Aviation Program FAQ

Gallatin College Aviation Program tuition and fees include general Gallatin College tuition and fees as well as program-specific flight training costs. The cost of each flight course may vary based on student ability, finances, illness, and self-motivation. The flight training costs listed are based on the average time required to complete each certificate.

Aviation specific course descriptions are available here. You may view additional course descriptions in the current MSU catalog. 

Before registering for classes, a student must be admitted into the program, and an FAA medical certificate as well as funding sources must be secured.

The flight training curriculum is designed to take 2 years to complete if a student is enrolled full-time and not concurrently enrolled in another degree. Students who follow the recommended flight training schedule should complete their Private Pilot’s certificate by the end of the first semester and the Instrument Rating by the end of the second semester. Flight training for the Commercial Certificate is covered in the second year of the program.

It is recommended that students fly 2 to 3 times per week. The flight school provides training 6 days a week, so you should be able to work out a flight schedule that works around your academic and work schedules.

Regular flight lessons are scheduled in 2 hour block increments. 20 minute pre- and post- briefings will bookend each session.

The flight school works to pair students with the same instructor for the duration of each rating.

Most classes take place on the MSU campus. Flight training occurs at the Bozeman airport.

Students will need reliable all-season personal transportation as public transportation is not available to the flight training location.

Yes. Hours logged with a certified flight instructor do count toward the total hours required through Gallatin College. These hours will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

A medical certificate verifies that a student pilot has met all health standards required to operate an aircraft. A list of FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) in your area may be found atthe FAA website or you may contact Gallatin College for more information. A second class medical is the minimum requirement to start flight training, however a first class medical is strongly recommended.

1) To begin, please submit a Gallatin College application and choose Aviation as your program of interest.  (If you plan to pursue a 4-year degree before or alongside an Aviation degree, please complete a MSU application.)

2) After applying, please contact the GC Aviation Department or GC Aviation Program Advisor, Nicole Berg, to be added to the interest list. Once admitted to the program, you will receive information on how to register for courses.