Learn to Fly - Recreational Pilot Classes

Your Goals, Your Flight Plan

From your first discovery flight to advanced pilot training, Paragon’s mission is to deliver an excellent training experience that meets your goals and ambitions. Every student has goals that are unique to their personality and lifestyle. Knowing that, Paragon creates a unique and adaptive pilot training program for each of our students.

Schedule A Consultation 239-274-3170

The First Step, Your Discovery Flight

Whether you are looking to become a career pilot, fly privately, or just have a fun new experience, the discovery flight is the best place to begin. In a one-hour introduction to aviation, a discovery flight gives you a taste of what it is like to be an actual pilot.

With our introductory flights, you get hands-on experience at the controls alongside a certified flight instructor. See what learning to fly feels like and decide if you want to continue.

No experience is necessary, and there’s no commitment. Your Discovery Flight gives you a chance to stop dreaming and see what’s really involved. You may find it’s everything you’ve ever wanted it to be. Or, you may find it’s not the right fit for you — before you invest in pilot training.

What’s Included?

Here’s what’s included in your Discovery Flight:

Pre-flight briefing with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
About one hour in the air
Your hands on the controls
Post-flight debrief with information about pilot training

Learn to Fly by Pursuing a Private Pilot License

If you’ve taken your Discovery Flight and found that flying is the right path for you, you can start training for your Private Pilot License (PPL).

You’ll learn aircraft systems, navigation, weather, regulations and emergency procedures. Hands-on flight training plus classroom study prepares you for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exams.

Here’s what you can expect:

Stage 1: During your beginner flying lessons, you’ll learn the basics in preparation for a solo flight, with 20-30 flight hours of training. Before you finish this stage and take your first solo flight, you get a stage check with an experienced instructor to make sure you’re ready.
Stage 2: Continue to develop your skills with cross-country navigation, landing practice and 10-15 hours of flight time. You get a second-stage check before your solo cross-country flight, where you’ll apply your navigation skills on a longer route.
Stage 3: After completing all required training and passing the FAA Knowledge Test and checkride, you earn your Private Pilot License. Then, you’ll be ready to fly as a certificated pilot!

Whether you’d like to fly recreationally or want to become a professional pilot, you can start here with the Private Pilot License.

Schedule Consultation 239-274-3170

What’s Next After Becoming a Private Pilot?

Having your private pilot license fulfills your dreams by letting you fly. It can even be the start of an entire career. You can pursue the following options:

Instrument Rating: The instrument rating (IFR) builds your confidence in using navigation instruments so that you can fly even in rainy weather or through clouds.
Multi-engine training: This add-on course typically requires 11-15 hours and builds the skills needed for multi-engine operations, including aircraft control and emergency procedures.
Professional and commercial pilot training: We can customize a training program for your aviation career goals. Our airline and commercial pilot training gets you started on your career path. You can also become a Certified Flight Instructor, where you can train students and share your aviation knowledge and passion.

What Makes Paragon the Right Choice

At Paragon, more than 80% of students who start training complete it, far above the industry norm. The reason comes down to three things: ownership that is in the building and genuinely invested in every student’s success, a training system called the Paragon Learning Cycle that introduces concepts on the ground before students ever set foot in the aircraft, and a program flexible enough to fit around real life without ever lowering its standards.

Students are not treated like numbers here. That is not a marketing line, it is how the school was built and how it operates every day.

Schedule Consultation View Our Programs

Student Success First

78% Completion Rate
90% first-time pass rate
You Matter

Known by Name. Not a Cohort
Ownership is always a conversation away.
The Right Path for You

Part 61, Part 141, or a combination of both to build the training path that fits you best.
Flexible Pacing

Full-Time or Part-Time
Built around your goals and lifestyle.

Recreational Training Programs

Private Pilot (PPL) Learn More

Instrument Pilot Rating (IFR) Learn More

Multi Engine Training (MEL) Learn More

Glass Cockpit Learn More

International Recreational Flight Training Learn More

Make Your Flying Dream a Reality With Us

It’s time to stop dreaming about it and take to the skies. A no-commitment, no-experience-needed Discovery Flight is the first step to starting your new hobby or your career as a pilot. Book yours today or call us at 239-274-3170 to speak with a member of our team.

Meet Our Graduates

Micah D.

My name is Micah Doane, I trained through Paragon Flight for nearly all of my training until I became a Paragon Flight Instructor. From day one I could tell that Paragon was a place where I could learn about aviation at the highest level without wasting my time or money. Apart from the incredible instruction I received, I also had a blast learning to fly! I met many great friends along the way whom I still keep in contact with, most of which also fly for airlines or large charter companies now. I found instructing at paragon to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I wouldn’t trade my time at the school for any other job. Training at Paragon taught me the importance of balance and showed me how to operate at an extremely high level and how to have fun while doing it. My time with Paragon fully prepared me for my next steps in an airline career and I will be forever grateful for this flight school and its community.

Will H.

The great environment that paragon made. Focusing on customer experience still stands true today. I also met my now wife while working at Paragon!

Kelsey M.

There are too many memories to list for me since I was there for about 9 years. I will say the biggest memory/experience while working there would be the lifelong friends that we all made. Paragon was just one big family unit and was literally the most fun job to go to everyday, especially since I was working with all of my friends!

Adam T.

When I worked at Paragon we were a small group of just 5 instructors. That really made it feel like a family and we had a lot of fun together sharing our passion for flying with our students. I believe that family vibe as coworkers steered me toward the corporate world of flying. My current job is a continuation of that family environment and we work very hard to fly the most important people of our company safely to their destinations and we have a lot of fun doing it at the same time!

Chris P.

Having been able to spend a lot of time with Paragon while I was there, I was able to form many great friendships with other Instructors, Employees, and Students. Many of whom we all stay in contact with to this day. My most memorable experience though by far was having our Wedding Reception in the Hangar surrounded by Friends, Family, and Various Aircraft.