PilotBound

Published rates, sourced · Updated September 10, 2026

What flight training costs at Maryland flight schools

Every listing shows the school's own published rates with the source and date, next to an honest PilotBound estimate for your Private pilot certificate. Add any school to your plan to map your whole route on their real rates.

Across the 13 Maryland schools here with published rates, trainer rentals run $80 to $365 per hour and instruction $30 to $125, and PilotBound's private pilot estimate lands between $10,475 and $35,905, with a median of $17,375.

Search, filter by city, and sort by cost. Each card marks where it falls among the state's schools on cost. Estimates are ours, not quotes, and we are not affiliated with these schools. See a wrong number? Every card has a correct-this-listing link.

Estimate cost toflying
Showing 1–12 of 26 schools

Totals to reach your Private goal at this pace. Estimates use PilotBound's own completion-hours model, examiner-completion data where it exists and FAA minimums where it does not, applied to each school's published rates. They are PilotBound estimates, not the school's quote, and will differ from a school's own figures. How we estimate.

Private estimate range across Maryland

lowest $9Khighest $40.9K

  • Navy Annapolis Flight Center

    Part 141
    Lowest in MD

    Edgewater, MD·nafcflying.org

    Published rates

    $80/hr aircraft (fuel basis not stated)+$30/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    NAFC publishes per-course cost sheets rather than a rate card, so these hourly figures are derived from its own printed arithmetic: C152 solo $80/hr and dual $110/hr on the private course sheet, which gives $30/hr instruction, matching the sheet's own $30/hr ground briefing line. The Arrow appears only as dual time inside course totals ($160/hr dual on both the commercial and CFI sheets). Flies from Lee Airport (ANP) with a second base at Tipton Airport, Fort Meade (FME).

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $10,475

    range $9K – $11.9K

    ~78 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planNAFC cost breakdown →

  • Columbia Training Centers

    Part not stated

    Fort Washington, MD·ctc-usa.org

    Published rates

    $120/hr aircraft (dry, fuel billed separately)+$65/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    Rates are dry: fuel is billed separately. Each flight also carries a $65 pre/post flight fee, shown on the rate card next to the hourly figures. Ground school is a separate $305 course.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $14,785

    range $12.7K – $16.9K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planCTC cost breakdown →

  • Advanced Aviation Group

    Part not stated
    Largest fleet

    Frederick, MD·advanced-aviation-group.com

    Published rates

    $130/hr aircraft (fuel basis not stated)+$70/hr instructor

    Checked September 5, 2026·Source

    Fleet shown is the Frederick (KFDK) base; the Martin State (KMTN) base keeps its own fleet. CPL is listed as coming soon.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $15,795

    range $13.6K – $18K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planAdvanced Aviation cost breakdown →

  • Piedmont Flight Center

    Part not stated

    California, MD·fly-piedmont.com

    Published rates

    $135/hr aircraft (fuel basis not stated)+$65/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    Piedmont Flight Center does not say whether its published rates include fuel. This estimate uses the rate exactly as published, so ask before you budget: a dry rate adds roughly $30 to $60 per hour once fuel is on top.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $15,865

    range $13.6K – $18.1K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planPiedmont cost breakdown →

  • Freeway Aviation

    Part 61

    Bowie, MD·freewayaviation.com

    Published rates

    $140/hr aircraft (wet)+$60/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    Rates include fuel.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $15,935

    range $13.7K – $18.2K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planFreeway cost breakdown →

  • GT Aviation

    Part not stated

    Fort Washington, MD·gt-aviation.com

    Published rates

    $130/hr aircraft (dry, fuel billed separately)+$80/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    Rates are dry: fuel is billed separately (the airfield runs an $18/month fuel club). Instruction is $80/hr, $85/hr with a senior instructor; an older paragraph on the same page still says $65/hr, so confirm with the school. A $500/month club plan covers up to five 172 hours per week-average on a 4-month contract.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $16,375

    range $14.1K – $18.7K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planGT Aviation cost breakdown →

  • SOMD Aircraft Rentals and Instruction

    Part 61

    California, MD·somdaircraftrentals.com

    Published rates

    $160/hr aircraft (wet)+$60/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    The Cherokee's rate is published wet. Instruction is $60/hr on top of aircraft rental.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $17,375

    range $14.9K – $19.8K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planSOMD cost breakdown →

  • Ready 9 Aviation Academy

    Part not stated

    California, MD·r9aa.org

    Published rates

    $169/hr aircraft (wet)+$60/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    Training runs part-time and by appointment. The C140 rate is published wet. The Cessna A185F amphibious seaplane is $589/hr with a 10-hour SES add-on course at $6,500; the operator's older Southern Maryland Seaplanes site prices the same seaplane at $650/hr, so confirm which applies. Ready 9 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $18,023

    range $15.5K – $20.5K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planReady 9 cost breakdown →

