Flight Training in Miami | My Flight Time — Fort Lauderdale
20 minutes from downtown Miami via I-95 • 300+ VFR days/year • 12hrs/day, 7 days/week
Flight Training Near Miami
If you are a pilot or aspiring pilot in Miami, My Flight Time at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) is just 20 minutes north via I-95. You get access to South Florida's premier flight training facility without the congestion and complexity of training at Miami International Airport.
Why Miami Pilots Choose MFT
Miami's proximity to KMIA Class B airspace is a training advantage — MFT students gain exposure to one of the busiest airspace environments in the country while training at the more accessible KFXE. This combination of complex airspace experience and a manageable training environment produces exceptionally well-rounded pilots.
Programs Available
MFT offers every program Miami pilots need: Private Pilot License ($11,750, 4–6 weeks), Instrument Rating ($11,500), Commercial Single ($3,125) and Multi-Engine ($10,250), CFI/CFII ($4,250), and complete time building from 50 to 1,500 hours at rates starting at $60/hr wet.
South Florida offers 300+ VFR days per year. Unlike northern training locations, Miami-area pilots never lose training weeks to winter weather. Our 12-hour daily schedule and year-round operations mean you finish faster.
Getting to KFXE from Miami
From Brickell or downtown Miami the drive is a straight run north on I-95 to the Commercial Boulevard exit, then two miles west to the general aviation ramp at KFXE. Brightline riders can also step off at the Fort Lauderdale station and reach the field in about fifteen minutes by rideshare, which is how several of our Miami students handle early-morning slots without sitting in rush-hour traffic. Parking at the hangar is free and unrestricted, so there is no airport garage fee stacked on top of your lesson.
How Miami Students Schedule Training
Most Miami students book two weekday morning blocks and one weekend block. Mornings are smooth, the sea breeze has not built yet, and the KFXE pattern is quietest before 09:00 local. Full-time career-track students from Miami usually run a five-day-per-week schedule for four to six weeks on the Private Pilot certificate, then move straight into the Instrument Rating while their radio work is still sharp. Part-time students on a two-lesson-per-week cadence typically finish the Private in four to five months.
Local Airports and Routes Miami Pilots Fly
Miami-based students fly south into Miami Approach's Class B for airspace and clearance practice, then work the shoreline VFR corridor back up the coast. Practice-area work happens over the Everglades conservation areas west of the field, where there is no traffic conflict for stalls, slow flight and steep turns. Cross-country legs typically run KFXE–KPGD, KFXE–KSRQ or a Keys leg down to Marathon, all of which satisfy the FAA's long cross-country requirements while giving you real coastal and over-water decision-making.
What Miami Pilots Get at MFT
20 minutes from downtown Miami with free hangar parking
Class B exposure through Miami Approach on nearly every flight
Everglades practice areas for uncongested maneuver work
Bilingual instructors for Miami's international student base
Flight Training Services for Miami Pilots
Miami pilots come to KFXE for different reasons — some want a weekend private certificate, others are trying to reach airline minimums before the next hiring cycle. Here is exactly how each program runs for a student commuting up from Miami-Dade.
Private Pilot License — $11,750
The Private Pilot certificate is where most Miami students start, and it takes four to six weeks full time or four to five months at two lessons per week. The package covers aircraft, instructor time, ground instruction and the pre-checkride prep; you add your own headset, medical and FAA written fee. Miami students get an unusual advantage here: because Miami Approach sits directly under our practice routes, you will be talking to a busy Class B facility long before your checkride, which is the part most private pilots elsewhere never get comfortable with. Checkrides are scheduled at KFXE with local designated examiners, so there is no ferry flight or out-of-state travel at the end.
Instrument Rating — $11,500
The instrument rating is the single most valuable add-on for a Miami-based pilot, because South Florida's afternoon convective weather and marine layer are exactly the conditions the rating teaches you to handle. Training runs approach work at KFXE, KPMP, KFLL and KBCT, plus holds and partial-panel work in the Everglades practice areas. Most Miami students finish in six to eight weeks alongside a normal work schedule, or three to four weeks intensively. We fly IFR into real Class B and Class C airports rather than restricting you to simulator time, so your first clearance after the checkride is not your first clearance.
