Maui Plane Rides: Flight School in Kahului, Hawaii

Photos via Google Maps; they belong to their authors.

Location: Kahului, Hawaii
School Type: Local flight school
Training Focus: Pilot training
Google Rating: 4.9 (718 reviews)

Call (808) 800-6394 Get Directions Visit Website

Listing data is maintained editorially and confirmed with schools over time. Programs and pricing change; verify details directly before enrolling.

Hours

Monday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM

See It on the Map

What Students and Pilots Say

★★★★★ 1 month ago

Absolutely Spectacular! We were greeted in the parking lot with leis for photos, and the tour was amazing! The colors were breathtaking, the pilot was fantastic and had us in stitches the entire time. He shared stories about what we were seeing, and the flight itself was smooth mostly. Can’t blame Mauis gusty winds on anybody: when we were at the places with bumps, the pilot seemed to know beforehand and told us tha…
Nameless Being via Google

★★★★★ 1 month ago

Great experience overall. Flight was good, pilot was very nice and caring. Customized the entire experience to our requests within the given time limit. Would do it again but have a few items to bring up. 1. Headphones didn't work In The back so made it hard for first timers (my kid) to hear and caused them to be a bit panicky. 2. Other headphones were falling apart so my other kid took them off since they were unc…
JAZER via Google

★★★★★ 5 months ago

Maui Plane Rides is absolutely the premier flight seeing company on the island! Eric is a force! He is one with the land, sea and air, and basically knows everything about the Hawaiian islands that has taken place throughout history. Im not kidding when I say his flying skills would make Neil Armstrong and Chuck Yeager jealous. My fiancé and I went on a tour around the volcano and it was truly breathtaking. We c…
brent shibe via Google

★★★★★ 9 months ago

5 stars is there promise and 5 stars they will get. First off what an amazing experience. I usually don't get too emotional but when we took off and started to see the island with a double rainbow 🌈, gorgeous glassy sky, and a setting sun it was the best experience of my life. It is gonna be hard to top the amazing experience I had that day. The pilot taking me and my girlfriend was really fun and informative. Honest…
Josh Frifeldt via Google

Reviews via Google Maps; they belong to their authors and are not our endorsement.

Planning Your Training Here

Planning training at a local school like Maui Plane Rides trades the academy's speed for flexibility and often meaningfully lower total cost. The pay-as-you-fly model keeps your money in your control, and training two to three lessons weekly around work is the proven rhythm, enough frequency to retain skills without the academy's all-in schedule. The variable to manage is momentum: local-school students who succeed book standing lesson slots, fly year-round, and treat ground study as homework rather than something that happens at the airport. Ask about aircraft scheduling depth, instructor availability on your target days, and examiner wait times in Kahului, the three friction points that stretch part-time timelines.

What Flying in Hawaii Teaches You

Hawaii trades continental weather for overwater judgment. Trade winds deliver reliable VFR most of the year, but every cross-country is an ocean crossing between islands, and students learn ditching briefs, wind-line reading, and fuel discipline as first-nature skills. Microclimates stack rain on one ridge and sun on the next, volcanic haze does its own thing, and density altitude works differently when the runway starts at sea level and the terrain doesn't.

How to Evaluate Maui Plane Rides on Your Tour

Every school on this directory gets the same advice from us, because the fundamentals don't move. Walk the ramp and count how many aircraft are down for maintenance. Ask how many lessons a week they can actually schedule you, and how far out the booking calendar runs. Ask for first-attempt checkride pass rates and how long students wait for an examiner. And keep your money in your control: pay as you fly, or in small blocks with clear refund terms.

Then weigh the location itself. Training in Kahului means building your early hours in Hawaii weather and airspace, and both become part of your airmanship. Our school-selection guide covers the full vetting checklist, and the financing page maps scholarships and loans that apply at schools like this one.

Common Questions About Training at Maui Plane Rides

How long would my training take here?

Part-time students flying two to three lessons weekly typically earn a private certificate in six to twelve months and a commercial certificate in two to three years, with pace set by your calendar and the weather. Consistency decides everything: standing lesson slots beat sporadic bursts by months.

What will it cost, and can I get help paying?

Get Maui Plane Rides's current rates directly; published numbers age fast in this industry. Nationally, plan on $80,000 to $120,000 from zero time to commercial certificates before instructing pay starts offsetting costs. Our financing guide maps the loans, scholarships, and airline cadet programs that apply here, and several scholarship cycles go undersubscribed every single year.

How should I arrange a visit?

Call ahead and ask for a tour on a normal training day, not a quiet one. Use the directions button above to plan the drive to Kahului, arrive early enough to watch ramp operations, and bring the vetting checklist from this page. A school proud of its operation will show you everything; hesitation is itself an answer.

Get Matched

Considering Maui Plane Rides? Tell us your goal and timeline and we'll line this school up against comparable options near you, with the financing routes and scholarship deadlines that fit. One form, no spam, a real reply within a business day.