Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's website isn't afraid to boast about its reputation. The university claims to be the best aerospace and aviation university in the world. Students at Embry-Riddle, in Daytona Beach, study all aspects of the aviation and aerospace industry, including science, practical studies and the business side. The school offers associates, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in nearly 40 programs, ranging from engineering to aviation business administration. Barnstormer J. Paul Riddle and entrepreneur T. Higbee Embry started the school in 1926 as a school to train pilots and aviation mechanics following a spike in interest after World War I.
Phoenix East Aviation is a fully accredited flight school in Daytona Beach where students seeking a career as an airline pilot or airline dispatcher can prepare for the job. Flight training programs are available for private, commercial and airline transport pilot certification. Programs designed to prepare for a career in flight instruction are also available. Students have access to a fleet of training aircraft, ranging from the Cessna 172-SP to Seneca multi-engine aircraft. There are also flight simulators to prepare students for a variety of other planes.
SunState Aviation Flight School in Orlando started in 2002 and has grown quickly into a major competitor in the region for pilot training. SunState's approach to teaching pilots is different, in that it does not require students to prepare ahead of time for anything they will learn in the flight program. The accelerated course is good for busy people who just want to get their flight training accomplished in the shortest time possible. The design of the curriculum is user-friendly and advances future pilots quickly through the content needed to pass FAA exams, and the one-on-one flight training provides fast results. SunState offers certification levels from private pilot through airline transport pilot.
Florida Aviation Career Training, Inc. is a flight school that has been located at the St. Augustine Airport since 1990. Students with a student pilot or recreational pilot certification may enroll in the school to progress toward either a private pilot certification or a commercial/instrument pilot certification. Schooling includes 24 hours of dual flight instruction and 24 hours of ground instruction. Students must also complete 11 hours of solo flight practice as well as pass written and flight tests required by the FAA.