Pilot Training Financing

Get Approved First. Decide Later.

Finance 100% of your training and pay nothing for 18 months. It takes a few minutes, and there's no commitment to take the loan or to train with us.

Get approved and your discovery flight is free, even if you never fly with us again.

Apply Now — No Obligation Or talk it through with someone first →

No obligation to train with us100% of tuition coveredNo payments for 18 monthsPrice locked 24 monthsVA funding options

How it works

Three steps. That's the whole thing.

01
Apply — No Commitment
A few minutes online with Solera. It's a soft credit check, so you find out what you qualify for without affecting your credit score, committing to the loan, or committing to train with us.
02
Get funded
Solera reviews your application and issues a decision. Get approved and your discovery flight is free — cash back or credit, your choice.
03
Start flying
Pick your start date and begin training. Sign and pay within 30 days and your price is locked for 24 months — payments stay deferred for 18 of them.

Start Step One →

Get approved, fly free

Approved for financing? Your discovery flight is on us.

Get approved for at least the $71,636 career-path total, show us the proof, and the full cost of your discovery flight is free, paid back to you in cash or credited toward your training, whichever you prefer. There is no commitment to start training with us for the offer to apply. Get approved, take the flight, decide we aren't the right fit — the offer still stands.

Apply Now — No Obligation

Who we send you to

One lender. One application.

Our rating

Who we point people to

Apply Now →

Finance the whole program. Pay nothing for 18 months.

Solera National Bank runs a student loan tailored specifically to pilots and to how flight training actually works — structured so you don't start paying until you start getting paid to fly. Approval and your final terms are up to Solera.

expand_moreWhy we send people to Solera first

Among the lenders that will actually underwrite career flight training, these are the strongest terms we have seen — students routinely get quoted far worse elsewhere, even with good credit. Shop it anyway. We are a flight school, not a lender, and many lenders are accepted — if you have another option in hand or want to compare, talk with our team.

account_balance

100% of tuition, covered

Finance the entire program cost in a single loan instead of paying for it stage by stage as you go.

pause_circle

18 months before you owe a payment

The deferment is built to carry you all the way through to CFI — the point where you can start earning as a pilot.

trending_down

A 20-year term — typically the longest you can get

The longest runway available on a training loan, which keeps your required payment as low as possible in the early years.

flight

A bank that understands flight training

Solera runs a dedicated pilot student loan — your file isn't being read by someone who's never heard of a CFII.

Interest rate: 15.50%
Origination fee: 5%
Term: 20 years
Deferment: 18 months

Solera's figures for approved applicants, subject to change by Solera. 15.50% is the interest rate, not the APR — with the origination fee included the effective APR is higher, so ask Solera for your APR in writing.

Apply with Solera →

Every figure on this page is Solera's, not ours. Their terms apply to approved applicants, are subject to credit approval, and can change. Nothing is final until Solera reviews your application and issues your own terms in writing — your rate, fees and payment may differ from anything shown here. Applying does not commit you to a loan or to training with JB Aeronautics, and it's a soft credit check, so seeing what you qualify for won't affect your credit score. You'll have 30 days to accept whatever you're offered.

What the application actually asks

About 10 minutes

Have these ready first

check_circleA photo of your driver's licence or passport — the form requires an upload
check_circleYour Social Security number
check_circleYour employer, job title and yearly income, if you're working
check_circleThe same three things for your co-signer — Solera requires one, and they sign too

1
Acknowledgement and signature
expand_more
You'll read Solera's borrower acknowledgement, then type your name, sign on-screen and date it. The acknowledgement says plainly that other lenders may offer you better terms and that you should have considered them — read it rather than skimming it.
2
About you
expand_more
Name, address, phone, email, date of birth and Social Security number. Then whether you're currently employed — if yes, your employer, position and yearly income. Last is the photo ID upload.
3
Co-signer — required
expand_more
Solera asks "Will there be a Co-Borrower / Co-Signer?" — answer Yes. A co-signer is required on this loan, and the form does technically let you answer No, so don't let that mislead you. Your co-signer provides the same details you just entered — name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, employment and income — plus their own signature and photo ID. Have them with you, or their details to hand, before you start this section.
4
Your training and loan amount
expand_more
Pick your school from the dropdown, enter your enrollment date, and enter the amount you want to borrow. Then choose your payment option — see both notes below.

payments

What to put for loan amount

expand_more

The total for the path you intend to finish — $71,636 through CFI, up to $91,098 for the full program — plus a margin for FAA examiner and knowledge-test fees, which sit outside tuition. Going back for more later is harder than asking for the right number now. If you're unsure, call us before you submit.

tune

Which payment option to pick

expand_more

Solera offers two. 18-month deferment means nothing is due while you train, with interest accruing and added to your balance when repayment starts. 12-month interest only means smaller payments during training that stop the balance growing. Most students training full time pick the deferment.

After you submit

Solera reviews the application and sends you a decision with your actual rate, fees and repayment terms. You then have 30 days to accept those terms. Past that they can change and you'd need to re-apply — so once your approval lands, don't sit on it. Nothing is binding until you accept.

Start the Application →

Walkthrough of Solera National Bank's application form as of July 2026, provided to help you prepare — the form is theirs and may change. Solera is an independent lender and is not affiliated with JB Aeronautics; we receive no commission on your loan. Stuck on any field? Call 559-550-5231 before you guess.

Run the numbers

The loan isn't what makes training expensive. The tuition is.

