Fearless flight training in Salinas, CA
We produce pilots who can fly safely for a lifetime.
“I would highly recommend North Aero to anyone looking to become a real pilot.”
Michael Bengard, Private Pilot · Read student stories →
Explore our programs
Your first flight, hands on the controls.
The fastest, most affordable path into the air.
The core certificate. Fly friends and family.
Fly safely in the clouds and the system.
Get paid to fly.
Teach others to fly.
Master stick and rudder in a taildragger.
Get current with a thorough flight review.
Get your instrument currency back.
Our mission
We aim to create fearless pilots. Eliminate latent failures. Reduce the general aviation accident rate to zero.
Meet North Aero
North Aero is a flight school in Salinas, California, built to produce pilots who can fly safely for a lifetime. Watch the welcome to hear who we are and what we care about.
Erick Teeters, Founder and CFI
Student stories
From a discovery flight to a commercial certificate. Two of our students told us their whole story, the hard parts included.
Why North Aero
We put you in realistic emergencies before you solo, so when something goes wrong in real life, your hands already know what to do.
A cockpit camera and audio recorder fly on every flight, and we provide the camera. Your debrief runs on the actual footage, and the recording is yours to keep. On the ground, lessons are recorded and AI-transcribed, so you walk out with complete notes instead of scribbles.
We teach rudder coordination the way it was meant to be taught, in a Luscombe that won't forgive sloppy feet. Pilots who come through the tailwheel feel the airplane in a way others never do.
Part 61 gives us the freedom to customize training toward the weak areas that often get overlooked, and we use it. The curriculum is scenario-based from the first lesson and held to a higher standard than the practical test, with a library of scenario lessons that challenge every level of student. Ask about The Mumble and The Real Pickle.
Most schools hide their numbers behind a phone call. We publish ours. See real, all-in costs in our free cost guide and on our pricing page before you ever call.
You want to learn to fly. We want to teach you. Plenty of schools are staffed by instructors building hours toward an airline seat; our CFIs are not leaving for the airlines. We are here to teach the art of flying, because that is what we love to do, and your success matters to us as much as it matters to you.
NASA ASRS reports and NTSB investigations guide our ground discussions, like the August 2022 midair at Watsonville, taught with the actual radio audio and the NTSB's findings. You learn to spot the hazards that catch real pilots at every skill level. The aim is simple: remove the latent failures lurking in every future pilot.
If your student trains with us, so do you. We work directly with parents to find funding and scholarship resources, track progress continuously, and sit down with you every month, written report in hand. More for parents here.
Why you'll love North Aero
Well-maintained airplanes set the standard for our students. The Piper Warrior is our primary trainer; the Luscombe teaches the feet.
We challenge our students because we are building the best pilots to fly in the 21st century. There is nothing more important to us than your safety and success.
Our curriculum and methods speak for themselves. Come find out why students stay with North Aero from their first lesson through advanced ratings.
From our students
When it finally came time to fulfill my lifelong dream of learning to fly, it was important for me to find a training program that was as passionate as I was. From the moment I met Erick Teeters and the rest of the North Aero staff, I knew I had found my home in the general aviation community. Erick is all that you could ask for in a mentor. His training aircraft and equipment are the most well-maintained that I have seen, because he wants to set the standard for his students.
I have been flying with Erick for years now, starting with my instrument rating. Each flight increases my knowledge and capabilities. Erick has a wealth of information and shares his experiences, good and bad, for his students to learn from. He has a real compassion for flying and teaching that makes learning easy and comfortable. I feel blessed finding Erick.
John Blatnik
Instrument & advanced aircraft
I completed my private pilot checkride with instruction from Erick. Very thorough with ground and flight instruction. I felt confident throughout my experience. North Aero has many great resources to help student pilots who learn in different ways. Training in the Piper Warrior was a lot of fun, and I hope to continue here for future ratings.
Kassy Avilez
Private pilot & instrument
At North Aero I had an amazing experience with my flight training. I was motivated and encouraged when things got tough, and always had a great time flying. I would highly recommend Erick and North Aero to anyone looking to achieve their dream of becoming a real pilot.
Michael Bengard
Private pilot & tailwheel
Above the fog, over Monterey Bay. This is the office.
You don't have to be in Salinas, or even our student, to start learning. The workbooks, reading guides, and checklists our students train with are published right here. No account, no email, no charge.
Our aircraft and instruction rates are published, and a discovery flight gets you a written estimate for your program. No email address required, and no numbers hidden behind a phone call.
Or call us directly: 831-809-5375
