Apply by
3 weeks before a start
Three phases.
Start three weeks before the class you want. Sixty days if you are not a US citizen, because TSA authorization has to be in hand before training begins.
If not a US citizen
60 days
To hold a date
No deposit
Offer valid
90 days
The three phases of admission
Pre-admission
Talk through what you want to end up doing with an admissions advisor and build a training plan around it. Complete the application form. Apply for financing if you are going to need it.
Qualification
Take the aptitude assessment for the program you have chosen. Sit the admissions interview. Complete financial qualification. Obtain TSA approval if you are not a US citizen.
The aptitude assessment is the same kind of test airlines use. It measures twelve areas including complex control, monitoring ability, multi-tasking, spatial orientation, reaction speed and stress management. A "well below average" in spatial orientation, or in more than five areas overall, means you will not be recommended for admission, though Thrust has the final say and does sometimes admit a candidate whose score is under the normal cutoff.
Enrollment
Upload your documents, receive a decision, and sign.
Documents you will need
- Unexpired passport, or unexpired driver’s license and birth certificate
- Photographs of any pilot, instructor or mechanic certificates you already hold
- A valid FAA medical certificate, first class recommended for career programs
- High school or college diploma, or an official transcript
- A non-owned aircraft insurance policy with at least $50,000 of damage coverage for the class of aircraft you will fly
Entry requirements in full
- Eighteen years old before the start of orientation. Seventeen-year-olds may be admitted with parental consent and the school president’s approval, particularly through a dual-credit high school program.
- High school graduate or GED
- Valid first- or second-class FAA medical certificate. BasicMed may be accepted for some training with CEO approval.
- Proficient in speaking, understanding, reading and writing English. Testing is waived for US citizens and native English speakers; an ICAO score of 4 is required otherwise.
- Government-issued photo ID and TSA authorization
- Aptitude assessment and admissions interview
- An iPad capable of running current iOS, with a ForeFlight subscription
Bring your logbook if you have one. Transferring from a Part 141 school, up to 50% of a course can be credited; from a non-141 school, up to 25%; into a Part 61 course, every previous hour applies against the minimum. Certificates and ratings you already hold are credited at their clock-hour equivalent.
A note on background
Employability as a commercial pilot or instructor can be affected by a background involving criminal convictions or substance abuse, or by an inability to hold an FAA medical certificate. Raise it with an advisor early. It is a better conversation to have before you have paid for anything.
Ready to start?
Four fields opens your file with admissions. No deposit, and nothing goes to the FAA or a lender at this stage.
Start the application→Rather talk it through first?
An advisor will walk you through the three phases, tell you which start date is realistic, and answer the questions this page did not.
Talk to admissions→972.735.9099 ยท option 1