Pilot Training Programs · NextGen Editorial Preview

The Annual Roundup · Training Programs

Eight ratings. One roadmap. Zero hours to the airlines.

Every FAA pilot certificate and rating offered at NextGen, laid out as a single catalog. Prerequisites, hour requirements, where it is offered, what you will fly. The map from a first discovery flight to the captain's seat at a Part 121 carrier.

A Note on Regulations

Part 61 vs Part 141

FAA Part 61 at both Riverside and Redlands. FAA Part 141 at Riverside (KRAL) only.

Part 61 is flexible, self-paced, slightly higher hour minimums (40 PPL, 250 commercial). Part 141 is an FAA-approved structured syllabus with stage checks, lower minimums (35 PPL, 190 commercial), and is required for some VA benefits. Career-track and GI Bill students at Riverside typically choose Part 141. Most students train Part 61.

PPL · Both Airports · 3 to 6 months

Private Pilot Certificate

$12,000 starting

The certificate that lets you fly. Carry passengers, plan cross-country trips, fly for personal use. Foundation for every certificate after.

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IR · Both Airports · 3 to 4 months post-PPL

Instrument Rating

Fly in clouds, low visibility, IMC. Required for serious cross-country in California winter weather. Prerequisite for most commercial pilot work.

CPL · Both Airports · Complex training Riverside

Commercial Pilot Certificate

The certificate that lets you get paid. Flight instruction, banner towing, aerial photography, pipeline patrol, cargo, gateway to airline employment.

ME · Riverside Only · 2 to 4 weeks

Multi-Engine Rating

Required for almost every airline path and most corporate flying. Ten to fifteen flight hours of focused training in the Beechcraft Duchess.

Instructor Track · 6 to 10 weeks initial

CFI / CFII / MEI

Teach others. Build the hours you need for an ATP. Most career-track pilots earn CFI immediately after commercial.

ATP · Riverside Only · 1,500 hours min

Airline Transport Pilot

The highest pilot certificate the FAA issues. Every Part 121 airline captain holds one. We offer checkride prep in the Beechcraft Duchess once you have met hour requirements.

Endorsement · Redlands Primary · 2 to 3 weekends

High Altitude Endorsement

California-specific because California has the terrain. Mountain and density-altitude operations as a practical safety endorsement for any pilot flying west of the Rockies.

Endorsement · Riverside primary · with Commercial

High Performance & Complex Endorsements

Required by FAR 61.31 for aircraft above 200 horsepower (high performance), or retractable gear, controllable-pitch propeller, and flaps (complex). Typically earned alongside commercial training.

A Note on the Long Plan

Career Track

12 to 18 months full-time · Riverside · Part 141 recommended

Zero hours to airline-ready. Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine, and CFI in a structured timeline at Riverside. Graduate ready to instruct and build hours toward the ATP minimums.

The first hour earns the certificate. The next thousand earn the job.

Get started

A discovery flight or a phone call. We walk through program fit, budget, timeline, and financing.

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