Discounts for Clemson students, employees, and ROTC cadets

Upstate Flight School
Upstate Flight School
Cherokee 180 trainer aircraft

Learn to Fly

Part 61 Private Pilot training in our Piper Cherokee 180. For aspiring pilots, Clemson students, and anyone who wants a patient, structured path to a Private Pilot certificate and beyond.

Private Pilot

Weekly lessons. Clear milestones. Your checkride.

Part 61 flight training in our Cherokee, on your schedule. The milestones are standard for any PPL — first solo, cross-country, night, checkride — but we build the path through them around your goals and pace, not a fixed syllabus. You rent the airplane wet (fuel included). Pay-as-you-fly: no monthly fees, no required commitment.

Pay-as-you-go pricing

  • $195/hr wet · Cherokee 180 (fuel included)
  • $55/hr · instruction, billed only for time spent
  • 10% off · prepay a 10-hour block, save on the wet rate

What to expect

  • Typical path: 50–70 flight hours to checkride, depending on pace and prior experience
  • Most students fly one to three times per week
  • Ground school covered in lesson prep, or scheduled separately
  • Dual Garmin G5, GNS 430 WAAS GPS, and autopilot — IFR-capable, ready for instrument training
  • Clemson student, employee, or ROTC cadet? Mention it at booking for your discount

Who this is for

  • First-time students starting from zero
  • Clemson students who want a local flight school minutes from campus
  • Career-track students building a path to commercial or ATP
  • Anyone who has wanted to fly for a long time and is ready to start

Already have your PPL? See our High-Performance track in N948W.

Book a Discovery Flight to Get Started

Discovery Flight

The best way to decide if flying is for you. You take the controls for most of the flight with a CFI in the right seat. If you decide to continue with Private Pilot training, the flight time counts toward your certificate.

Cherokee Discovery Flight

60 min flying, 90 min total · dual instruction included

$200

Book a Discovery Flight

Accelerated Private Pilot

Have the time and the drive to finish your Private Pilot in a few weeks instead of a few months? We run a 14 to 21 day intensive bootcamp in the Cherokee: 6 to 8 hours per day of one-on-one flying and ground, built around your schedule and prior experience.

What's included

  • 14 to 21 day intensive, full-time
  • 6 to 8 hours per day of flight and ground
  • Custom syllabus built around your schedule and experience
  • Cherokee rental at standard $195/hr wet (block discount applies)
  • Instruction at standard $55/hr

Contact us and we'll put together your personalized plan and exact pricing. Custom packages receive significant discounts based on scope and duration.

Contact Us

Cherokee Rental

Private Pilot certificate or higher? Rent our Cherokee for personal flying, currency work, or time building. Standard checkout required before your first solo rental: an instructor flight and an open-book quiz.

Rental rates

  • $195/hr wet · fuel included
  • 10% off with a 10-hour prepaid block
  • $55/hr dual instruction, if needed
  • Standard checkout: instructor flight + open-book quiz

See the full rates sheet

Cherokee hourly rates, block discounts, discovery flight pricing, and stacking student / ROTC discounts.

Go to Pricing →

Take the First Step.

Book a 60-minute discovery flight (90 minutes total at the airport) and find out whether flying is for you. You'll be at the controls for most of it, with a CFI beside you the whole time.

No commitment. If you decide to continue, the time counts toward your Private Pilot certificate.

Book a Discovery Flight