Commercial Pilot — $3,125 single-engine, $10,250 multi-engine
Commercial training assumes you already hold instrument privileges and the required hours, and it focuses on precision maneuvers: chandelles, lazy eights, eights on pylons, power-off 180s. Miami students usually run the commercial single-engine course in two to three weeks of concentrated flying, then decide whether to add the multi-engine course in the Seneca or Duchess. The multi-engine program is the standard path for pilots targeting regional airline interviews. Both courses are structured around the same 12-hour operating day, so career-track students from Miami can fly twice daily instead of stretching the course across months.
CFI and CFII — $4,250
The instructor certificate is how most Miami pilots pay for the hours between commercial and airline minimums. The course covers fundamentals of instruction, right-seat flying, lesson planning, and the full oral preparation the CFI checkride is known for. Because we run our own instructor staff at KFXE, strong CFI graduates are frequently hired here, which means a Miami student can go from private pilot to paid instructing without changing airports or aircraft types. CFII is trained on the same package so you can instruct instrument students, which is where instructor demand in South Florida is heaviest.
Time Building — $100/hr down to $60/hr wet
Time building is the reason many Miami pilots find us in the first place. Single-engine rates start at $100/hr for casual rental and step down with block size: $90/hr at 10 hours, $85/hr at 50, $80/hr at 100, and $60/hr on a 1,500-hour block. Multi-engine blocks run $210/hr down to $160/hr on the same scale. Blocks are flown solo, with a safety pilot, or split between two pilots logging cross-country, and the aircraft are available 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Miami-based pilots typically fly Keys and west-coast Florida legs to make the hours count as real cross-country experience rather than laps in the pattern.
Every rate above is published on our pricing page and the aircraft are listed on the fleet page.
Cost and Timeline for Miami Students
The honest cost question from Miami students is not the sticker price of one certificate, it is the total to reach a hireable resume. A pilot starting with no experience spends $11,750 on the Private Pilot certificate, $11,500 on the Instrument Rating, $3,125 on Commercial Single and $10,250 on Commercial Multi-Engine, and $4,250 on CFI and CFII — around $44,650 in instruction and aircraft before hour building. From there the gap to 1,500 hours is filled either by instructing, which earns rather than costs, or by block time building at $60 to $90 per hour depending on block size. Full time, a Miami student can move from first lesson to commercial certificate in nine to twelve months, and to airline minimums in roughly two years while instructing. Part time on two lessons a week, the private certificate alone takes four to five months. What we will not do is quote a minimum-hours fantasy: the FAA minimum is 40 hours for a private certificate and the national average is closer to 60 to 70, and our estimates reflect the real number.
Who Trains With Us From Miami
Miami sends us three distinct groups. The first is career changers in their twenties and thirties, often from hospitality, logistics or finance downtown, who commit to a full-time track and want the shortest defensible path to a regional airline. The second is licensed international pilots living in Miami who need FAA certificates, an instrument rating or US hours before a carrier will consider them — this group cares most about aircraft availability and block pricing. The third is recreational: business owners and professionals in Brickell, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne who want to fly to the Keys, Naples or the west coast on weekends, and for whom the instrument rating is what makes the airplane useful in a South Florida summer. The training is the same; the scheduling and the emphasis differ. We plan the syllabus around which group you are in rather than pushing everyone through an identical calendar.
How to Get Started From Miami
The first step for a Miami student is a discovery flight: an hour with an instructor, you on the controls, and the time logged toward your certificate if you continue. Book it for a weekday morning if you can, because the air is smoothest and the pattern quietest before 09:00. Before your first solo you need an FAA medical certificate, and we will point you to an aviation medical examiner close to Miami rather than leaving you to search. Third-class medical is sufficient for private flying; if you are career-track, get a first-class from the start so any disqualifying issue surfaces before you have spent money. Then we build a schedule: full-time students block five days a week, part-time students pick two fixed weekly slots, which protects your progress from the drift that kills part-time training. Bring your logbook if you have flown before, and we will credit what the FAA allows.
Other Cities We Train Pilots From
Driving in from somewhere else in South Florida? These pages cover commute times and local routes for nearby cities:
My Flight Time Aviation Academy — Serving Miami Pilots
Our one staffed location at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) trains pilots from Miami and across South Florida. These are the exact business details listed everywhere online.
Listed name, address and phone number (NAP) are identical on every page and directory listing.