  • Harford Air Services

    Part 61 & 141

    Churchville, MD·harfordair.com

    Published rates

    $175/hr aircraft (fuel basis not stated)+$65/hr instructor

    Checked September 10, 2026·Source

    The C172 CFI rate is derived from solo ($175) vs dual ($240). The Seneca publishes only a dual rate ($430/hr) with the multi-engine instructor bundled in.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $18,745

    range $16.1K – $21.4K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planHarford Air cost breakdown →

  • 1World Aero

    Part not stated

    Fort Meade, MD·1worldaero.com

    Published rates

    $175/hr aircraft (fuel basis not stated)+$68/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    A $15/hr per-engine fuel surcharge is in effect on top of the aircraft rate. Instruction is tiered by instructor seniority, $67.50 to $80/hr; billing covers briefings and ground time at the same rate. Insured renters get rewards rates about $7.50/hr lower. Renter's insurance (about $335/yr) is required before solo or rental.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $18,890

    range $16.2K – $21.5K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my plan1World cost breakdown →

  • Washington International Flight Academy

    Part not stated

    Gaithersburg, MD·learntoflydc.com

    Published rates

    $180/hr aircraft (fuel basis not stated)+$70/hr instructor

    Checked August 31, 2026·Source

    One $180/hr rate covers most of the fleet (Cessna 172s, Piper Archers and Warriors); the 172XP is $190, the Arrow $205, the Seminoles $320 and the Seneca $340. Instruction is $70/hr on every certificate page including multi-engine. The Redbird FMX is $75/hr with cheaper 10- and 20-hour packages.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $19,395

    range $16.7K – $22.1K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planWIFA cost breakdown →

  • Dream Flight School

    Part not stated

    Westminster, MD·dreamflightschool.com

    Published rates

    $199/hr aircraft (fuel basis not stated)+$99/hr instructor

    Checked September 10, 2026·Source

    Dream Flight School does not say whether its published rates include fuel. This estimate uses the rate exactly as published, so ask before you budget: a dry rate adds roughly $30 to $60 per hour once fuel is on top.

    PilotBound estimate · Private

    $22,445

    range $19.3K – $25.6K

    ~72 hrs on their published rates, plus one-time fees.

    Add to my planDream Flight cost breakdown →

Flight school costs in Maryland, in numbers

Computed from the 13 Maryland schools that publish both an aircraft and an instructor rate, on the same method every card above uses. The 13 listings without a full rate card are left out of every figure.

$17,375
Median PilotBound Private estimate across the 13 schools with published rates
$80 to $365
Published trainer rental, per hour
$30 to $125
Published instruction, per hour
13 of 26
Schools publishing a full rate card (aircraft and instructor)

Lowest published trainer rates in Maryland

Part 141 flight schools in Maryland

Flight schools by city in Maryland

Airports with more than one Maryland flight school

Discovery flights in Maryland

3 Maryland schools publish a discovery flight price, median $200. See each price with its source

How these estimates work

We apply one consistent method to every school: PilotBound's own completion-hours model, examiner-completion data where it exists (like the Private and Commercial) and FAA minimums where no credible public data exists (like the Instrument and CFI), times that school's published aircraft and instructor rates (linked on every card, with the date we verified them), plus the one-time fees most quotes leave out. Holding the hours model identical across schools means the only thing that changes card to card is the school's actual rates.

So the number is PilotBound's estimate, not the school's quote, and it will differ from a school's own cost figures, which are often based on FAA-minimum hours. The schools do not set or endorse it.

Want a number tied to your own pace and aircraft choice? Run the estimator or read the full methodology.

These estimates are ours, not the schools' quotes, and we are not affiliated with the schools. A school can correct or remove its listing anytime. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Common questions about Maryland flight schools

How much does flight school cost in Maryland?
Across the 13 Maryland flight schools here that publish full rates, trainer rentals run $80 to $365 per hour and instruction $30 to $125 per hour, checked as recently as September 10, 2026. On each school's own published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate between $10,475 and $35,905, with a median of $17,375. These are PilotBound estimates built on published rates, not quotes from the schools.
What is the cheapest flight school in Maryland?
Navy Annapolis Flight Center in Edgewater publishes the lowest trainer rental of the 13 Maryland schools listed here, $80 per hour for its Cessna 152, a rate that does not say whether fuel is included, checked August 31, 2026. The lowest hourly rate is not automatically the lowest total: instructor rates, fuel basis, and the hours you actually fly decide that, which is what the per-school estimates on this page hold constant.
How current are these Maryland flight school rates?
Every rate here is the school's own published figure, linked to its source and dated; the newest check in Maryland is September 10, 2026, and each card and school page shows the exact date its rates were read. The directory is re-checked on a monthly cycle, and 13 more schools in Maryland are listed without an estimate because they do not publish a full rate card. A school can correct or remove its listing anytime.