Training Overview

Precision Windsports offers concentrated flight training and partners with Rainbow Aviation to offer maintenance training.

Flight Training

Precision Windsports is one of only two or three schools in the country to offer concentrated flight training.  We are also one of the few schools that can train more than one person at a time (by partnering with Buffalo Ridge Airsports).  Consequently, you get the training you need in days instead of months. Our training falls into three categories:

• Pilot (leading to a Sport Pilot's Certificate)
• Private (leading to a Private Pilot's Certificate)
• Instructor (leading to a Certified Instructor Certificate)

Our training environment is east of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  We have five airports to work with including a control towered field (our home field -- Lynchburg Regional Airport) so your training experience will be varied as well as thorough.

Where do I start?

Glad you asked.  Most of our clients schedule three days of training to start things off.  An average training day is 3-4 hours of flying (2 hours in the morning and 1-2 hours in the evening -- weather permitting).  The morning and evening provide the smooth air required for training activities.  By the end of these three days you will be getting close to being ready for solo and you'll know what type of trike flying you are most interested in (which determines the kind of trike you buy).

Commonly Asked Questions:

• How much does it cost?  See our rates page for hourly rates.  The average cost of a Sport Pilot certificate is around $3500.
• Where do I stay?
• How much do trikes cost? The cost varies with the exchange rate (AirBornes are made in Australia) but the currently run $27k-$55k.  Used AirBornes can sometimes be had for as little as $13k but the used market is a "buyer beware market" so be careful.
• What about ground school?  We currently recommend the King Schools Sport Pilot course.  So far everyone of our students using this course has passed their written test the first time through.
• What are the requirements for:
  • Sport Pilot
  • Private Pilot
  • Instructor

Maintenance Training

Precision Windsports works with Rainbow Aviation and Virginia Aviation to train trike repairmen.  The two courses of interest to trike pilots are the 16 hour inspection course and the 104 hour repairman's course. 

16 Hour Inspection Course

The 16 hour course is for trike pilots who own weight-shift aircraft registered as Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA) and want to do their own annual inspections. This course is offered by both Virginia Aviation at Lynchburg, VA and Rainbow Aviation in Corning, CA.  Virignia Aviation is offering its next weight-shift inspection course November 5-6 -- WE ARE SORRY BUT THIS COURSE HAS JUST BEEN CANCELLED as of Sept 3.  Send us an email if you are interested in signing up or need more information.  This course is only offered once a year and we need ten (10) students minimum for the class, so tell your friends.

104 Hour Repairman's Course

The 104 hour course (120 hours if you go for the fixed-wing rating) is for those who want to maintain both ELSAs and Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSAs) professionally (or just want to be able to maintain their personal SLSA) and is provided at Rainbow's Corning, CA facility.  At the completion of this course you will be authorized to maintain and perform the 100 hour (required if you are using your SLSA to provide flight training) and annual inspections of SLSA and ELSA trikes.  Additionally, as a maintenance professional you can charge for your services.  For more information ...