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Become a <b>Professional Airplane</b> Pilot

Become a Professional Airplane Pilot

Become a Professional Airplane Pilot

Being a professional pilot is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. Imagine incredible office views with a new city or country to regularly discover. Not to mention the fantastic retirement benefits and simple enjoyment of being a professional pilot and flying for a living.

Being a professional pilot is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. Imagine incredible office views with a new city or country to regularly discover. Not to mention the fantastic retirement benefits and simple enjoyment of being a professional pilot and flying for a living.

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Become a <b>Recreational Airplane</b> Pilot

Become a Recreational Airplane Pilot

Become a Recreational Airplane Pilot

Experience more freedom working, playing, and living with recreational and Cirrus flight training. As a recreational pilot, your next adventure is always within reach, no matter how far you have to go. Save time and avoid the crowds by making the pilot’s seat your new normal. 

Experience more freedom working, playing, and living with recreational and Cirrus flight training. As a recreational pilot, your next adventure is always within reach, no matter how far you have to go. Save time and avoid the crowds by making the pilot’s seat your new normal. 

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We empower students to elevate their careers and lives through practical, professional airplane training.

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Rentals & Flight Reviews

Use our fleet to achieve your goals! Leading Edge Flight Academy can handle aircraft rentals and biennial flight reviews for pilots already licensed to fly.

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Rotor Transition Program

For helicopter pilots who want to pivot into an airline career, the Rotor Transition Program (RTP) can help you translate your skills to fixed-wing flying. 

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Airplane Training Program Add-Ons

Take your airplane training program to the next level and support your aviation career goals with additional fixed-wing program add-ons. 

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Rentals & Flight Reviews
Rotor Transition Program
Airplane Training Program Add-Ons
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Rentals & Flight Reviews

Use our fleet to achieve your goals! Leading Edge Flight Academy can handle aircraft rentals and biennial flight reviews for pilots already licensed to fly.

LEARN MORE
Rentals & Flight Reviews
+

Rotor Transition Program

For helicopter pilots who want to pivot into an airline career, the Rotor Transition Program (RTP) can help you translate your skills to fixed-wing flying. 

LEARN MORE
Rotor Transition Program
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Airplane Training Program Add-Ons

Take your airplane training program to the next level and support your aviation career goals with additional fixed-wing program add-ons. 

LEARN MORE
Airplane Training Program Add-Ons

Chart Your Course

Becoming an Airplane Pilot

AIRPLANE PROGRAM PRICING

See The Difference

Leading Edge Flight Academy vs. Other Flight Schools

Leading Edge Flight SchoolOther Flight Schools
PROGRAMPart 141 programnon-professional pilot program at a Part 61 flight school
HOURS TO REACH COMMERCIAL PILOT POSITION200 HOURS250 HOURS
FLIGHT HOURS PER MONTH AS AN INSTRUCTOR 70 hours per month30 hours per month
START A CAREER
 AT THE AIRLINESin 2.5 to 3 yearsin 5 YEARS
GET STARTED
Garrett Ross career opportunities; airplane training program

Flight Career Development Opportunities

Elevate Your Career

At Leading Edge Flight Academy, we don’t just train students to be great pilots. We coach them on how to be great employees. We’ll work with you and our industry partners to provide job placement opportunities that match your interests and abilities.

CAREER PATHS

Aviation Partners

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FEATURED FLIGHT STUDENT

JACOB EDGERLY

COCC Leading Edge Graduate

When Jacob first started his flight training with Leading Edge Flight Academy, he wasn’t sure where that training would take him. Four years later, he was to begin an exciting new career with Horizon Airlines. Jacob’s journey from working line and fueling airplanes to flying commercial jets began with the support he received from our program’s expert team. Working with his COCC advisor and flight provider, Jacob was able to lay out a plan that supported his goals and helped him to get to where he wanted to go: commercial airlines.
“When I started flying, the college and the flight provider laid out a plan for me—where I was gonna start and where I wanted to end up… 3.5 years later, I’m going to the airlines, which is exactly where I wanted to be when I started.” — Jacob

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Starting flight training which was a completely new endeavor, in a completely new state can be quite the challenge. Leading Edge Flight Academy, however made that transition a breeze. At Leading Edge Flight Academy everyone is treated like family and they thoroughly ensure every student such as myself was prepared for our futures in Aviation, from every preflight to check ride, no matter where it took us. From being Deputy operating as a Sheriffs Department Tactical Flight Officer, to being dual qualified on the Beechcraft 99 and the 120 LEFA paved the way. As Jack would always say “Only you can decide your aviation future but we will ensure you get there.”

Katani Best, First Officer FreightRunners Express

Katani Best, First Officer FreightRunners Express
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Becoming an airline pilot has always been my ultimate goal, and Leading Edge provided the best opportunity to build my flight experience up to the minimums required by the airlines. I grew up watching airplanes fly into the Bend airport, and flying over my hometown on a daily basis is one of the highlights of my career so far. As a SkyWest pilot, I now find myself flying into many of the same airports I first visited during my time at Leading Edge!

