What a discovery flight costs in Illinois
A discovery flight costs a median of $199 at the 16 Illinois flight schools that publish a price, and published prices run $95 to $395.Each price below is the school's own figure, with its source, the date it was checked, and a number to call.
- Median price
- $199
- Schools
- 16
- Range
- $95 to $395
Updated November 3, 2026
Illinois 16
$395
JWA Flight School · Bolingbrook
$199
Aeronautics Academy · Chicago
$297
$105
Blue Skies Flying Services · Lake in the Hills
The school does not say how long the flight is.
$199
Boraam Aviation · Prospect Heights
About 30 to 45 minutes. A Chicago lakeshore route of 45 minutes to an hour is $360.
$270
Sauk Valley Aviation · Rock Falls
$99
$198
$99
Holiday Airways · Schaumburg
In a Cessna 172.
$199
Sport Pilot Chicago · Sheridan
$95
$110
JA Flight Training · Sugar Grove
Two 30-minute lessons, one of them in a VirtualFly simulator.
$199
Travel Express Aviation · West Chicago
A one-hour lesson in a Piper Archer, with half an hour of flight training.
$210
$350
$290
Common questions about discovery flights in Illinois
How much does a discovery flight cost in Illinois?
Across the 16 Illinois flight schools that publish a discovery flight price, the median is $199. Published prices run from $95 to $395. What the price buys varies: some include thirty minutes in the air, others an hour plus a ground briefing, so compare what each one includes as well as the figure.
What is a discovery flight?
A short first lesson in a training airplane with a flight instructor. You sit in the pilot's seat, and most schools let you take the controls once you are in the air. Schools also call it an intro flight or a demo flight.
Does a discovery flight count toward a pilot certificate?
It can. Time flown with a certificated flight instructor can be logged as dual instruction, which counts toward the private pilot certificate. Ask the school whether the instructor will sign your logbook for the flight.
What should I ask before booking one?
How long you will be in the air, as opposed to the whole visit; which airplane you will fly; whether a ground briefing is included; whether tax is added; any weight limit; and whether a friend or family member can ride along.
Cite or share this stat
PilotBound, "Discovery flight prices in Illinois": median $199 across 16 Illinois flight schools that publish a discovery flight price (range $95 to $395), each from the school's own site, updated November 3, 2026. https://pilotbound.app/discovery-flights/illinois
Free to reuse with credit. A link back to this page is appreciated.
The figures on this page are published under CC BY 4.0. Each school's price links to the page it comes from.
Beyond the first flight: what training costs at Illinois flight schools, or discovery flight prices in every state.
PilotBound is not affiliated with these schools. Each price is the school's own published figure on the date shown, and schools change them; confirm with the school when you book. A state gets a page like this once 5 of its schools publish a price. Disclaimer & removal policy.