Instructional Services

Aviation Adventures offers the most comprehensive range of instructional services available.  Our training programs and services include:

We do it all.

The heart of any flight school is its instructor staff.  Our instructors are experienced, well-qualified pilots who love to share the gift of flight with others.  We have both full-time and part-time instructors, allowing for a training program that fits your schedule. Our instructors do much more than build time for their next job in aviation.  Aviation Adventures’ instructors, on average, have more instructor ratings, more hours of flight instruction, and experience and ratings in more aircraft types than any Virginia flight school.

Our aircraft are the best training and rental planes in the area.  They are equipped with the latest technology, including moving map Global Positioning System systems in most cases.  Please visit our Aircraft Rentals page for pictures and details of each of our airplanes.

We do everything possible to accommodate you doing your flight training on your schedule.  Our web-based scheduling system allows you to make your own reservations on-line.  This has several advantages.  First, it provides access to the schedule 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  You no longer have to wait for an office to open in order to reserve an aircraft or check the time of your lessons.  Additionally, it eliminates the ambiguity that can arise from attempting to schedule aircraft  and instructors over the phone.  You make your own reservations, so you know that the correct time slot has been reserved for you. 

We are also proud to offer flight training financing through Pilot Finance.  Many of our pilots take advantage of flight training financing opportunities.  Get your training and certificates now, pay later.  Please contact our office for a loan application or more information.

We would like the opportunity to show you our aircraft, meet our instructors and show you how we can start or advance your flight training.  If you would like more information on our aircraft, training programs, or other services, we invite you to come out to the airport for a close-up view of what we can do for you.


Sport Pilot Certificate:

The sport pilot certificate allows you to fly lightweight, single-engine, two-seat aircraft to any non-towered airport in the United States during daytime in fair to good weather.  Additional endorsements can be obtained to fly into controlled airports.  Though there are some limitations on aircraft and flight conditions, the Sport Pilot Certificate only requires a minimum of 20 hours of flight time, including 15 hours with a flight instructor.  This certificate is for someone who wants to fly just for fun.

Recreational Pilot Certificate:
Recreational pilots fly locally for fun, with little interest in making longer trips, flying faster aircraft or going into larger airports. Recreational pilots must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 30 hours of flight time, including a minimum of 15 hours of flight instruction.  Certain restrictions apply to this license.  This license is somewhat easier to attain than a Private Pilot Certificate, but has travel distance and aircraft size and horsepower restrictions that do not effect Private Pilots.

Private Pilot Certificate:
This is the basic pilot’s license. With this certificate you can fly in fair to good weather, day or night,  with passengers. It does not allow you to fly in the clouds or for hire. A minimum of  40 hours of flight time is required to  become a private pilot. Most people have approximately 50-60 hours of flight time when they complete their training.  There are about 25 to 30 flight lessons needed to get your Private Pilot Certificate.  The length of time depends on how frequently you fly.  This is the starting point for nearly all pilots.

Instrument Rating:
The instrument rating allows you to fly in the clouds and in lower weather conditions.  This increases your options for flying and reduces the risk of getting stuck somewhere due to weather while out on a cross-country flight. It also refines your basic piloting skills, giving you more precision and confidence as a pilot.  The instrument rating is the usual next step following the Private Pilot Certificate.

Commercial Pilot Certificate:
The Commercial Pilot Certificate allows you to earn money for flying.  The training includes a few fun new maneuvers, and adding to your cross-country flight experience.  This is the next step for pilots wishing to sharpen their piloting skills or wishing to become a professional pilot.

Multi-Engine Pilot Certificate:
The Multi-Engine Pilot Certificate is an add-on rating that allows you to fly an aircraft with more than one engine, such as our Grumman Cougar, Twin Comanche or Diamond Twin Star. A basic Private or Commercial transition generally takes 4 - 6 hours; an additional 3 - 5 hours are usually needed to include multi-engine instrument privileges with the certificate.

Airline Transport Pilot Certificate:
The Airline Transport Pilot Certificate(ATP) allows the holder to act as a Captain on larger passenger carrying and cargo aircraft. Bob Hepp and Ray deHaan, the Chief Flight Instructors at Aviation Adventures are current jet Captains and provide instruction in our Grumman Cougar, Twin Comanche and Diamond Twin Star for those desiring an Airline Transport Pilot certificate. Their first-hand experience with airline operations and training allows them to focus on the real-world requirements of an airline transport pilot.  23 years of age, 1500 hours of total flight time and 500 hours of cross-country time are the significant prerequisites for the ATP certificate.

Certificated Flight Instructor:
A Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) is authorized to instruct students and pilots towards obtaining their Sport, Recreational, Private, Commercial Pilot and ATP certificates. The training involves learning the Fundamentals of Instruction, refining your piloting skills from the right seat of the aircraft, and learning how to give ground and flight instruction. You must have a Commercial Single Engine Pilot Certificate and an Instrument Rating to apply for a CFI certificate.

Certificated Instrument Flight Instructor:
A Certificated Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII) is authorized to instruct pilots towards their Instrument Rating.  The training involves refining your instrument and teaching skills from the right seat, and learning how to give ground, simulator and instrument flight instruction. You must have a Commercial Single Engine Pilots Certificate and an Instrument Rating to apply for a CFII certificate.

Certificated Multi-Engine Flight Instructor:

A Certificated Multi-engine Flight Instructor (MEI) is authorized to instruct pilots towards their Private and Commercial Multi-engine Certificates.  The training involves refining your multi-engine and teaching skills from the right seat and learning how to give multi-engine ground and flight instruction. You must have a Commercial Multi-engine Pilots Certificate and an Instrument Rating to apply for an MEI certificate.

Complex Aircraft Endorsement:

After some training with one of our instructors, you will get the endorsement that permits you to pilot an aircraft with a constant-speed propeller and retractable landing gear, such as our Piper Arrows or A-36 Bonanza.

High Performance Endorsement:
Pilots require a high performance endorsement prior to flying any airplane that has an engine that produces more than 200 HP.  We have multiple aircraft matching that definition and can help add that endorsement to your logbook.  Our normally-aspirated and turbo-charged Cessna 182s and our Cessna 400 are excellent aircraft in which to get this easy endorsement.

Tailwheel Endorsement:

Our Aeronca Champ provides the opportunity to learn the skills associated with flying a tail wheel aircraft. This opens up the possibility of flying to shorter landing strips with unpaved surfaces that aren’t as practical for higher-performance, tricycle-gear aircraft.  The tailwheel transition is a great way to add a fun endorsement during your next Flight Review.

Factory Approved Garmin G-1000 Transition Training:
Aviation Adventures is the only area flight school offering Garmin G-1000 glass cockpit training from Cessna and Diamond trained and certified instructors.  We have the widest assortment of G-1000 equipped aircraft, and are committed to quality instruction in Technologically Advanced Aircraft.

Flight Review:

As a licensed pilot, you are required to complete a Flight Review every two years.  This includes a minimum of one hour of ground instruction and one hour of flight instruction.  Our Flight Reviews ensure you continue to maintain a level of confidence and safety that will allow you to continue to enjoy the rewards of being a pilot.

Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC):

Instrument rated pilots must meet certain currency standards in order to file and fly under the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).  If your instrument currency has lapsed, we can help you get back in the clouds.  Our IPCs ensure you are not only instrument current but proficient as well.

Back to Top 

Meet Our Instructors

Our pilots
