● 96% Pass Rate · Class C · Reserved DPE Dates

Learn to fly
in the Safest
Single Engine
Airplane.

Your first lesson. Your first solo. Your professional pilot career. CRAFT is the most direct path — over 96% first-time pass rate, check ride date availability in a few weeks, not months.

96%
First-Time Pass Rate
Weeks
Reserved DPE Dates
Class C
KCHS · Confident w/ ATC
FAA Part 61 · KCHS · North Charleston, SC
Diamond DA40NG DA42-VI Multi Redbird AATD
THE PATH · ZERO HOURS → AIRLINE

From never flown
to airline cockpit.

Most people who walk in have never touched a plane. That’s normal — everyone starts at zero. Hover (or tap on mobile) any stop below to see what that rating actually is, what it lets you do, and how long it takes.

Plain English · Skip the jargon
FBO — the company that runs the building you walk into at the airport. We operate at Charleston International (KCHS).
DPE — the FAA examiner who gives you your final practical test (a.k.a. checkride) at the end of each rating. CRAFT’s DPE waits run in weeks, not months.
Checkride — the final FAA test for each rating. Oral exam + flight test, ~3 hours total.
BYOP — “Bring Your Own Plane.” If you own an aircraft, accelerated programs cost less because you’re not renting ours.
Programs

Train like you mean it. Finish like a pro.

Bundle as Bronze, Silver, or Gold — or take individual programs accelerated. 96% first-time pass rate. DPE availability measured in weeks.

Foundation · Part 61

Private Pilot

~3 months · 58 flight hrs · train at your pace
  • 50 hrs Diamond DA40 NG (Jet-A glass)
  • 6 hrs Redbird AATD simulator
  • 74 hrs ground + flight instruction
  • ASA materials + written test prep
  • Checkride aircraft + DPE coordination
See Pricing & Details
Most Popular
96% First-Time Pass Rate

Accelerated IFR

7 days · 30 hrs combined · BYO-aircraft option · DPE on standby
  • 15 hrs DA40 NG (or your aircraft)
  • Up to 20 hrs Redbird AATD (50% sim credit)
  • Dedicated CFII · single-instructor consistency
  • For PPL holders with the IFR written done
  • 96% first-time pass rate
See Pricing & Details
Accelerated · Multi

Multi-Engine

4 days · DA42-VI twin turbodiesel · ME add-on for any rating
  • DA42-VI Twin AE 300 turbodiesels
  • Single-engine ops + Vmc demos
  • Multi-engine systems & emergencies
  • Checkride aircraft included
  • Add to PPL, IFR, or CPL
See Pricing & Details
View All Programs & Bundles
The Fleet

Charleston's only Diamond Jet-A trainers.

No ratty 172s. No 1980s avionics. Every CRAFT student trains in modern, glass-cockpit, Jet-A turbodiesels — the same platforms regional carriers transition from.

Single-Engine · Glass

Diamond DA40 NG

Garmin G1000 NXi · 168 ktas · Jet-A turbodiesel
168
Cruise (kts)
940
Range (nm)
5.0
GPH (Jet-A)
Multi-Engine · Glass

Diamond DA42-VI

G1000 NXi · 197 ktas · Twin AE 300 turbodiesels
197
Cruise (kts)
1,215
Range (nm)
11.4
GPH (Jet-A)
Redbird AATD
$100/hr
AATD Sim Rate
The Sim

Master procedures on the ground.

The Redbird AATD is the same FAA-approved AATD the airlines use. We're the flight school in Charleston that owns and operates one in-house — and it's how our students hit checkride minimums with real margin.

  • 20 sim hours count toward IFR training and lock in flows before they cost you airplane time.
  • True-to-aircraft realism with weather, IMC, and emergency scenarios you can't legally practice in the airplane.
  • $100/hr sim time — the smartest hour in your logbook before you ever burn fuel.
  • Available for rated pilots for currency, IPC prep, and type-rating prep — not just students.
Try the Sim — $100/hr
The CRAFT team got me from PPL through Commercial in under nine months. Sim-first isn't a gimmick — it's how I finished on schedule and under budget.
Marcus W. Bronze Pro Pilot · Class of 2025 · Now flying Part 135 · CHS-based
Charleston, SC

KCHS. The real deal.

CRAFT operates out of Charleston International (KCHS) — a Class C, controlled-airfield environment with daily Part 121 traffic. You're not learning at a sleepy grass strip. You're learning where you'll work.

Year-round VFR weather, a coastal training area, and approaches into KCHS, KJZI, KMKS, and KDYB mean you stack experience fast.

320+
VFR Days/Year
Class C
Controlled Tower
4 fields
Training Area
FBO
Visit Us
6060 S. Aviation Ave, Suite 109
North Charleston, SC 29406
843.800.6498 · craft@flycraftchs.com
Mon–Sat 9am–4pm
Discovery Flight · $325 · ~1h 45min

Stop scrolling. Start flying.

Book a discovery flight in the DA40 NG. You're in the left seat. You fly. If it's for you, you'll know in the first ten minutes — and we'll get you into the next cohort.

Book Discovery Flight — $325 Call 843.800.6498
Talk to Us

Got questions? Send a message.

A real CFI on shift will respond within a couple of hours during business days. We won't put you on a list.

Or call us at 843.800.6498 · email craft@flycraftchs.com · Mon–Sat 9am–4pm.
Discovery Flight — $325