7 Things Students Should Know About LIFT Academy
Becoming a pilot is many students’ dream. Figuring out how to become one is a whole other story. That’s where we come in.
LIFT Academy is a flight training school owned by Republic Airways Holdings Inc. that prepares students to be airline-ready with state-of-the-art technology and aircraft. We provide comprehensive, accelerated flight training at locations throughout the country, including Indianapolis, IN, Columbus, IN, Galveston, TX, Tuskegee, AL and Myrtle Beach, SC.
Let’s look at seven details students should know about LIFT.
- Students Don’t Need A College Degree or Previous Experience to Enroll
- Our Tuition Is All-Inclusive
- Financial Assistance is Available
- It Takes Less Time Than You Might Think
- We Help Students Build Flight Time After Graduation
- LIFT Graduates Have A Direct Pathway to Republic Airways
- Pilots at Republic Airways Have A Six-Figure Earning Potential
Many people assume they need previous flight experience to enroll at LIFT, but you actually don’t need any. You also don’t need a college degree to enroll or become a commercial aviator. We teach our students everything they need to know to become successful in this industry.
The only educational requirement is that applicants must be high school graduates.
Some other flight schools don’t include all necessary expenses in their tuition. Things like examiner fees, FAA knowledge tests and third-party apps are often left out of their total advertised cost, but these add up to tens of thousands of dollars in additional fees. At LIFT Academy, all these (and more) are included in our tuition.
Like four-year colleges, LIFT has financial partners that can help students with their loans. Loan options can be applied alongside any flight scholarships or grants, which are offered by several industry organizations and other groups.
It’s also important for students to remember that flight training is an investment in their future. What it costs upfront can be offset by what they’ll earn down the road as a pilot. According to a 2023 study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual wage for commercial pilots is approximately $113,000. While that number isn’t a guarantee, it’s a good starting point when planning for their future and potential loan payments.
Unlike a traditional four-year degree, students complete our training in 12-18 months on average. This means they can start working toward their careers faster than many of their peers studying at four-year colleges.
After completing our program, graduates will have their Commercial Pilot Certificate, but they will still need to build flight hours to become First Officers and, eventually, pilots. Luckily for them, we can help with that, too.
Upon graduation, our students also have the chance to become Certificated Flight Instructors (CFIs) at LIFT, where they are paid to instruct other students while building flight hours, or fly for Cape Air, where they can also earn while building flight hours.
This is an excellent opportunity because building flight hours is crucial for aviators working toward becoming pilots; however, it can be hard to do solo. With these opportunities, our graduates can better plan for their futures.
Students who successfully complete the LIFT flight training program will have a direct pathway to a career as a pilot with Republic Airways. Pilots in the program can commit to two years as captain or five years total at Republic Airways upon successfully completing the program. No additional interview with Republic is required.
LIFT students are trained using the same operating procedures as those used at Republic, meaning they can hit the ground running after starting there.
LIFT Academy empowers students to pursue their passion while setting them up for long-term success. With our defined career pathway to Republic Airways, students who transition there can start earning competitive salaries.
At Republic Airways, First Officers can earn more than $84,000 in just their second year, and Captains can earn from $128,000 in their first year to more than $197,000 per year in their career.*
*Annual earnings figures are based on current per-hour pay rates x Republic’s minimum monthly guarantee of 75 hours per month, excluding per-diem. Earnings can vary by pilot, as most pilots are paid more than 75 hours per month.
Still have questions?
Learn more at flywithlift.com
