You must be at least 18 years old at time of enrollment. There is no maximum age to enroll in the Academy; however, the Federal Aviation Administration does mandate that United pilots retire at age 65.

To be eligible for United Aviate Academy, you must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. We do not sponsor foreign visas for United Aviate Academy.

The United Aviate Academy is designed for applicants with little to no piloting experience. Any applicants with more than a Private Pilot License (PPL) will receive credit for their PPL but will be required to complete the curriculum at United Aviate Academy for any ratings beyond a PPL. Another check ride for ratings already earned would not be required. Explore other entry points into the Aviate career pathway program.

The United Aviate Academy is designed for applicants with little to no piloting experience. Any applicants with more than a Private Pilot License (PPL) will receive credit for their PPL but will be required to complete the curriculum at United Aviate Academy for any ratings beyond a PPL. Another check ride for ratings already earned would not be required. Explore other entry points into the Aviate career pathway program.

Full details about eligibility, assessments, admissions, tuition, scholarships and more are outlined in the admissions and program details. Clicking the "Apply now" button on the page will start your application process.

For applicants without a PPL, we will be conducting a virtual behavioral interview with one of our team members via MS Teams before class placement.

To determine an applicant’s likelihood of success in training and as a pilot at United, the United Aviate Academy uses a series of assessments to better understand personalities, skills and fit with the United culture. We are not sharing specific information about the assessments at this time.

To get an FAA first class medical certificate, an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) must examine you. You must contact an AME of your choosing, schedule an appointment, complete an official FAA application form via MedXPress, and undergo a physical examination by an AME. If you meet the appropriate medical standards, the AME will issue you a medical certificate.

This Q&A page on the FAA website has more information and resources.

You must register with the FAA before you can take any FAA exams. You can find detailed instructions for registration here. After registering with the FAA and obtaining an FAA Tracking Number (FTN), you will be able to schedule your FAA exam through PSI.

Due to the volume of applications we have received, we are unable to provide specific updates on application status. Please continue to look for updates from us via the email you provided in your application.

You will be notified via email if your application isn’t accepted, but we are unable to provide specific feedback on why certain applicants were not successful. However, your Aviate journey doesn’t have to end here. If you are still interested in joining Aviate, please visit the Aviate career selector to learn more about other places to pursue your training that would provide entry points into the program. If you would like to explore other opportunities within United, please visit the United careers page.

Acceptance into United Aviate Academy is a prerequisite for scholarship applicants, so the first step is applying for admission. After you're accepted into United Aviate Academy, you will have the option of applying for scholarships through our scholarship partners:the Latino Pilots Association, National Gay Pilots Association, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals,  Professional Asian Pilots Association, Sisters of the Skies and Women in Aviation International.

The program will include both full and partial scholarships.

Anyone accepted into United Aviate Academy has the option of applying for scholarships, regardless of race or gender identity. The scholarship funds are distributed through our partner organizations (  the Latino Pilots Association, National Gay Pilots Association, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals,  Professional Asian Pilots Association, Sisters of the Skies and Women in Aviation International) and anyone can apply, though each organization may have certain requirements that applicants need to meet in order to be eligible (such as membership in the organization).

United Aviate Academy has partnered with ZuntaFi and Sallie Mae to offer loans to students to cover the cost of tuition and fees. After you're accepted into United Aviate Academy, you will have the option of applying for the loan.

• Private pilot training – $17,750 FREE
• Instrument rating – $18,250
• Commercial SE initial – $26,000
• Commercial ME add-on – $7,500
• Certified flight instructor – $7,500
• Certified flight instructor (instrument) – $5,500
• Multi engine flight instructor – $6,500
• Total – $89,000 $71,250

We are filling classes on a rolling basis.

United Aviate Academy is located in Goodyear, Arizona. Our address is:

Phoenix Goodyear Airport
1658 S. Litchfield Rd. #104
Goodyear, AZ 85338

Full details about our facilities, housing, transportation, and the area can be found on our locations page.

The full course takes about a year to complete. While timing may vary, general timelines are:

• Private pilot training – 2 months
• Instrument rating – 2 months
• Commercial SE initial – 3 months
• Commercial ME add-on – 1 month
• Certified flight instructor – 2 months
• Certified flight instructor (instrument) – 1 month
• Multi-engine flight instructor – 1 month

To get you acclimated to the professional pilot lifestyle, we will run UAA on the same schedule as the United Airlines Flight Training Center, which means training could happen any day of the week and there are no extended holiday breaks. Our goal is to provide you world class training as quickly as we can, so you can begin your path to United without delay.

However, at United Aviate Academy we do observe the following federal holidays: News Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving (optional) and Christmas Day.

United Aviate Academy will operate a fleet of single engine Cirrus SR20 aircraft and a twin-engine fleet of Piper Seminoles. The Cirrus aircraft are air conditioned; the Piper aircraft are not.