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A training airplane lifting off the runway into a bright Florida sunset
Sarasota–Bradenton, Florida

Learn to fly where the sun shines all year.

Lakewood Aviation is a flight school built around you — one-on-one instruction, a schedule that bends around your life, and training conducted under FAA Part 61. Your first lesson starts with a discovery flight.

Book your discovery flight Explore training programs
  • Training under FAA Part 61
  • One-on-one instruction
  • Pay as you go
A flight instructor guiding a student through a lesson in the cockpit, pointing out the instrument panel in flight
That's you in the left seatHands on the controls from lesson one, with an instructor beside you.
Start here

Your first flight is a real lesson

A discovery flight isn't a sightseeing ride. It's your first training flight — the same first step every pilot takes, and the best way to find out if the cockpit feels like home.

  • Meet your instructor and walk through a real preflight inspection together
  • Take the controls in flight — climb, turn, and feel the airplane respond
  • See the Sarasota–Bradenton coast from the best seat in Florida
  • Log it as your first training flight and map out what comes next
Book your discovery flight
Training programs

Pick your next set of wings

From your very first lesson to professional credentials — every program is taught one-on-one under FAA Part 61, at the pace your life allows.

A gleaming white single-engine training airplane on the ramp under a bright blue sky
The starting point

Private Pilot Certificate

The certificate that starts it all. Learn to fly a single-engine airplane day or night in good weather, carry passengers, and travel on your own schedule. This is where weekend flyers and future airline pilots alike begin.

FAA Part 61 minimums

  • 40 hours total flight time
  • 20 hours of instruction with a CFI
  • 10 hours of solo flight, including cross-country
  • Be at least 17 years old; solo from age 16
Close-up of a classic six-pack flight instrument panel with attitude indicator, heading indicator and altimeter
Fly in the clouds

Instrument Rating

The rating that turns a fair-weather pilot into an all-weather one. Train to fly solely by reference to instruments, shoot precision approaches, and handle Florida's summer weather like a professional.

FAA Part 61 minimums

  • 50 hours cross-country time as pilot in command
  • 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time
  • 15 hours of instrument instruction with a CFI
  • Hold at least a Private Pilot Certificate
Front view of a red and white single-engine airplane parked on the ramp in front of hangars
Go professional

Commercial Pilot Certificate

The credential that lets you be paid to fly. Commercial training sharpens everything — precision maneuvers, complex systems, and the polish that separates a professional pilot from a hobbyist.

FAA Part 61 minimums

  • 250 hours total flight time
  • 100 hours as pilot in command
  • Advanced maneuvers and complex-airplane training
  • Be at least 18 years old
Stay current, stay sharp

Flight Reviews & Proficiency Checks

24 mo

Every pilot needs a flight review every 24 calendar months — and instrument pilots need to stay current to fly IFR. We make both painless: focused ground and flight sessions that knock off the rust and sharpen your skills.

What we cover

  • Flight reviews — minimum 1 hour ground + 1 hour flight
  • Instrument proficiency checks (IPC)
  • Rusty-pilot refreshers after time away from flying

Minimums shown are the FAA's Part 61 regulatory minimums. Most students build more time than the minimum before they're checkride-ready — your instructor will always be straight with you about where you stand.

Why Part 61

Training built around your life

Part 61 is the FAA's flexible training framework: no rigid academy schedule, no cohort you have to keep up with. The syllabus adapts to you — not the other way around.

Flexible scheduling

Fly before work, after work, or on weekends. Lessons are booked around your calendar, not a semester timetable.

One-on-one instruction

Every lesson is you and your instructor. Feedback is personal, progress is honest, and nothing gets glossed over.

Train at your own pace

Push hard and finish fast, or spread lessons out — either way, each flight builds on the last until you're checkride-ready.

Pay as you go

No giant upfront tuition bill. You pay for training as you take it, lesson by lesson, so flying fits your budget.

Straight talk: Part 61 schools aren't "FAA-certified" the way Part 141 academies are — and that's by design. Your training still follows the FAA's regulations and Airman Certification Standards, and your checkride is with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, exactly like everywhere else. What changes is the flexibility.

Your path to the cockpit

Five steps between you and the left seat

The route to a pilot certificate is well-charted. Here's the whole journey, start to finish.

01

Discovery flight

Take your first real lesson. Get airborne, take the controls, and log your first training flight.

02

Medical & student certificate

Apply for your student pilot certificate and get your FAA medical — we'll walk you through both, step by step.

03

Ground + flight training

Build knowledge on the ground and skill in the air: maneuvers, navigation, cross-country flying, and your first solo.

04

FAA knowledge test

Sit the FAA's written exam with your instructor's endorsement, backed by the ground training you've already done.

05

The checkride

Fly with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, demonstrate what you've learned, and earn your certificate. You're a pilot.

Florida is pilot country

While students up north lose weeks to snow and ice, the Sarasota–Bradenton coast offers flyable weather all year long — warm mornings, Gulf breezes, and sunsets worth logging. Less weather downtime means steadier progress and fewer cancelled lessons.

Good questions

Before your first lesson

How old do I need to be to start?

You can start training at any age — there's no minimum to take lessons with an instructor. You must be at least 16 to fly solo, 17 to earn a Private Pilot Certificate, and 18 for a Commercial Pilot Certificate.

Do I need a medical certificate?

Before your first solo flight, yes — student pilots need an FAA medical certificate, and the third-class medical is the usual starting point. It's a straightforward exam with an FAA-designated medical examiner, and we'll help you schedule it at the right time in your training.

What exactly is a discovery flight?

It's a real introductory training flight with a certified flight instructor: a preflight walk-around, a flight where you handle the controls, and a debrief on what training looks like from there. It counts as your first logged training flight if you decide to continue.

How long does it take to become a private pilot?

The FAA minimum is 40 hours of flight time, and most students log more than that before they're ready for the checkride. Your calendar drives the timeline: students who fly a few times a week progress much faster than those who fly once a month. Under Part 61, both approaches work — we build the plan around your schedule.

What's the difference between Part 61 and Part 141?

Both paths lead to the same FAA certificates and the same checkride standards. Part 141 academies follow a rigid, FAA-approved syllabus on a set schedule. Part 61 training is delivered by your instructor under FAA regulations with far more flexibility — scheduling, pacing, and lesson order adapt to you, and there's no large upfront tuition commitment.

Can I train around my job or school?

That's exactly what Part 61 is for. Lessons are booked one-on-one around your availability — early mornings, evenings, and weekends included — and you pay as you go, so training fits around work, family, and budget.

Get started

Book your discovery flight

Tell us what you're aiming for and when you'd like to fly. We'll build your request summary on the spot — save it or copy it, and bring it with you to the ramp.

Where we fly

Lakewood Aviation trains in the Sarasota–Bradenton / Lakewood Ranch area of Florida's Gulf Coast — sunshine, sea breezes, and some of the prettiest training airspace in the country.

  • Sarasota–Bradenton, Florida
  • Year-round flying weather
  • Flight training under FAA Part 61

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