What Our Students Say
Verified reviews from our Google Business Profile
“Flight Time out of FXE is the best place to build time!! The absolute best prices and of upmost importance to me the flexibility is top notch! I was able to build time incredibly fast while at the same time having a flying job. This allowed me to hit ATP minimums in time for my upcoming class date. The aircraft are well maintained and any squawks are promptly addressed. I was able to forge new friendships and easily hit over 8 hours of flying every day I flew. I would love to highlight the incredible kindness of the staff and emphasize how well they treated me! Shout out to Johnny, Lexi, Mark and Stefan and the other Flight Time staff for all they did to keep the pilot group safe and keep us flying! Blue Skies and Tailwinds!”
“If you’re serious about building time efficiently, this is hands down the best place in the country to do it.
My name is Tony, I’m from Nashville, Tennessee, and I’ve been here since February. I came in with 300 hours and the goal to reach my ATP minimums as quickly and as cost-friendly as possible and this place did that for me. I fly 8 hours every single day and the operation here makes that kind of consistency realistic.
The biggest advantage is the fleet. All the planes are actually well-maintained, reliable aircrafts that you never lose a day of flying because of availability or maintenance. That alone sets this place apart.
The flexibility is amazing. You make your own schedule, go wherever you want, fly when you want, and fly with whoever you want. You can fly as much or as little as you want, which is huge depending on your goals and pace.
On top of that, the pricing is unbeatable. These are EASILY the best priced airplanes you’ll ever fly.
For anyone coming from out of state, they also offer housing, which makes the process easier.
Overall, this is the number one time-building and flight training operation in the nation. If your goal is to build hours quickly, efficiently, and without headaches, there’s no better place to do it.”
“I’m currently in private pilot training, and I’ve really been enjoying everything so far. I’m still in the process, but I’m very grateful I chose this school and I’m excited to keep going.
The instructors are all great, especially Fernando. They are very knowledgeable, patient, and easy to learn from. They take the time to make sure you actually understand things instead of rushing through lessons, which makes a big difference when learning to fly.
What surprised me the most was the size of their fleet they have a lot of Piper and Cessna planes also multi engine planes all in really good condition. It makes me feel very confident in my training knowing the planes are well maintained.
They are also very flexible with scheduling. They really work with you, especially when you’re trying to balance flight training with everything else going on.
Overall, it’s been a great experience so far, and I’m looking forward to finishing all my licenses here at Flight Time.”
“HANDS DOWN, best time building operation in South Florida! Don’t go anywhere else if you’re looking for a good 61 school or a place to build time! The planes are super well maintained with a diverse fleet of aircraft. The school director Cris, is a standup guy as well. Everything is well maintained and the staff are very friendly and accommodating for whatever you need.”
“Flight Time helped me achieve my goal of hitting my ATP minimums. The faculty, the planes, and the people that I met along the way made my journey rewarding and enjoyable. There is no better place than Florida to build your time and polish your skills as a pilot. You won’t find a better place for the price point. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and couldn’t recommend it more.”
“If you’re serious about building time efficiently, this is hands down the best place in the country to do it. I came in with 300 hours and the goal to reach my ATP minimums as quickly and as cost-friendly as possible and this place did that for me. The biggest advantage is the fleet — well-maintained, reliable aircraft, and the pricing is unbeatable. Overall, this is the number one time-building and flight training operation in the nation.”
KFXE is approximately 20 minutes north of downtown Miami via I-95. We are easily accessible from anywhere in Miami-Dade County.
Why train at KFXE instead of a Miami airport?
KFXE offers a professional towered training environment without the delays and restrictions of Miami International (KMIA). You still gain Class B airspace exposure through nearby Miami Approach.
Do Miami residents need to relocate for MFT programs?
No. Many Miami residents commute daily. For intensive programs, we offer accommodations near KFXE.
How much does it cost to get a pilot license in Miami?
Our Private Pilot package is $11,750 and covers aircraft, instructor time and ground instruction through the checkride. You add your headset, FAA medical and the written exam fee. Miami-area schools commonly quote higher hourly rates, so the full-package price is usually the fairest comparison.
How long does flight training take for a Miami student?
Full time, most Miami students earn the Private Pilot certificate in four to six weeks. On two lessons a week it takes four to five months. Adding an instrument rating takes another six to eight weeks part time.
Can Miami pilots build 1,500 hours at My Flight Time?
Yes. Single-engine blocks step down to $60 per hour on a 1,500-hour block and multi-engine to $160 per hour, flown solo, with a safety pilot, or split between two pilots who both log cross-country time.
Do you train Miami students who have never flown before?
Most of them. Discovery flights are the normal first step, and no prior experience or aviation background is needed. You need a US FAA medical certificate before your first solo, and we point you to a nearby aviation medical examiner.
