We have the career-minded pilot in mind at Tom Wood Aviation! In addition to the private pilot certificate, we offer the following advanced flight training:

Instrument Rating
With an instrument rating, you will be a safer and more flexible pilot! Low clouds and low visibility that may have prevented your flight will now be possible as you learn to fly solely by reference to your flight instruments and navigation equipment. You will learn how to fly safely in different types of weather, in more complex airspace, and you will be much more knowledgeable of the systems of your airplane! The instrument rating requires 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command and 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time (15 hours of which must be with an authorized instructor). You will take full advantage of the impressive capabilities of our Redbird LD simulator for this training, which reduces the cost of your training and makes your training much more effective.

Commercial Pilot Certificate

The commercial pilot certificate is the first step to being paid to fly. Requiring a minimum of 250 hours of total flight time, the training for the commercial certificate will make you an extremely proficient and knowledgeable pilot! The airplanes you fly will be more complex, and you will learn advanced maneuvers that test your ability to completely control the airplane…the airplane becomes an extension of you. You will have the skill and knowledge to safely transport passengers and cargo for hire. This can open up paying opportunities such as flying skydivers, banner towing, aerial photography, pipeline patrol, and more. You can pursue a single engine commercial certificate in our Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA), including the Cessna 172 Skyhawk (Garmin G1000) or the Piper Pilot 100i (Garmin G3X). You can pursue a multi-engine commercial certificate in our Piper Seminole. Earning a commercial pilot certificate takes between 10-15 hours of flight training.

Airline Transport Pilot Certificate

Often called the Ph.D. of flying, the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate is the ultimate demonstration of your skills as a professional pilot. We can offer flight training towards your single-engine or multi-engine ATP certificate; however, you must have completed an approved ATP-CTP course prior to taking the ATP knowledge test for multi-engine privileges.

Multi-Engine Rating

Some would say that two engines are better than one! With a multi-engine airplane, you will enjoy better performance, faster speeds, increased systems redundancy, and bigger payload capacity. During your training, you will learn how to manage and monitor not just one engine, but two! You will also learn how to properly fly a twin-engine airplane if one engine suddenly quits working. You can add a multi-engine rating on to a private pilot or commercial pilot certificate. It requires 10-15 hours of flight training in our Piper Seminole.

Complex Endorsement
A complex airplane is defined as an airplane with flaps, retractable landing gear, and a controllable-pitch propeller. While earning your complex endorsement in our Piper Seminole, you will learn how to manage these new systems while safely flying the airplane. One of the main advantages of a complex airplane is the extra speed that comes from retracting the landing gear.

Tailwheel Endorsement

Flying in a tailwheel airplane is one of the most fun and exciting things you can do as a pilot! Having a tailwheel rather than a nosewheel makes controlling the airplane all the way to the chocks very important! While you earn your tailwheel endorsement, you'll learn to fly coordinated all the time, land with precise correction for the wind, and fly airplanes that represent the best that history has to offer! The tailwheel endorsement can be earned in as few as 3-5 hours.

Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Certificate

There is nothing like teaching somebody else to fly and passing on your love of aviation to someone who has never been in a plane before! As a CFI, you will be an expert in your field. You will need a high level of knowledge and dedication to be able to instruct a student in an airplane. We offer single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument flight instructor training. You must be a commercial pilot and pass a written knowledge test on the fundamentals of flight instruction, as well as a comprehensive exam of your airplane knowledge. To earn your instrument flight instructor certificate, you will need to pass another instrument written knowledge test as well. Flight training can take anywhere from 5-10 hours but expect to spend 10-40 hours of one-on-one and classroom instruction with one of our two-year CFIs.