Eligibility: On the M1 visa students are eligible for unpaid Curricular Practical Training (CPT) when they complete their CFI, CFII and/or MEI. Calculated by USCIS as 1 month of CPT for every 4 complete months of training, maximum of 6 months. Read more about CPT at Curricular Practical Training.

Logging Hours to Airline Minimums: You can always enroll for the Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Single and Multi Engine Pilot Program to start and decide later, while you are at the school, to continue with your Flight Instructor Ratings (CFI, CFII and MEI).

The tuition costs are approximately $20,000 for the 3 Flight Instructor courses and the maximum tuition reimbursement is up to $10,000. Making the decision when you are nearing completion of your CPL is what we advise, so that we can properly evaluate how much Curricular Practical Training you would be eligible for.

You would still be eligible to train other students in order to log up to 1,000 total hours and for the tuition reimbursement offer.

Flight Instructor Tuition Reimbursement Offer: Up to $10,000 upon completion of all of your flight training AND approved CPT by USCIS. Your total estimated tuition reimbursement will be calculated upon approval by USCIS. Only USCIS can approve CPT; no school can guarantee you CPT because it is not within the school's authority. You cannot be paid to work as a Flight Instructor on the M1 visa!

FAA Medical: Depending on your career goals, students should obtain a 1st, 2nd or 3rd Class FAA Medical before arriving to Academy of Aviation. You can typically find FAA Aviation Medical Examiners (AME) at major airports in every country. If not, please review disqualifying medical conditions and medications that may prevent you from obtaining the necessary medical certificate in order to conduct flight training in the United States.

Our Admissions Team and staff are not AMEs, doctors or medical professionals so we cannot appropriately advise on what would or would not be a disqualifying condition or medication. If you are concerned about your ability to obtain your FAA medical certificate and there are no AMEs within a reasonable distance to you in your country, we advise you to obtain your country's aviation medical certificate prior to beginning the enrollment process with Academy of Aviation. This will be a good indicator of your eligibility for the FAA medical certificate when there are no other options.

Limited Student Housing Options are available.

There are no housing options at White Plains.

Academy of Aviation

International Student Achievements

Academy of Aviation

Ananya Jain earns her private pilot license in Farmingdale.

Academy of Aviation

Anukriti Madhra celebrates becoming a Commercial Pilot in Gastonia.

Academy of Aviation

Archana Siyal passes her Single-Engine Commercial check ride.

Academy of Aviation

Jinnia Gupta passes her Instrument check ride.

Academy of Aviation

Nikita Mehta passes her Private Pilot check ride.

Academy of Aviation

Starlyn Jose Tavarez De La Rosa successfully graduates after taking his Multi-Engine Commercial check ride.

You Have the Dream,
We Give it Wings



FAQs