Discounts for Clemson students, employees, and ROTC cadets 
Oconee County Airport (KCEU) · Five minutes from Clemson University
What will it actually cost to learn to fly?
Five questions, about a minute. You get a real cost range and a real timeline, built from our published rates. No brochure, nothing to commit to.
- The same instructor from your first flight to your checkride
- Every rate we charge is published on the site
- Free KnowTAM access for written test prep while you train
Would rather just talk? (864) 280-7257
Question of Last step
Your flight plan
What happens next
Winston gives you a call
We work out what you are after and what it would take, and you get real numbers once we know. No obligation.
Estimated total
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This is an estimate, not a quote. Training hours vary with how often you fly, weather, and how quickly things click. We would rather show you a range we can stand behind than a single number that turns out to be wrong.
We have your details, so Winston will follow up either way. A copy of this plan is on its way to your inbox.
Your plan is above, but it did not reach us, so nothing was saved and no email is coming. Call or text (864) 280-7257 or email info@upstateflightschool.com and we will pick it up from here.
Who you would be flying with
Upstate Flight School is a small operation at Oconee County Airport in Seneca, five minutes from Clemson University. Winston Tripp holds CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates and flies the same airplanes you will train in.
You work with one instructor from your first flight through your checkride, not whoever happens to be on the schedule that day. Our fleet is a Cherokee N8368W with a modern electronic panel and autopilot, plus a SIAI Marchetti S.205, currently in an avionics upgrade, for complex and high-performance training.
What happens after you hit submit
01
You see your numbers
Right on the screen, itemized, built from the same rates published on our pricing page. A copy lands in your inbox.
02
Winston follows up
One call or text to answer questions and talk through what your schedule would actually look like. If the timing is not right, tell us and we will leave you alone.
03
You go fly
A Discovery Flight is 60 minutes of flying, about 90 minutes at the airport. You fly the airplane. If you keep going, the hours count toward your certificate.
Questions people ask first
Do I need a medical certificate before I start?
Not for a Discovery Flight or your first few lessons. You need an FAA medical certificate before you fly solo, so most students schedule the exam within the first month. We will point you to an aviation medical examiner nearby.
Do I have to pay the whole amount up front?
No. You pay for each flight as you fly it, at the published hourly rates. That is also why the estimate is a range: your total is whatever hours you end up flying, not a figure locked in on day one.
How often do I need to fly?
Twice a week is the sweet spot. Once a week works, but you spend more of each lesson reviewing the last one, which is why flying less often usually costs more in total hours, not less.
I am a Clemson student. What is the discount?
Clemson students, Clemson employees, and ROTC cadets fly for $10/hr less on the airplane. Answer the affiliation question above and the estimate applies it automatically. ROTC cadets also have a dedicated flight block.
Where exactly are you?
Oconee County Airport, 365 Airport Rd, Seneca, SC 29678. That is five minutes from Clemson University and roughly forty-five minutes from Greenville.