CAREER-PILOT PATH

Fromfirstflighttofirstjob.

Every rating from Discovery Flight to your first airline job — what it is, what it asks, and what it lets you do.

Inside the cockpit of a Desert Wings Archer II

STOP 01 / 07 · DF

Discovery Flight

A 30-minute introductory flight in an Archer II. You take the controls in cruise. Most people decide whether flying is for them within ten minutes of takeoff.

Minimum requirements

  • No prereqs
  • Any age
  • 30 minutes
  • Gift-friendly

What it lets you do

  • Log time toward PPL
  • Feel an actual airplane
  • Meet an instructor before committing
Discovery flight details
Archer II at sunset over the desert

STOP 02 / 07 · PPL

Private Pilot

The license. Fly yourself and passengers anywhere in the U.S. in clear weather, day or night. The foundation every other rating builds on.

Minimum requirements

  • Age 17
  • 40 hr min · ~70 hr typical
  • Third-class medical
  • Written + checkride

What it lets you do

  • Fly the Archer II solo or with passengers
  • Cross-country trips
  • Day and night VFR (no compensation)
Explore Private Pilot details
Archer II in cruise above scenic Arizona terrain

STOP 03 / 07 · IR

Instrument Rating

Fly in clouds, fog, low visibility, and weather using only the panel. The rating that turns flying from a fair-weather hobby into reliable transportation.

Minimum requirements

  • PPL required
  • 50 hr cross-country PIC
  • 40 hr instrument time
  • Written + checkride

What it lets you do

  • Fly under IFR
  • File flight plans into weather
  • The gateway to commercial work
Explore Instrument Rating details
Archer II banking through scenic terrain

STOP 04 / 07 · COMM

Commercial Pilot

From here, every hour you log is hireable. Commercial unlocks the right to be compensated for pilot services.

Minimum requirements

  • Age 18
  • 250 hr total time
  • Second-class medical
  • 10 hr complex, TAA, or turbine
  • Written + checkride

What it lets you do

  • Get paid to fly
  • Charter, ferry, banner-tow, instruction with CFI
  • Scenic flights
Explore Commercial details
Desert Wings Seneca II twin-engine aircraft

STOP 05 / 07 · CMEL

Commercial Multi-Engine

Add multi-engine privileges to your commercial certificate. Most first jobs in the industry expect or require it. Trained in the Seneca II.

Minimum requirements

  • COMM required
  • Instrument Rating strongly recommended
  • Second-class medical
  • Multi-engine training
  • Checkride

What it lets you do

  • Fly twin-engine for compensation
  • Meet hiring minimums for charter and regional pipeline
  • Earn multi PIC time airlines look for
Explore Multi-Engine details
Desert Wings Archer II on the ramp

STOP 06 / 07 · CFI

Certified Flight Instructor

Teach what you've learned and get paid to do it. CFI is how almost every working pilot at DWFS built their first 1,000 hours after commercial.

Minimum requirements

  • COMM required (knowledge tests can be concurrent)
  • Age 18
  • FOI + CFI written
  • Checkride

What it lets you do

  • Instruct primary students for compensation
  • Log PIC hours while teaching
  • The fastest legal path to ATP minimums
Explore CFI details
Archer II in cruise — instrument-rated configuration

STOP 07 / 07 · CFII

Instructor — Instrument

Add instrument-instruction privileges. Lets you teach the IR and finish the time-building loop with two ways to log paid PIC.

Minimum requirements

  • CFI required
  • IR required
  • Written + checkride

What it lets you do

  • Instruct instrument students
  • Diversify your résumé
  • Most career-track DWFS students earn CFI and CFII back-to-back
Explore CFII details

Pricing

What it costs

Per-rating pricing is published in the calculator at Pricing.