Rates partly published · Henderson, NV
Flight training at Cactus Aviation
No instructor rate. Cactus publishes rates for all 5 of its airplanes and nothing for instruction, so there is no total on this page.
Checked September 13, 2026 against Cactus Aviation site.
- FAA part
- Not stated on their site
- Trains
- PPL · IR · CPL · CFI · CFII
- Website
- cactusaviation.com
Section 1What is published
Cactus's own figures
Checked September 13, 2026 · Source
| Aircraft | Published rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pipistrel Alpha Trainer | $155/hr | Two-seat light sport, and the cheapest way in. |
| Cessna 172S (180 hp, IFR) | $185/hr | The 172N and both 172Rs are the same rate. |
| Cessna 175B (180 hp, IFR) | $195/hr | |
| Cessna 172SP (180 hp, IFR) | $220/hr | |
| Super Decathlon (180 hp) | $235/hr | Tailwheel and aerobatic. |
Priced per hour on the fleet page, marked IFR, with no wet or dry wording and no instruction rate anywhere on the site. A Redbird LD AATD is $75/hr.
Section 2Why there is no total
An estimate needs an instructor rate.
A training total is hours multiplied by rates. With instruction unpriced there is nothing to multiply, and we will not fill the gap with a plausible number: every figure on this site carries a link that shows it today.
Instructor rateMissing from their site
Instruction is the second biggest line on a training bill, after the airplane.
What to compare their answer against
Not Cactus's rates. The middle of what 10 Nevada schools charge, to hold your phone quote against.
- Trainer, medianWhat the airplane costsRange $160 to $235 per hour.
- $175
- Instruction, medianWhat the instructor costsAcross 10 schools with published rates.
- $70
From the schools here that publish full rate cards, the same sample behind the Flight Training Cost Report. Cactus is not in it.
Section 3Paying for it
Two ways to pay for it.
Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left. Neither figure assumes anything about you: one is what our scholarship directory holds, the other is what the lenders publish.
- Money you keepScholarships you could apply for46 open to anyone. Top awards reach $22,200.No Nevada-only awards in the directory yet.
- 46
- Money you pay backLenders that fund flight trainingSix lenders, compared on the limits and rates they publish. That is what is on offer, not whether you would be approved.
- 6
Section 4What to ask
What to ask when you call
The marked ones are what Cactus's site never answers. The rest are what turns an hourly rate into a real bill.
What do you charge per hour for flight instruction, and is ground instruction billed at the same rate?Missing from their site
This is the number that is missing from the site. Ground is often billed separately and at a different rate.
Does the instructor rate change for the Instrument, Commercial, or CFI, or is it flat across everything?Missing from their site
Plenty of schools charge more for advanced instruction. A flat rate quoted for the Private can climb later.
Do the published aircraft rates include fuel, or is fuel billed separately?
The site does not say, and it is the difference between two rates that look identical and are not.
What does the instructor cost per hour?Missing from their site
The whole fleet is priced and the instruction beside it is not.
Do you offer block rates or prepay discounts, and what is the refund policy if I stop partway?
Block discounts are common and rarely published. The refund terms matter more than the discount.
What do you charge for the written test, the checkride, and the examiner's fee?
The DPE fee alone runs $800 to $1,200 in most of the country and is almost never in a quoted hourly rate.
How many trainers and how many full-time instructors do you have right now?
Availability decides your pace, and pace decides your total more than the hourly rate does.
Called them? Send us what they said.
Send the number over and Cactus Aviation gets a full listing with an estimate, marked as sourced by phone on the date you called.
Send what they told youSection 5Nearby schools
10 Nevada schools publish a full rate card.
Each one has an estimate built on its own published rates. Listed alphabetically, because ordering them by price would be a ranking this page is not making.
- 702 AviationNorth Las Vegas, NV · Checked September 5, 2026$170/hr$55/hr instruction
- All In AviationHenderson and Las Vegas, NV · Checked September 5, 2026$235/hr$110/hr instruction
- Biggest Little Flight SchoolReno, NV · Checked September 10, 2026$169/hr$70 to $80/hr instruction
- ChrisAir AviationNorth Las Vegas, NV · Checked September 10, 2026$160/hr$80 to $100/hr instruction
- El Aero ServicesElko, NV · Checked September 10, 2026$165/hr$50/hr instruction
- Great Basin AviationReno, NV · Checked September 10, 2026$185/hr$80 to $90/hr instruction
Section 6Sources
- That the school exists
- Cactus Aviation siteChecked September 13, 2026
- The rates above
- Cactus Aviation fleet pageChecked September 13, 2026
Are you Cactus Aviation? Send your rate card and this becomes a full listing with an estimate, free. Or have it removed.
This page says one thing is not stated on your site. Send us where it is published and it shows here instead.
- What instruction costs per hourSend it
PilotBound is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cactus Aviation. School names are used only to identify the school. Rates shown are the school's own published figures with the date we checked them. This page carries no PilotBound estimate, because the school does not publish enough for one. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Other Nevada flight schools
- 702 Aviation · North Las Vegas
- All In Aviation · Henderson and Las Vegas
- AtheneAir Aviation Services · Boulder City
- Aviation of Mesquite · Mesquite
- Biggest Little Flight School · Reno
- Chennault Flying Service · North Las Vegas
- ChrisAir Aviation · North Las Vegas
- Desert Dogs Aviation · North Las Vegas
- Desert Flying Club · Boulder City
Plan the money before you commit
A program price only makes sense next to what each rating costs on its own, what free money exists, and what borrowing actually looks like.
What each rating costs
Honest per-rating ranges, with the fees most quotes leave out.
Free money first
Verified flight training scholarships. Every scholarship dollar is a dollar you never finance.
If you borrow
Compare lenders and see the real monthly payment before you sign.