Pilot & Aviation
The Catalyst Private Pilot course is a great place for students to begin their career in aviation.
Pilot and Aviation 1 (Private Pilot and Air Transportation) is taught in the first and second semester. Students in Pilot and Aviation 1 can earn their “ground school” portion of a private pilot’s license. This is the FAA Part 61 Ground School Pilot & Aviation Course curriculum. The CE course for this course is UVU AVSC 2110 (Aviation Weather).
Pilot and Aviation 2 (Aviation History and Aviation Weather) is also typically offered second semester, and sometimes first semester dependent on enrollment. The CE course for this course is USU AV 1100 (Aviation Professions).
The program is not open to Juniors and Seniors only. Sophomores are encouraged to take Drone Pilot coursework at their home high school, if available, or at the Catalyst.
*CE (concurrent enrollment) college credit is available through UVU and USU.
As you anticipate taking this course, here are some important things to consider:
The class is taught by a certified flight instructor from Cornerstone Aviation. Therefore, a $350 fee is required . This is not a school or school district fee, but is paid to Cornerstone Aviation, and is approximately half the rate to take the course privately.
The ground school certificate earned is valid for 2 years. Students wishing to complete the remaining private pilot’s license requirements, will need to complete all flight hours outside of the Catalyst before it expires. They can also apply for an extension, if needed.
Students have access to our 10 flight simulators running X-Plane 12 during almost every class period, to practice what they are learning in the course (take offs, landings, traffic patterns, etc.).
Like all Catalyst courses, the course is two periods on either the morning or afternoon of A or B day.
Buses are provided to and from each high school to the Catalyst. Our courses start later and end earlier, giving students time for transportation.
*There are no required pre-requisites for the Pilot & Aviation pathway.
Students practice skills they learn in their ground school course on simulators X-Plane 12. This software features 40 different planes and 20,000 airports around the world.
Meet our new Pilot & Aviation instructor, Rainer FullerMoore
Video about the Pilot & Aviation program at the Davis Catalyst Center
Throughout each semester we host various guest speakers from the aviation industry- military, commercial, and private. We also take occasional field trips to learn more about careers in the aviation industry.
Each semester we also get to tour the Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC, or ZLC), near the SLC International airport. This control center manages air traffic over some of the largest airspace within the United States.
This is an overview of the steps to obtain your private pilot certification:
🔹 Step 1: Meet Basic Requirements
✅ Be at least 17 years old
✅ Speak, read, and write English
🔹 Step 2: Get a Medical Certificate
📖 Contact your nearest AME for a first, second, or third class medical
✈️ Check 61.23 for guidance
🔹 Step 3: Start Flight Training
📚 Choose a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school or independent instructor, do lots of research at various flight schools!
🛬 Learn takeoffs, landings, maneuvers, and emergency procedures
🔹 Step 4: Pass the Written Exam (FAA knowledge test)
📖 Study topics like weather, navigation, and aerodynamics
✍️ Take the FAA Knowledge Test (60 questions, 70% to pass)
🔹 Step 5: Build Flight Hours
⏳ 40 hours total minimum
✈️ 20 hours with an instructor
🛩️ 10 hours solo (including cross-country flights)
🌙 3 hours of night flying
🌫️ 3 hours of instrument training
🔹 Step 6: Prepare for the Checkride (FAA practical test)
🎤 Oral exam – Answer aviation knowledge questions
🛩️ Flight test – Show skills with an FAA examiner
🔹 Step 7: Pass & Get Your Certificate!
🎉 After passing, you'll get your Private Pilot Certificate!
👨✈️ Fly for fun & bring passengers – but not for hire or in the clouds
Pilot & Aviation Resources
There are many pathways to becoming a commercial, military, or other type of pilot. Below are some of our partners, flight schools in the area, and information on their programs:
Utah State University (partner)
https://caas.usu.edu/avte/
Utah Valley University (partner)
https://www.uvu.edu/aviation/
Southern Utah University
https://www.suu.edu/aviation/
Cornerstone Aviation (partner)
https://cornerstoneaviation.com/
Axiom Aviation
https://cornerstoneaviation.com/
Bountiful Skypark Flight Academy
https://fltacademy.com/
United States Air Force (USAF)
https://www.airforce.com/careers/aviation-and-flight/pilot
*Stay tuned for scholarship information from Delta Airlines, Civil Air Patrol, Air Force ROTC, and the United States Air Force.
HAFB collaboration gallery:
History of the CTE Pilot & Aviation Course
Since 2017, the Private Pilot course has moved from high school to high school each school year. In January 2022, the Davis Catalyst, a career & technical education magnet school, opened its doors to high students in Davis School District. Due to our centralized location in Kaysville and the busing we provide to and from each high school, it was recently decided to host the Private Pilot course at the Catalyst moving forward.
The benefit of offering the Private Pilot course at our location was to not only bolster the program, but to also offer additional courses in the Pilot & Aviation pathway. In addition, we received a grant to purchase 10 flight simulators for students to practice their skills here at the Catalyst, beginning this fall. Lastly, we are offering CE (concurrent enrollment college credit) through either Utah Valley University or Utah State University.
X-Plane 12 Simulator gallery