Your rate comes from your credit, not from your school. What moves your monthly payment is how much you had to borrow — and the large national academies publish $120,000 and up for the same ratings. Same loan, same rate, applied to both:

Program

Zero time → MEI

Term

20 years

Deferment

18 months

Same rate on both — 15.50%

Read this carefully: both columns below use the exact same interest rate, term, deferment and fees. Nothing about the loan differs. The only thing that changes is how much there was to borrow.

The rate this starts on is Solera's figure for approved applicants, shown as an illustration. It is not a quote and not final — your actual rate, fees and payment are set by Solera once they review your application, and may be higher or lower.

JB Aeronautics

$91,098 $93,098 $2,000 off this month

$1,632

per month

Typical national academy

$120,000+ published

$2,149

per month

$28,902

Difference in price

$518

More per month

$124,233

More over 20 years

Move the rate — the gap never closes. At every rate, on identical terms, the school with the lower price costs less every single month.

What the difference costs you, cumulativelyExtra you'd pay at a $120,000+ academySame money, kept by training here

savings$124,233stays with you

Paying $28,902more up front doesn't cost you $28,902 — financed over 20 years at the same rate, it costs you $124,233. That's the red area above, and it's money you simply keep by training here.

And you don't have to finance all of it. The career path starts as low as about $71,636 for zero time through CFI — roughly $1,283/mo at the rate above — and you can add the remaining ratings as you go.

The full path covers all 8 certificates, zero time through MEI. See exactly what's included

expand_moreWhere these numbers come from

$91,098 is our current price for the full zero-time → MEI path, covering all 8 certificates. It is a pricing estimate: your price locks once you sign and pay within 30 days, and stays locked for 24 months on one contract. Individual totals still vary with pace, weather and aircraft choice. $120,000+ reflects the low end of what the large national flight academies publish for a comparable zero-to-instructor program; several publish more. We have used the bottom of that range on purpose, so the gap shown here is conservative.

What this is not.The rate and term are a single illustration applied identically to both figures. They are not any school's actual financing terms, not an offer of credit, and not a prediction of what a lender would quote you — real financing varies by borrower and may be higher or lower. Neither figure includes FAA examiner or knowledge-test fees. Other schools' pricing and inclusions differ and change; compare current published prices directly before deciding. JB Aeronautics is not a lender and receives no commission on your loan.

Median airline pilot pay is around $226,600 a year. Every month you spend saving instead of training is a month you aren't earning that — and a month of seniority you never get back. See what the program covers.

Median annual wage for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is a mid-career figure across the industry, not a starting salary and not a promise of what you will earn — instructing and first-year regional pay are considerably lower, and earnings vary by carrier, seat, seniority and hiring conditions.

Served in the military? Borrow less.

Several of our Part 141 programs at Fresno (KFAT) are VA approved^*, and eligible veterans may be able to put GI Bill^® benefits toward them — which can cut down how much you need to finance, or whether you need to finance at all. Eligibility depends on your service history and on the specific program.

See VA Benefits →

^*VA educational benefits eligibility requirements apply. Contact us for details on approved programs and benefit verification. GI Bill^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information at benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Before you apply

The questions people actually ask.

Does applying commit me to anything?expand_more

No. Applying tells you what you qualify for — that's all. You are not committed to accepting the loan, and you are not committed to training with JB Aeronautics. Plenty of people apply to find out where they stand before deciding anything.

Will this affect my credit?expand_more

No. Applying is a soft credit check, so finding out what you qualify for won't affect your credit score. That's the whole reason it's worth doing before you commit to anything. If you go on to accept the loan, ask Solera whether that step involves a hard inquiry — most lenders run one at that point.

Do I need a co-signer?expand_more

Yes. Solera requires a co-signer on the pilot student loan, so line one up before you start — they'll need to provide their own details and sign the application alongside you. If you don't have anyone, tell us before you apply rather than burning an application; our finance specialists deal with this often and there are other routes worth talking through.

What if Solera turns me down?expand_more

You are not out of options, and that is not the end of the conversation. Solera is who we send people to first, not the only path that exists. Our finance specialists work with several other lenders and funding routes, and they'll go through what's realistic for your situation on a short call — including VA benefits, paying in stages, or starting smaller and building from there.

Can I use a different lender?expand_more

Very likely — many lenders are accepted. We are a flight school, not a lender, and Solera is simply who we point people to first. If you already hold an approval somewhere else, or you want to compare options before you commit, talk with our team and we'll tell you what works. Larger academies often route applicants through a single financing partner; we would rather you took the best offer you can find.

How much should I apply for?expand_more

Apply for the full cost of the path you intend to finish, plus a margin for FAA examiner and knowledge-test fees, which sit outside tuition. The career path starts at $71,636 through CFI and runs to $91,098 for the full zero-time-to-MEI program with all eight certificates. If you are not sure which is right for you, book a call before you apply — it is much easier to pick the right number the first time than to go back for more later.

When do payments start?expand_more

Solera defers payments for 18 months from disbursement, so nothing is due while you're training. Interest does accrue during that time and is capitalized — added to your balance when repayment begins.

What happens if I don't finish training?expand_more

You still owe the money that was disbursed. That is true of every training loan, and it is the single most important reason to look hard at a school's completion rate before you sign anything — ours is the reason we're comfortable putting this in writing. If life interrupts your training, talk to us early; we have paused and restarted plenty of students.

Still not sure where you stand? Our finance specialists will walk through your options — including the ones that aren't on this page.

Book a Call →

Find out in minutes.

No commitment to take the loan. None to train with us. Get approved and your discovery flight is free either way.

Apply Now — No Obligation

Prefer to talk first? Book a 15-minute call or call 559-550-5231.