We are located at the Aurora state airport (KUAO) in Aurora Oregon.  We service the Portland area and are ready to serve all students. anywhere from Salem, all the way to Wilsonville we welcome anyone who's ready to take the first step and start flying. 

Yes. Fly North Aviation is the unified brand created from the merger of two Aurora-area flight schools, Willamette Aviation and Aurora Flight Training. Discovery flights, ground school, and all flight training at Aurora State Airport (KUAO) now operate under the Fly North name.

A discovery flight is a roughly hour-long introductory flight where you meet your instructor, get briefed on the aircraft, and take the controls in the air with no commitment required. It's the easiest way to find out if flight training is right for you before enrolling in a program.

Bring a government-issued photo ID, comfortable closed-toe shoes, and sunglasses — no flight experience or gear required. If you wear glasses or contacts for distance vision, bring those too. Everything else, including headsets and the aircraft, is provided.

A discovery flight at Fly North is $299.99 and includes roughly an hour with an instructor — a pre-flight briefing, an introduction to the aircraft, and time at the controls in the air. Book online or call (503) 678-1454 to schedule.

Standard has no monthly fee and an instructor rate of $80/hr. Fly North Pro is $149/month and includes a $72/hr instructor rate, roughly 10% off aircraft rental rates, priority booking, and one free weekly 3-hour ground session for students pursuing their private or instrument rating.

Most students complete their private pilot certificate for around $12,000–$20,000 total, depending on how quickly they fly, which aircraft they train in, and their membership tier. This covers aircraft rental, instructor time, ground school, and testing fees.

Most students finish in about 3 months to a year, depending on how often they fly. The national average is around 65 flight hours, and students who fly more consistently each week typically finish faster.

You must be at least 17 to receive your private pilot certificate, and at least 16 to fly solo. There's no minimum age to begin training — many students start lessons well before they're old enough to solo.

No — you don't need a medical certificate to begin lessons, only an FAA Class 3 medical before your first solo flight. An FAA-designated medical examiner is available on-site at Fly North to make this easy to schedule.

Corrective lenses are completely fine. The FAA Class 3 medical you need before soloing allows vision correction with glasses or contacts, as long as your distance vision is correctable to 20/40 or better in each eye. Just bring your glasses or contacts to your medical exam and to every lesson.

Yes — Fly North trains non-U.S. citizen students. Federal law requires anyone who isn't a U.S. citizen to complete TSA's Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP) clearance before starting flight training, so plan on finishing that process first. Contact our front desk and we'll walk you through the paperwork.

A sport pilot certificate lets you fly smaller, lighter recreational aircraft with fewer training requirements. A private pilot certificate qualifies you to fly larger aircraft and opens the door to further ratings and endorsements, like instrument or multi-engine.

Fly North operates as both a Part 61 and Part 141 school, so you can choose the track that fits you. Part 141 follows a structured, FAA-approved syllabus — often the faster path and typically required for federal financial aid. Part 61 offers more flexible, personalized scheduling. Ask us which fits your goals and timeline.

Yes to instrument — Fly North Pro members pursuing an instrument rating get a complimentary weekly 3-hour ground session alongside private pilot students. A dedicated multi-engine rating program is in development; check the Ratings page for the current status.

You'll complete a pre-solo written exam, the FAA Knowledge Test (a 60-question written test), and a final checkride with an FAA examiner that includes both an oral exam and a flight test.

Ground school is Fly North's 12-week classroom program covering the aeronautical knowledge you need for the FAA Knowledge Test. Tuition is $689 plus a $289 course kit. New classes start every January, May, and September, with in-person options on Saturday mornings or Tuesday/Thursday evenings, or a self-paced online track.

The 87 Challenge rewards ground school students who score 87% or higher on their first attempt at the FAA Knowledge Test: you get 100% of your ground school tuition credited back toward your flight training.

Fly North's fleet is built around Cessna 150s and 172s, including several 172SP models, plus a multi-engine aircraft used ahead of the upcoming multi-engine rating program. Standard hourly rates run from $129/hr for a Cessna 150 up to $226/hr for a 172SP or 177RG, with roughly 10% off for Fly North Pro members.

Aurora State Airport is a towered field with far less traffic than a major Portland-area airport, which means more time flying and less time waiting. That makes it an ideal environment for both first solos and cross-country training.

Yes — once you hold a private pilot license, a current third-class medical, and renters insurance, you can rent aircraft from Fly North's fleet independently of any lesson package.

Yes. Commercial pilot training at Fly North requires a private pilot certificate, at least 250 logged flight hours, a second-class medical, and the commercial written and practical exams. Students headed toward the airlines will need additional certifications beyond the commercial certificate.

Most students fly 2–3 times a week, which keeps skills sharp between lessons without burning out. Some train as little as once every couple of weeks, while others fly 5+ times a week to finish faster — both are workable, just at different paces.

Instructors monitor the forecast ahead of your lesson and will cancel or reschedule if conditions aren't safe for training. Weather delays are normal in flight training and are factored into typical completion timelines.

Life happens, and pausing partway through is common — flight training has no fixed deadline. The one thing to plan around is FAA currency: after 90 days without flying, you'll need a quick review with an instructor before flying solo again, and a longer break may call for a short refresher before you pick back up where you left off.

 Yes — flight training financing is available through a third-party loan provider, and students can pursue FAA and industry scholarships through external scholarship programs. Ask our front desk for current financing options.

Call (503) 678-1454, email frontdesk@flynorthaviation.com, or stop by 22785 Airport Rd NE, Aurora, OR 97002. We're open every day from 9:00am to 5:00pm and can get most first lessons or discovery flights on the schedule within the week.