Pilot Pathway Program
Your Clear Path To Airline Pilot
Zero Flight Experience Needed
AeroGuard’s Pilot Pathway Program provides a clear path to become an airline pilot, taking students from little or no prior experience, directly to the professional airlines all in partnership with SkyWest Airlines, the largest regional airline in the U.S., flying for American, United, Delta and Alaska Airlines. With three Phases, the career path is clear and designed for success.
Students begin Phase 1 by learning the fundamentals of flight and executing training missions to gain 7 FAA Ratings & Certificates.
Phase 2 offers a Guaranteed Interview to work as a paid Certified Flight Instructor, building flight experience to 1,500 hours that are required to work as an Airline Pilot in the U.S. Within Phase 3, cadets will receive a Guaranteed First Officer Interview with SkyWest Airlines and a $17,500 Tuition Reimbursement following successful completion of I.O.E.
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As graduates of AeroGuard’s Pilot Pathway Program and SkyWest Pilots, Captains receive Guaranteed Pilot Interview with 3 Major Airlines: Delta, United and Alaska after two years of service, furthering the Pathway Program all the way to the Majors. This makes the Pilot Pathway Program unique by allowing students to Take Control of Their Career with a direct path to three major airlines, something not offered by other flight programs.
Start Your Pilot Career in 2025!
New Year, Pilot Career: Start preparing for your future career now and save over $3,000! Enroll in flight school this New Year with AeroGuard and we’ll provide the first 10 Flight Hours FREE and waive your Enrollment Fee – a value of over $3,000!
- Join the Pilot Pathway Program no later than Instrument Rating
- Enroll in the January or February Start Dates*
- 10 Flight Hours will be credited after completion of first FAA Rating
AeroGuard partners with multiple lending partners that offer up to 100% financing to fund your training. Start building your commercial airline pilot career now!
*Students are eligible for promotion if they begin AeroGuard’s Pilot Pathway Program prior to 2/28/25, joining the program no later than the start of the Instrument Rating course. Within the promotion, the Enrollment Fee of $150 will be waived and students’ First 10 hours of flight time will be credited back to Student’s account upon successful completion of their first FAA certificate or rating (Private Pilot License or Instrument Rating). Other terms of enrollment are not impacted.
Phase 1
Student Pilot
12-18 Months
The Student Pilot Phase sets the groundwork for your career as you build the skills, experience, knowledge, and confidence you need to become a pilot at an airline. You will receive first-class training from a carefully optimized syllabus and will graduate with 7 FAA ratings : PPL, IR, CPLSE & ME, CFI, CFII, MEI.
At AeroGuard, we place a priority on student support, so you will always have the resources and guidance you need to thrive as a student pilot.
Phase 2
Paid Flight Instructor
14 - 18 Months
After completing phase 1, you will have the opportunity to become a paid Certified Flight Instructor at AeroGuard.
Here you will build the experience and flight hours required to be eligible for a career at the airlines. As an AeroGuard Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), you will have the opportunity to train cadets for the world’s leading airlines and not only build your 1,500 hours, but acquire valuable training experience that will stand out to the airlines!
Final Phase
SkyWest Interview
At 1500 Hours
Following the completion of your two phases of training, you will have the opportunity to interview with and transition to SkyWest Airlines, the largest regional airline in the country. Here is where you’ll complete your Airline Transport Pilot (ATP/CTP) Type Rating and Initial Operating Experience (I.O.E) to become a professional airline pilot, all paid for by SkyWest Airlines.
Your career as a commercial airline pilot has officially taken flight!
FAA Approved Course – Save Up to 15%!
The AeroGuard Pilot Pathway Program features a specially approved FAA course, which means you can complete your training in less time, and with less expense, saving up to 15% compared with other top flight schools!
This Reduced Hours course was custom built in-house by AeroGuard and approved by the FAA based on our high quality training environment and structure, meaning you can save time and money, while keeping the high level of pilot instruction you expect from AeroGuard.
This course is only available for students starting with no prior experience and at select AeroGuard Campuses.
Talk to an Enrollment Advisor today to learn more.
Pilots are in high demand and global need is projected to rise. If you are looking for an exciting career with high income potential, then becoming a commercial airline pilot is for you.
In partnership with SkyWest, the Pilot Pathway Program offers the best way for you to fly with a life-changing career in Aviation.
Our SkyWest Cadets, receive additional benefits including enhanced seniority at SkyWest, a guaranteed final interview, and access to pilot mentors throughout your training and more.
There has never been a better time to take the first step in becoming a commercial pilot and AeroGuard is proud to be the a leading pilot education provider.
Complete Pathway to 3 Major Airlines
The Pilot Pathway Program offers a complete, clear path from no prior aviation experience all the way to becoming a professional pilot at the largest U.S. Regional Airline, SkyWest Airlines. In addition to this, SkyWest Airlines Captains can now receive Guaranteed Pilot interviews at 3 Major Airlines: United, Delta, and Alaska Airlines – making this a complete Pathway for your entire pilot career.
Some other programs may lock you in to one Major Airline, on their terms and timeframe, or have arms-length partnerships with many airlines giving you no specific hiring advantage. AeroGuard’s Pilot Pathway Program is different, offering you clear advantages and pathway, but with the flexibility for you to Take Control of Your Career.
Benefits for SkyWest Cadets
- $17,500 Tuition Reimbursement after completion of SkyWest I.O.E.
- Guaranteed First Officer Final Interview with SkyWest Airlines
- Fast Track to 3 Major Airlines – Take Control of Your Career
- Higher Seniority From Day One
- Pilot Mentorship – regular campus visits, interview preparation and more.
- Cadets visit SkyWest to Tour facilities – including flight & lodging.
AeroGuard has a simple goal: We create the best-trained pilots in the industry, on an accelerated timeline, setting them up for long and successful careers as professional aviators.
Our Flight Training Programs are accelerated, with professionally focused, high quality curricula that enable our students to seamlessly transition to working for an airline.
Ground support includes award winning safety and maintenance teams, mentorship and career guidance to keep you focused and progressing through the program.
While our programs are accelerated, we understand the need to rest and recover, so our curriculum is balanced with classroom training, flight missions, and off-days to study and or relax before your next exam.
Pilot Pathway Program Locations
AeroGuard flight school campuses are strategically located in areas across the U.S. that offer the perfect combination of weather, climate and airspace conditions for year-round flight training.
With optional housing available within minutes of most locations, our students can easily relocate and complete their training in the shortest time frame to start their career.