Aviation Made Easy
To help people achieve their aviation dreams.
Most people struggle to pass their FAA exams.
At Pilot Institute, we help people pass their FAA exams and become confident and capable drone or airplane pilots.
How? Through our industry-leading classes.
Educating the Next Generation of Pilots
300,000+ Happy Pilots
Our Values Put You First
At the end of the day, it’s not about us. It’s about you. Our goal is for you to finish our class and become connected, current, capable, and confident.
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Connected
You’ll gain access to a large network of students and pilots through our free pilot community. Need to buy gear or have a question? You’ll have access to the people who can help.
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Current
Our classes are always accurate and up-to-date. We regularly update our classes and provide weekly news updates so that you can stay on top of any changes.
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Capable
You won’t just pass the exam; you’ll become a knowledgeable and capable pilot – and your instructors will notice.
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Confident
Our classes give you peace of mind that you’ve learned everything you need to know. No more surprise questions from an exam or instructor.
Standing Behind Our Promises
We don’t just make promises, we keep them. We’ll promptly send you $175 in the mail and refund your class if you fail the test on your first try. And if you’re not happy with the class within the first 30 days, we’ll give you your money back hassle and risk-free.
Our Founders
Johann Beishline
The American Dream
Greg grew up in a small French village. But his aspirations, even as a kid, were anything but small.
Greg’s uncle was an airline pilot in America, and it didn’t take much for the aviation bug to spread. When Greg was 12, he visited “Uncle Alan” in the US . After that trip, he became sure of two things: He wanted to move to America, and he wanted to fly. And with that, when Greg was 20, he left France and went to the US to become a pilot.
Greg was finally in his element. He didn’t even consider returning to France despite training in the US for years. He was going to stay in the US no matter what. Then 9/11 happened, and Greg’s plans took a turn. The aviation industry ground to a halt, and Greg’s timing couldn’t be worse. He had just graduated as a flight instructor. With no flying jobs available, Greg faced deportation.
That left him with two choices: Return to France or get a job. So Greg got a management position at the flight school where he trained. He spent 13 years at a University flight school and worked his way up to assistant VP of the aviation program. All while instructing on the side. He earned his Master’s degree in Aviation Human Factors and also taught classes as a University professor. He then moved to Arizona to become a Part 141 flight school president.
That’s when he noticed something. That flight school didn’t have ground school instructors. They used an online ground school. This was a fantastic idea. The students would learn at their own pace, without expensive in-person ground school. But there was a major issue. The online ground school only taught them how to pass the exam.
It didn’t provide the foundational knowledge they needed to become pilots. It was like showing someone how to assemble a computer without explaining what each part does. Students were unprepared and wasting $200-300/hr in the air learning something they could’ve on the ground. That’s when Greg had an idea. He would create the ground school himself. Greg started creating the first class in 2015. He bought lights from Home Depot and used a fleece blanket as a background.
But he made a big mistake. He underestimated how much work it would be. It took an entire year to complete the first class. When Greg rewatches the class today, he cringes. But the students loved it.
It was an instant hit. Greg has a passion for teaching, and he wanted to help as many students as possible. But Greg was a professor. He knew how to teach, but he didn’t know how to share the classes.
The Discovery
Johann had recently sold his marketing company. He was looking forward to spending some much-needed time with his family.
After learning that it was his grandpa’s lifelong dream to fly in a hot air balloon, the two took to the skies. That day, as they ascended thousands of feet into the sky, the same aviation bug that caught Greg came for Johann. After they landed, Johann looked into how much studying he would need to do to become a pilot.
He looked into ground schools to study for the exam but found them to be outdated. That’s when he came across a video. It was Greg’s ground school. After doing some research, Johann came to the same conclusion that Greg did years before. An online ground school that focused on actually learning the material rather than just passing the exam would revolutionize flight training. Not long after, Greg and Johann came up with the name Pilot Institute.
The Partnership
The idea was simple; Greg makes the classes, and Johann shares them. They were going to revolutionize flight training. With Johann’s marketing expertise and Greg’s aviation knowledge, it seemed possible. That’s when things took off (pun intended).
Greg and Johann reinvested everything back into the business.
Some months, they reinvested a little too much, and needed to dip into their savings.
But they pressed on with the shared goal of making aviation easy.
And it didn’t take long for word spread about their unique approach to flight training.
The results started pouring in
The Results
Greg and Johann’s method of creating an engaging online ground school worked. Students could finally have fun while learning and pass their FAA exams on the first try.
Vanessa, who got 92% on her FAA Private Pilot written exam.
Patrick, who got 92% on his FAA Part 107 exam.
Over 280,000 students have taken Pilot Institute classes to achieve their aviation dreams.
Today
Johann has a newfound passion for aviation. He loves applying his skills to something that helps people grow. And guess what? He became a private pilot! We think the classes helped…
Greg’s teaching has reached more students than he could’ve ever imagined. He thinks back to his time as a student pilot and a Flight School President for ideas on how to make it easier to learn aviation.
A talented team with a shared passion for aviation now makes everything possible at Pilot Institute.
Pilot Institute is headquartered in sunny Prescott, Arizona.
Think Pink
Is your outdated ground school making you feel blue? At Pilot Institute, we think pink! Our signature color represents our innovative approach to aviation education. With virtual reality, 3D animations, scenario based training, and more – we are making it easier than ever to achieve your aviation dreams.
Pilot Institute is the #372 fastest-growing company in the United States, #8 in the Education category, and #13 in Arizona according to the 2023 Inc 5000 list.
Pilot Institute is a Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team Industry Partner and a test administrator for The Recreational Safety UAS Test (TRUST).
Pilot Institute has been recognized by Flying Magazine as a high-quality ground school for drone and airplane pilots.
