Write your
own horizon.
One instructor, one student, one meticulously kept Piper Cherokee 140. Three-hour blocks with a real brief and debrief — no shared cockpits, no pilot mill.
No experience needed. A Discovery Flight is one flight, one instructor — nothing to commit to.
Page Field, Fort Myers — where Southwest Florida learns to fly. CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ▾
The numbers we fly by.
Real results from a one-airplane school.
Take a Discovery Flight
This isn’t a tour — it’s a real first lesson. You take the controls of the Cherokee 140 over the Gulf coast, with a certified instructor beside you the whole time.
- :01 Before you fly — A real briefing — aerodynamics, controls, the plan.
- :02 In the air — You take the controls over the Gulf coast.
- :03 Back on the ramp — Your first logbook entry — it counts.
The same instructor, every lesson
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) · FAA Part 61 instruction
You’ll fly with a person, not a company.
$175 · Discovery Flight
About an hour · you take the controls · it counts in your logbook
Book a Discovery Flight — $175Fly with full attention.
Core Aviator Training is the boutique flight school for Fort Myers — built around one promise: when you show up, it is just you and your instructor. Everything else follows from that.
One-on-one, every time
Every lesson is private — one instructor, one student, no shared cockpits. You keep the same instructor from first flight to checkride, so nobody ever re-teaches you.
Three-hour blocks
Lessons run in three-hour blocks with a real pre-flight brief and post-flight debrief. You leave every session knowing exactly what you did and what comes next.
A towered field, from day one
Page Field (KFMY) is a towered, professionally managed airport. You learn real ATC communication and airspace discipline from your very first hour.
Real pilots, not a pilot mill
We train you to actually be a good pilot — not just to pass a test. A 95% first-time PPL pass rate and 50+ safe solo pilots back that up.
“Started flight training at a different school, and switched to Core Aviator after 7 months not making any progress. In less than two months, I was able to get my private pilot license with Cristian. Great instructing, flexible scheduling, and very affordable prices”
“The Gold Standard of Flight Training – I passed at 40.2 hours!”
The career timeline.
Think of it like a degree plan: each license or rating is one course, taken in order, at your own pace. Almost everyone starts with the Private Pilot License.
One airplane, kept immaculate
- 150-HP Lycoming engine upgrade
- Low-wing visibility in the turn
- Wide-stance gear — stable in crosswinds
- Kept meticulously clean and maintained
Straight answers on cost.
CORE is pay-per-session: the Cherokee 140 rents at $170/hr wet (fuel and maintenance included) and instruction is $55/hr — how often you fly is the biggest driver of your total. Financing available — details on the pricing page.
Book a Discovery Flight — $175Common first questions
Do I need any previous experience to start?
No. The Discovery Flight is designed for complete beginners — you take the controls on your very first visit, with a certified instructor beside you the whole time.
What is a Discovery Flight?
A real first flying lesson, not a tour: a ~60-minute pre-flight briefing, then you fly the Cherokee 140 over the Southwest Florida coast from the pilot’s seat. It costs $175 and you receive an official logbook entry that counts toward your license.
Is it safe?
Yes — safety is the whole CORE model. You fly a meticulously maintained trainer with dual controls and a CFI beside you at every moment, from a towered airport with professional ATC. Weather cancellations are standard practice and never charged.
How much does it cost to earn a Private Pilot License?
You pay per session: the Cherokee 140 is $170/hr wet and instruction is $55/hr, with no big upfront packages. The FAA minimum is 40 flight hours; most students reach proficiency around 65, so frequency and ground study are the biggest levers on your total.
How do I get started?
Book a $175 Discovery Flight. It is a real lesson with logbook credit, it answers the “is this for me?” question in one morning, and it is the first entry in your path to a Private Pilot License.
Every pilot here started with one short flight.
Ready to write your own horizon?
$175 · one Discovery Flight · about an hour · it counts in your logbook
Book a Discovery Flight Call 239-722-6751Serving Fort Myers · Cape Coral · Naples · Estero · Bonita Springs · Fort Myers Beach · Lehigh Acres · Punta Gorda