Spartanburg Downtown Memorial (KSPA) · Part 61 · Veteran-owned
One-on-one flight instruction for pilots who want to fly well, not just pass. Private, instrument and commercial training out of Spartanburg — on a schedule you set, with a syllabus built so no hour on the Hobbs is wasted.
Dual cross-country — Spartanburg to Anderson
Training programs
Training is Part 61, so the syllabus is built around your calendar instead of a fixed course schedule. Every lesson has a stated objective and a completion standard, and you get an honest debrief the same day.
About $235 · roughly 1.5 hrs on the field
Preflight the airplane together, fly it yourself from the left seat, then sit down and talk through what it actually takes. Logged as dual received, and billed at the standard aircraft and instruction rates — no premium for being new.
40 hr minimum · 55–65 typical
The full certificate: airwork, pattern, solo, cross-country, night and instrument familiarization, straight through to the practical test with a designated examiner.
40 hrs actual/simulated · 50 hrs PIC XC
Approaches, holds and the IFR system — flown in real weather when the Carolinas provide it and under the hood when they don't. Partial panel and unusual attitudes from the start, not the week before the ride.
250 hrs total time
Commercial maneuvers flown to ACS tolerances, plus the professional habits that come with getting paid to fly: brief it, fly the brief, and make decisions before they become urgent.
61.56 · 1 hr ground + 1 hr flight
Currency work for certificated pilots, including rusty-pilot refreshers of whatever length it honestly takes. No pencil-whipping, and no pretending an hour was enough when it wasn't.
Evaluation flight first · then a written plan
For pilots with 20 or 40 hours from years ago and a stalled logbook. Old time counts toward the FAA minimums and never expires — one flight tells us what stuck and what needs rebuilding.
The path to a private certificate
Most students fly twice a week and finish in six to nine months. Knowing what comes next is half of staying on schedule — so here is the whole sequence before you spend a dollar.
You fly. If it's for you, we put the next two lessons on the calendar before you leave the ramp.
Student pilot certificate through IACRA, plus a third-class medical from an AME. We'll point you to one.
Airwork, stalls, pattern and emergency procedures until they're automatic, then the 61.87 written.
Three takeoffs and landings to a full stop at KSPA, alone in the airplane. Usually somewhere around hour 15 to 25.
Dual and solo navigation, including a 150 NM solo with full-stop landings at three points.
The FAA written. We keep grounding it until practice exams sit consistently above 85%, not the 70% minimum.
A full mock oral and every ACS task flown to standard, so the practical test is a repeat, not a surprise.
Oral and flight with a designated examiner. You leave with a temporary certificate in hand.
The airplane & what it costs
No club dues, no initiation fee, no monthly minimum. The aircraft is billed wet on Hobbs time — fuel and oil included — and instruction is billed on the time we actually spend together.
On the line at KSPA
A modern, low-time Pilot 100i — Piper's purpose-built trainer, forgiving enough for a first lesson and capable enough to fly real cross-countries in. You'll train, solo and take your checkride in the same airplane, so nothing on test day is unfamiliar.
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| N616AC — Piper Pilot 100i Billed wet on Hobbs time; fuel and oil included | $195 / hr |
| Instruction — ground or flight One rate either way, billed to the tenth of an hour | $65 / hr |
Weather cancellations are never charged — the decision to scrub should not have a price attached to it. Examiner fees, FAA knowledge-test fees and your medical are paid directly to those providers.
Owner & instructor
Jackson Clark
Who you'll be flying with
You won't be handed between four CFIs building time toward an airline class date. The person who signs your pre-solo endorsement is the person who preps you for the checkride, and every lesson picks up exactly where the last one ended.
Semper Fly runs on a simple standard: brief the flight, fly the brief, debrief honestly. If a maneuver isn't to standard, I'll say so and we'll go do it again — and if you're ready early, we won't pad the logbook to get to a round number.
Veteran-owned and operated. Questions about GI Bill or VR&E benefits are welcome, and you'll get a straight answer on what is and isn't covered before you commit a dollar.
Before you call
No. You can begin flight training today with nothing but a photo ID. You'll need a student pilot certificate and an FAA medical in hand before your first solo, which is typically two to three months in — but if there's anything in your history that might complicate the medical, start that paperwork early. Better to find out in week one than after you've spent $6,000.
Flying twice a week in decent weather, most students finish in six to nine months. Once a week stretches it past a year and costs noticeably more, because each lesson starts by re-teaching the last one. The regulation says 40 hours; the honest national average is closer to 60 to 70.
Part 61. In practice that means we can move faster or slower through any phase based on how you're actually flying, and you're not locked into a fixed course sequence or minimum enrollment. The certificate you earn is identical either way.
If you need a Part 141 school for a specific VA benefit or a visa, say so up front and I'll refer you to one rather than waste your time.
Yes. I need a current annual, a copy of the insurance policy naming me as an approved pilot, and an hour in the airplane together before we start the syllabus. Instruction is billed at the standard $65 an hour with no aircraft charge.
Nothing is charged. Ever. When the ceiling is down but the day isn't a total loss, we'll often convert the slot into ground instruction — chart work, systems, or knowledge-test prep — at your option, billed at the same rate.
A photo ID, sunglasses, water, and shoes you can move in. Don't buy a headset until you're sure you're continuing — there's a loaner on the shelf. Skip the $400 of gear the internet says you need; I'll tell you what to buy and when.
You pay per lesson, after you fly, for the time you actually used. There's no block purchase required and no deposit to get on the schedule — if this turns out not to be for you after the discovery flight, you walk away owing nothing further.
Get on the schedule
Calls get answered between lessons, so a text is usually fastest. Tell me roughly when you're free and I'll send back two or three slots.