Flight SchoolBased atKSMO

Skyward Air

Financing Available

Skyward Air Pilot Academy is a boutique flight school based at Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) in California, training pilots since 2009 from private pilot through ATP. It also offers scenic adventure flights over Malibu, Hollywood, and Catalina Island, a fleet of Piper, Cirrus, and Beechcraft trainers, and on-site FAA medical exams.

PPL from
$95
Fleet
6aircraft
VFR days
~305/yr
Est.
2009

Programs & Services

Training

Private Pilot

Private pilot certificate program from zero experience through checkride, including ground school and flight training.

Instrument Rating

IFR training covering precision and non-precision approaches, holds, cross-country flight planning, and partial-panel work.

Commercial Pilot

Commercial certificate training including complex and high-performance aircraft time, maneuvers, and cross-country requirements.

CFI

Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) training covering fundamentals of instruction, lesson planning, and flight teaching techniques for single-engine aircraft.

CFII

Certified Flight Instructor - Instrument (CFII) rating preparation for teaching instrument students, including advanced IFR procedures and instructional techniques.

MEI

Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) rating preparation for teaching multi-engine students, covering engine-out instruction techniques and multi-engine training methods.

ATP

Airline Transport Pilot certificate preparation covering airline-level operations, crew resource management, and ATP knowledge test prep.

Discovery Flights

Introductory sightseeing flight with a certified instructor, perfect for anyone curious about learning to fly.

Flight Review

Biennial flight review including a ground session on regulations and aeronautical knowledge plus a flight portion with maneuvers.

Rental

Aircraft Rental

Rent aircraft for solo flights after completing a checkout with one of our instructors. Wet and dry rates available.

Other Services

Cockpit Companion Course

Non-pilot companion training covering basic aircraft controls, radio communication, and emergency procedures for passengers who fly regularly.

Scenic Tours

Guided sightseeing flights over local landmarks and scenery, a great experience for friends, family, or visitors.

Aviation Medical Exams

FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner on-site for first, second, and third class medical certificate examinations.

Career Pathway

The path to the airlines — highlighted steps are available here

PPL
IR
CPL
CFI
CFII
ME
MEI
ATP
Private Pilot
Instrument Rating
Commercial Pilot
Flight Instructor
Instrument Instructor
Multi-Engine
Multi-Engine Instructor
Airline Transport Pilot

Pricing

as of Jul 2026
Private Pilot airplane rental
$from $199/hour (wet)
Instrument Rating airplane rental
$from $189/hour (wet)
Commercial Pilot airplane rental
$159/hour (Piper Warrior II, wet)
Instructor rate
$from $95/hour
Introductory flight (Malibu)25 minutes
$199
Catalina Island adventure flight95-105 minutes
$649

Fleet

P

Tomahawk (PA-38)

Piper

Piper Tomahawk (PA-38)

P

Warrior II (PA-28-161)

Piper

Piper Warrior II (PA-28-161)

P

Archer II (PA-28-181)

Piper

Piper Archer II (PA-28-181)

P

Dakota (PA-28-235)

Piper

Piper Dakota (PA-28-235)

B

19 Sport

Beechcraft

Beechcraft 19 Sport

C

SR22

Cirrus

Cirrus SR22

Team

8 members
BJ
Bret James Olivere
Chief Inspiration Officer & Founder · Gold Seal CFI, CFII, MEI
DR
David Rodriguez
Chief Flight Instructor · CFI, CFII, MEI
JS
Justin Stork
Flight Instructor · ASEL, CFI
JT
JohnPaul Trotter
Senior Flight Instructor · CFI, CFII, IGI
NA
Norikazu Aoshima
Flight Instructor · ASEL, CFI, CFII
JS
Joseph Sangster
Flight Instructor · CFI, AGI, IGI
MH
Mark Hyman
FAA Aviation Medical Examiner · M.D., First/Second/Third Class Medical certification
SH
Steve Higgins
FAA Pilot Examiner · Airplane Single & Multi Engine Land certification

Nearby in CA

5 more schools
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