Purdue Pilots, Inc. (PPI) is an Indiana Non-Profit and Purdue Student Organization dedicated to providing affordable flight rentals to Purdue students, faculty, and alumni. Purdue Pilots is an equity flying club which currently owns 2 aircraft. When a new member joins, they become a partial owner of the aircraft and gain the exclusive right to rent our airplanes.

There are three distinct operations at the Purdue Airport: Purdue University Flight Operations, Purdue Aviation, LLC, and Purdue Pilots, Inc.

Purdue University Flight Operations (or "Hangar 6") is a university run flight school available only to enrolled professional flight students, and entirely distinct from Purdue Pilots. Purdue Aviation, LLC (or "Av") is a for-profit fixed base operator (FBO) and flight school. Purdue Pilots, Inc. (PPI) is a non-profit flight club. PPI partners with Purdue Aviation for maintenance, hangaring, and flight instruction.

Starting with an introductory lesson is the perfect way to see if you are ready to begin your flight training. A discovery flight is a quick introductory lesson where you will fly with a certified flight instructor and even get to control the aircraft. It is a great way to see if you’ll be comfortable in a small aircraft before making a large commitment. Contact Purdue Aviation, our flight training provider, to book your discovery flight today.

If you don’t think flying is for you, but you still want to be a part of our community, we do offer non-flying memberships!

Our rental rates are charged hourly for the time when the engine is running and include the cost of fuel. Our rental rate is priced at break-even plus a small margin. Our club dues are also priced at break-even and go towards paying our fixed expenses, such as insurance, hangar, etc.

Membership costs

Although we have quite a few flying members, our aircraft are largely available. We encourage your to schedule flights at least two weeks in advance.

Absolutely! International students require a background check done by the TSA, and fingerprinting. Go to “international info” for more details!

PPI rates are often $30-40 less than other rentals in the region for comparable aircraft. That means you could save $1,000-$2,500+ on your flight training costs by learning in our aircraft!

Although we have our fair share of rules, our members are more or less free to fly our planes wherever they want, whenever they want, with whomever they want. You want to take a trip to San Francisco? Sure thing - we've even done that in the past! You want to take some of your friends with you so they can experience flying? Not a problem, just make sure you check the weight and balance!

If you're a Purdue Flight student, you'll find that we have fewer weather restrictions than the aviation program and our planes are available to you 24/7.

Purdue Pilots maintains an insurance policy to cover both the complete hull value of our aircraft and $1,000,000 of liability coverage for our members.

In the event of an incident, the club member flying the plane will be responsible for paying the $2,500 deductible. However, our members are safe and responsible, and this has never been an issue!

The total cost of your certificate will vary person to person depending on several factors. The three main factors are aircraft rental, instruction time, and dues. Our goal is to make flying as affordable as possible for those at Purdue and we will do our best to create a generalized breakdown of what to expect for you.

The FAA requires 40 hours minimum of flight time to earn a private pilot license. During these hours, you'll train with an instructor, progress to nearby solo flights, on to flight planning and night flying. Toward the end of your training, you’ll take several solo long-distance flights across Indiana and into neighboring states. Your flight instructor will train you in all required skills, and it is typical for most student pilots to take 10-15 more hours than the minimum time to build the skills and confidence they need. Flight training is done at your own pace based on your schedule and the instructor’s schedule. The more often you can fly, the more beneficial. We recommend trying to fly around twice a week.

Once your flight instructor feels you are ready, he or she will sign off and arrange your final check-ride with an FAA examiner. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and skills as you plan a flight, interact with ATC, fly maneuvers, and follow all directions from the examiner. When you pass your check-ride, you’ve earned your stripes and are now an official private pilot!

Members are eligible to receive the following additional benefits when offered:

• Discounted online Ground School

• Scholarship opportunities

• Electronic Flight Bag licenses

AGE

Although you can take flight instruction at any age, the minimum age to solo is 16 and the minimum age to obtain your license is 17.

CITIZENSHIP

Starting flight training requires proof of citizenship.

• U.S. Citizens can provide either a U.S. passport or a birth certificate. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you can begin your training immediately.

• Non-U.S. citizens can provide a passport and VISA. Non-U.S. citizens must apply for clearance from the TSA before starting any training. The TSA process takes about three weeks and costs about $130. Our flight training provider, Purdue Aviation, will be able to assist you through this process and you can click here for more information.

Purdue Pilots does not offer flight instruction ourselves. Instead, we partner with Purdue Aviation LLC, a flight school, which is home to some of the best flight instructors in Indiana. You’ll typically fly with one instructor throughout your training, and you have the flexibility to find an instructor whose personality and schedule works best for you. Purdue Aviation will assist in the initial connection with a CFI.