What Hillsboro Aero Academy's program costs

Common questions about Hillsboro Aero Academy

How much does Hillsboro Aero Academy cost?

Hillsboro Aero Academy publishes $80,195 for its Professional Pilot Program, accelerated (all ratings), as listed on the academy's own pricing page (July 2026). It publishes 2 tracks in total, priced by how much flight experience you start with. That is the published sticker for the program, not a personalized quote, and it is what the academy asks before the fees the sticker excludes.

What is included in Hillsboro Aero Academy's program price?

Hillsboro Aero Academy's published programs cover Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine (AMEL), Flight Instructor, Instrument Instructor and Multi-Engine Instructor. The headline track plans for about 206 flight hours. The academy states about 14 months to finish. On what it excludes, the academy states: Published AVERAGE cost (not a minimum), adding optional CFII and MEI. Excludes DPE checkride fees (about $1,000-$1,400 each), FAA written exams ($175 each), and a $7,500 program deposit.

What happens if you need more hours than Hillsboro Aero Academy's program includes?

Published as an average. Your real cost rises if you fly more than the average hours. Hillsboro labels the figure "AVG COST" and says pricing is "based on average hours for completion; individual completion rates will vary." Time beyond the average bills at its published rates (instruction about $88-$95/hr; aircraft $163-$454/hr by model). This is the question worth asking hardest at any accelerated academy, because the published price and the price a student who flies over the plan actually pays are two different numbers.

Does going to Hillsboro Aero Academy lower the 1,500-hour airline requirement?

No. An accelerated academy does not reduce the 1,500-hour ATP minimum. Only a qualifying aviation degree does, under 14 CFR 61.160, which lowers it to 1,000 hours for a bachelor's or 1,250 for an associate's. What an academy sells is speed and a fixed price to the commercial certificate and instructor ratings, not a shortcut to the airlines. Most graduates then instruct to build the remaining hours.