Monterey Peninsula · Salinas Airport (KSNS)
Flight training near Monterey
North Aero is a flight school at the Salinas Municipal Airport. It is about a 30-minute drive from Monterey. You learn at a towered airport, and the Monterey Bay coastline is a short flight away.
- 30 minAbout, from Monterey
- Class DTowered airport
- 6,004 ftLongest runway
- 2Training airplanes
- $249Discovery flight
Getting here
About 30 minutes from the Peninsula
We are at 45 Mortensen Ave, on the Salinas Municipal Airport. From most of the Peninsula, you take Highway 68 east to Salinas.
| Marina | About 25 min Reservation Road and Blanco Road |
|---|---|
| Seaside | About 30 min Highway 218 and Highway 68 |
| Monterey | About 30 min Highway 68 |
| Carmel-by-the-Sea | About 35 min Highway 1 and Highway 68 |
| Pacific Grove | About 35 min Highway 68 |
| Carmel Valley | About 40 min Carmel Valley Road, Laureles Grade and Highway 68 |
Times are without traffic, from each town center to our address. They come from two route planners that use OpenStreetMap data (OSRM and Valhalla), checked in November 2026. We show the longer estimate, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. Carmel Valley is timed from Carmel Valley Village. Allow extra time at commute hours.
The airport
Learn at a towered airport
Salinas Municipal has a control tower. You talk to the tower from your first lesson.
The airspace around Salinas is Class D. It goes from the surface up to, but not including, 2,500 feet MSL. Before you enter it, you make two-way radio contact with the Salinas tower.
Monterey Regional is in Class C airspace, the kind that surrounds a busier airport. Class C adds radar approach control. You make radio contact with approach control before you enter, and the airplane needs a transponder with altitude reporting and ADS-B Out.
You learn to work with both. The Monterey Class C is next door, and its shelf on the Salinas side starts at 2,500 feet MSL.
Salinas Municipal (KSNS)
| Airspace | Class D |
|---|---|
| Top | Up to, but not including, 2,500 ft MSL |
| Before you enter | Two-way radio contact with Salinas Tower, 119.525 |
| Equipment | A two-way radio |
| Tower hours | 6 am to 7 pm, October to March. 5 am to 7 pm, April to September. |
| When the tower closes | Class G |
Monterey Regional (KMRY)
| Airspace | Class C |
|---|---|
| Top | Up to and including 4,200 ft MSL |
| Before you enter | Two-way radio contact with approach control |
| Equipment | A two-way radio, a transponder with altitude reporting, and ADS-B Out |
| Tower hours | 6 am to 9 pm |
| When the tower closes | Class E surface area |
From the FAA airport data for SNS and MRY (effective October 29 to November 26, 2026) and the FAA San Francisco Sectional. Hours change. Check the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs before you fly. Learn to read both on the chart in our free lessons: Class D airspace and Class C airspace.
The training area
Your classroom is the Monterey Bay
The valley, the coastline and the hills around them are a short flight from Salinas. The Monterey Bay marine layer is part of the lesson too. You learn to make real weather decisions, not only fly on blue-sky days. Tap any photo to see it full size.
The fleet
Two airplanes to learn in
N41459, Piper Warrior
A 1974 Piper Warrior with four seats. Most of our students fly it from their first lesson to their private pilot checkride. On a discovery flight, one passenger can ride along at no extra charge.
Meet the Warrior →
N1302B, Luscombe 8E
A 1948 Luscombe with a tailwheel and no flaps. It teaches the stick-and-rudder skills that make you better in every airplane after it. New students can start their training in it.
Meet the Luscombe →How to start
Three steps to your first lesson
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Take a discovery flight
It is your first lesson, with your hands on the controls, over the Monterey Bay coastline. It costs $249 in either airplane. Your instructor, the headset, a logbook and a photo are included.
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Pick your program
Sport pilot, private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, flight instructor and tailwheel. Our lesson plans are free to read online, so you can see what each flight covers.
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Plan the cost
Our private pilot estimate is built lesson by lesson from our syllabus. There are seven ways to pay for training, and borrowing comes last.
Looking for a scenic flight over Monterey?
Our discovery flight is a real lesson, not an air tour. You fly the airplane yourself, with an instructor beside you. In the Warrior, one passenger can ride along at no extra charge. It also makes a gift: we send you an invoice for $249, and your pilot picks a date with us.
Students
What our students say
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
Come fly at Salinas
Schedule a discovery flight, or call us with your questions. We are about 30 minutes from Monterey.