Now enrolling founding students — one-on-one flight training at KIPJ, in English or French. Book your first flight →
Flight lessons at KIPJ — Lincoln County Regional Airport
One-on-one training with a dedicated FAA-certificated flight instructor, minutes from Lake Norman at quiet, easy-in-easy-out KIPJ — taught in English or French. Your first lesson can be a discovery flight: you take the controls.
FAA Certificated CFI
Commercial pilot · instrument rated · CFII August 2026
Based at KIPJ
Lincoln County Regional Airport
English · Français · Arabic
Train in the language you think in
Flexible scheduling
Evenings & weekends welcome
Meet your instructor
I'm an FAA-certificated flight instructor (CFI) and commercial pilot — instrument rated, tailwheel endorsed, 300+ hours in Cessna 172s and Piper singles — based at Lincoln County Regional Airport (KIPJ), just northwest of Charlotte. I hold an engineering degree from GTCC and studied mechanical engineering at UNC Charlotte, which is why you'll get real answers about why the airplane does what it does, not just how. This August 2026 I add the instrument-instructor rating (CFII) to take students into the clouds, too.
I teach because the moment a student realizes they're truly flying the airplane — not just riding along — never gets old. My job is to get you to that moment safely, and then keep building on it until you're a confident, competent pilot. No rushing, no cutting corners, and no jargon you haven't been taught yet. Safety isn't a slogan here — it's how every lesson is planned: thorough preflight briefings, honest weather calls, and never flying a lesson you're not ready for.
Flying found me between two worlds — I grew up between the United States and Morocco, and I'm fluent in English, French, and Arabic. Whichever language you think in, that's the one we can train in.
Vous parlez français ? Je peux vous former en français, du premier vol jusqu'à votre brevet.
Training with me is one-on-one from day one. We'll build a schedule around your work and family life, fly out of a quiet, non-towered airport where you spend your paid time flying instead of waiting in line for the runway, and talk honestly about costs at every step.
Services
Flight lessons near Charlotte for every stage — your very first discovery flight, private pilot training, an instrument rating, or knocking the rust off. Every program is one-on-one and built around your schedule.
Your first lesson, not just a ride
From first flight to checkride
Fly confidently in the clouds — starts August 2026
Knock the rust off, keep flying legal
Training aircraft
Training flights use aircraft from Premier Air, based at KIPJwith maintenance on-site — so airplanes are looked after where they fly, and you don't need to own one to train.
$155/hr
Two on the line · N7237Q & N5085K
The most popular trainer in the world for a reason — stable, forgiving, and perfect for learning fundamentals. With two Skyhawks on the field, scheduling stays flexible.
$165/hr
N5548Q
A French-built tourer with a wide, comfortable cabin — a distinctive option for training and cross-country flying, and fitting for an instructor who teaches en français.
$175/hr
Complex: retractable gear
A complex aircraft — retractable gear and a constant-speed prop. The natural step up once you're rated: faster cross-countries and the skills that open the door to advanced certificates.
Wet rates (fuel included), + 3% tax on aircraft rental.
How it works
One flight, no commitment. You'll fly the airplane, ask every question you have, and find out whether this is for you. It almost always is.
I'll walk you through booking an FAA medical exam with a local examiner and applying for your student pilot certificate. Simple paperwork — most people are done within a couple of weeks.
We fly on your schedule and cover the knowledge side as we go, so ground school never feels like homework detached from flying. You'll solo when you're ready — a day you will never forget.
When you consistently fly to the standard, you'll take a practical test with an FAA examiner. Pass it, and you're a certificated private pilot. Then the real fun starts.
Pricing
No memberships, no big deposits, no surprises — you pay as you fly. The airplane and the instructor are billed separately by the hour, so you only pay for the time you actually train.
Discovery flight
$149per flight
Flight instruction
$60per hour
Ground instruction
$50per hour
Cessna 172 Skyhawk
$155per hour + 3% tax
Socata Tobago TB-10
$165per hour + 3% tax
Piper Arrow
$175per hour + 3% tax
All-in, most students complete private pilot training in the $11,500–$15,500 range, spread over the months you train. Why a range and not one number? Because the biggest cost drivers are yours: how often you fly (consistency means less re-learning), weather cancellations, and how much you study between lessons. A flexible one-on-one schedule and a quiet airport are exactly what keep you at the low end of it.
Before you commit to anything, we'll sit down and map out a realistic budget for your goals — send me a note or call (336) 615-2429.
FAQ
Aircraft rental and instruction are billed separately by the hour: the Cessna 172 rents for $155/hour (wet, + 3% tax) and flight instruction is $60/hour. A discovery flight is $149. Most students complete private pilot training in the $11,500–$15,500 range, paid as you fly — no big upfront deposit.
It depends on how often you fly. Training twice a week, many students finish in six to nine months. Once a week works too — it just takes longer because skills fade between lessons. We'll build a schedule that fits your life and keeps you progressing.
All training is based at Lincoln County Regional Airport (KIPJ) in Iron Station, NC — an easy drive from Lake Norman, Denver, Lincolnton, Hickory, and northwest Charlotte. It's a quiet, non-towered airport, which means less time waiting to take off and more of your paid hour spent actually flying.
No. Training flights use well-maintained aircraft from Premier Air based right at KIPJ — two Cessna 172s, a Socata Tobago, and a Piper Arrow, with maintenance on the field.
Most people qualify. You'll need an FAA third-class medical certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner — a straightforward exam, and there are examiners in the Charlotte area. If you have a specific medical concern, ask me before you book the exam and I'll help you understand your options.
Yes — that's exactly who this program is built for. Because training is one-on-one, we schedule around your job: early mornings, evenings, weekends. Consistency matters more than intensity; two well-planned lessons a week fits around most full-time jobs.
Absolutely — a $149 discovery flight makes a memorable gift for a birthday, holiday, or anniversary. Get in touch and we'll set it up so the recipient can pick a date that works for them.
Oui ! I'm fully trilingual — English, French, and Arabic — and your training can be conducted in French or English, from the first discovery flight through checkride prep. (The FAA written and practical tests are in English, and I'll make sure you're ready for that too.)
Contact
Book a discovery flight or ask me anything about training. I typically reply the same day.