Garrett Ross

Garrett Ross
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Instructing at LEFA for 2.5 years not only got me the flight hours and experience necessary to make the next step in my career, but made the transition to flying bigger/faster aircraft easier. LEFA’s safety oriented, fast paced and professional program helped me sharpen valuable skills that have been necessary to meet the high safety and punctuality standards in the corporate pilot industry.

Cullen Foss

Cullen Foss
“
Leading Edge provided me with the exceptional training that prepared me for an awesome career as a professional aviator. The kicker is that you get to train in the dynamic and gorgeous area that is central Oregon! I couldn’t be happier with my decision to fly at Leading Edge and choose aviation as my career!

Adam Mitchell

Adam Mitchell
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After instructing I got the opportunity to work in Alaska, delivering parts and supplies to a remote gold mine. It helped pave the way to land my current job at a 135 operation. I fly C207s into the local villages delivering cargo and passengers in the Yukon Delta where driving is not always an option. It’s always good to maintain relationships in the aviation community because you never know who’s going to help you get to the next step in your career&#8211; or who you may help!

Dayne Schafer

Dayne Schafer
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As a First Officer, I assist Captains in the operation of our CRJ fleet; we get to fly the 200, 700, and 900 variants to all parts of the country! As a Procedures Instructor, I teach new hires how to apply what they learn from Ground School to successfully accomplish a regular gate to gate flight. The foremost impact of my time at Leading Edge was getting to train and work alongside some of the sharpest and kindest individuals one could&#8230;I learned a staggering amount both personally and professionally. They are all inspiring and motivating to keep oneself improving and growing, which is arguably the most important habit any pilot can develop.

Steven Crowe

Steven Crowe
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I moved to Bend, OR after I retired from the Navy to pursue my passion of becoming a professional pilot.  Even though I was a relatively junior instructor with just a handful of CFI experience, I was hired by Leading Edge Flight Academy. Over the past two years I’ve  had the opportunity to grow and hone my skills as a pilot and ultimately assume the title and responsibilities of Lead CFI and Check Instructor. Flying in Central Oregon presents unique challenges and opportunities for young students and their instructors. Pilots are presented with real-world flying scenarios that can teach them valuable lessons about flying safely while executing sound decision making skills.  I had the pleasure of having Nick as one of my first students when I started teaching at Leading Edge. It has been very rewarding to see him (and others) earn their pilot wings and become instructors as well! As I move on to a career in the airlines I reflect on my time at Leading Edge and am thankful for the amazing people I have had the opportunity to work with.

Andrew Reischauer

Andrew Reischauer
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I started my aviation journey with Leading Edge. I received exceptional training that set me up for success as a 135 cargo pilot as well as the 121 flying I’m doing now. The best part of training and working at Leading Edge, was working alongside some of the most kind, knowledgable and skilled aviators in the industry. I was provided with not only the skills to succeed but a network of people who have moved into all facets of the industry. That in itself is invaluable.

Mitch Bumby

Mitch Bumby
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Leading Edge was where I started my aviation career. They gave me to tools necessary to instruct, fly in rural Alaska, and finally become an Airline pilot. Training was always fun and exciting, but at the same time challenging. As a veteran, it is unbelievable that in two years, I got a degree as well as all my fixed wing ratings at no out-of-pocket expense. I always think to myself, “Why doesn’t everyone do this?

Clint Sheppard

Clint Sheppard
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COCC and Leading Edge helped get me to where I am today. The instructors, working with management, always wanted the best. It’s the group of people you work with that makes a company great, and at Leading Edge the camaraderie within the organization was awesome. That is what I saw as a student and an instructor. I really liked my time there and enjoyed the fact that everyone was tracking the same goal. I would recommend anyone to go fly there because there is a distinct difference in the knowledge and ambition coming out of this school that I haven’t seen from other pilots from different schools.

Andrew Camara

Andrew Camara
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It’s become part of who I am and I will never lose the desire and love I have for it.” Alice loves the freedom and adventure it brings! She wants to make flying into her career and inspire more women around the world! She highly encourages any women’s curiosity in aviation to give it a try!  She says, “Being a female pilot is empowering and rewarding!

Alice Reed

Alice Reed
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When I started flying, the college and the flight provider laid out a plan for me—where I was gonna start and where I wanted to end up… 3.5 years later, I’m going to the airlines, which is exactly where I wanted to be when I started.

Jake Edgerly

Jake Edgerly
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Leading Edge has been a great stepping stone for me to transition from military aviation into the commercial world. I did a lot of long IFR flights, in a large multi-engine aircraft, utilizing crew resource management and operating under military rules. Leading Edge allowed me to experience VFR flying out of a busy uncontrolled field, in a tiny/simple plane, utilize single pilot resource management, and get spooled up on the FARs as they apply to general/commercial aviation. Without the opportunity to experience this first hand as I did, and then pass that knowledge on to my students, I’d still be trying to wrap my head around the differences between military/commercial aviation. 

Brad

Brad