The VNAV Flight Labs RV-12iS, orange livery, parked at the ramp
VNAV Flight Labs · Windham Airport (KIJD) · Connecticut

A Modern Professional Pilot Program, Without the Legacy Price Tag.

Zero flight hours to Commercial Pilot and CFI/CFII in 12 months, built by airline pilots.

Apply for the inaugural cohort Watch a quick overview
$83,350 total tuition, everything included
Zero Hours to Commercial + CFI/CFII 12 Months, Full-Time Founding 2027 Cohort — 8 Seats
The core distinction

Most schools train you on 50-year-old aircraft with analog gauges, burning expensive leaded fuel — and pass the cost to you.

We do it differently. Our entire fleet is the factory-built Van's RV-12iS, a modern aircraft with a fuel-efficient engine and a real glass cockpit. That one choice is why we can charge less without cutting corners.

RPM EGT FUEL OIL

A real glass cockpit from day one

Dual Garmin G3X touchscreen displays with synthetic vision and a coupled autopilot — the same kind of setup you'll see when you get to a regional jet, not a decades-old dial panel.

9.0 gal/hr
Legacy Trainer
~3.85 gal/hr
VNAV Fleet

Roughly half the fuel burn

3.7 to 4.0 gallons per hour, against roughly 9.0 in a legacy trainer — a direct, honest cut to both your cost and your carbon footprint.

Trained by people who've actually done the job

Founded by airline pilots — the curriculum reflects real airline training judgment, not just what's needed to pass a checkride.

Built Like a Tech Company, Not a Flight School From 1985

Your instructor used to grade you in a paper logbook. We built software instead.

Every VNAV cadet trains inside the same kind of system we use at the airline: a live readiness dashboard and a digital maneuver tracker, replacing the clipboard, the paper logbook, and the guesswork about how you're actually progressing.

Student Readiness Dashboard Preview
app.vnavflightlabs.aero/dashboard
Cadet Readiness
J. Alvarez — Cohort 01
82
On Track for Solo XC
Flight Hours
47.3
Currency
Current
CRM Score
89%
Next Milestone
Solo XC
Maneuver Proficiency
Takeoffs & Landings
91%
Instrument Procedures
74%
CRM & Systems
85%
Digital Maneuver Tracker Preview
Today's Flight
Lesson 14 — Steep Turns & Slow Flight
Steep Turns (45°)Proficient
Slow FlightNeeds Practice
Power-Off StallsProficient
Log Maneuver
Signed off electronically — no paper logbook.
Concept preview — these tools are in active development for the Founding 2027 Cohort.
See the Panel
From Our Founder
“

Airlines aren't just looking for warm bodies anymore; they're looking for highly competent, systems-minded aviators who can pass a demanding airline training footprint on the first try. We built VNAV to train the next generation of captains using modern technology and unbeatable economics.

— Benjamin Head, Founder, VNAV Flight Labs

Meet the founder →

How It Works

From Application to Airline-Ready, in Three Steps.

01Step

Apply & Interview

We don't accept everyone with a checkbook. We accept a small number of highly driven candidates per cohort who have the discipline to train like a professional.

02Step

The 12-Month Program

A full-time, immersive curriculum based at Windham Airport (KIJD) — zero flight hours to Commercial Pilot and CFI/CFII, on a modern glass-cockpit fleet.

03Step

Build Your Hours, Get Paid

Graduate and start earning while you close the gap to 1,500 hours — instructing, towing, surveying, or flying charter — instead of paying to rent time.

See the full curriculum

Ready to find out if you're one of the eight?

Applications for the Founding 2027 Cohort at Windham Airport (KIJD) are open now — only 8 seats per cohort.

Apply for the inaugural cohort