Northwestern Michigan College - Aero Park Campus - Parsons-Stulen Building: Flight School in Traverse City, Michigan

Northwestern Michigan College - Aero Park Campus - Parsons-Stulen Building in Traverse City, photo 1

Photos via Google Maps; they belong to their authors.

Location: Traverse City, Michigan
School Type: Local flight school
Training Focus: Pilot training
Google Rating: 4.1 (14 reviews)

Call (231) 995-2000 Get Directions Visit Website

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

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What Students and Pilots Say

★★★★★ 3 months ago

What amazing facilities, fleet, and Director! Collegial, fully professional, yet at same time w unique, down-to-earth, practical aviation curriculum experiences!!
Matt Vance via Google

★★★★★ 3 years ago

Used the testing center for a CompTIA exam through PearsonVUE. I was lucky to get in, it seems very challenging to find a time slot. Other than that very professional staff and an overall pleasing and comfortable testing environment.
John Ruffing via Google

★☆☆☆☆ 5 years ago

Review by Dave B. is harsh and with no response from the institution it will have negative repercussions. It’s an n=1 situation but in learning a critical skill there is no room for this style of instruction. In a time where the student body is probably becoming more mature they will deal with this in a slightly different manner than a young, unseasoned student. If this instructor uses this technique on a Gulf War…
Greg Bayley via Google

★☆☆☆☆ 7 years ago

Every time I dealt with flight program management they were intensely condescending. I got publicly humiliated by Dave Traines in front of an entire class of students despite being the second highest scoring student with the lowest hours. I went on to become an instructor at a large corporate company and would never be as condescending as they were to me.
Buzz H 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 Northwestern Michigan College - Aero Park Campus - Parsons-Stulen Building 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 Traverse City, the three friction points that stretch part-time timelines.

What Flying in Michigan Teaches You

Michigan adds lake-effect meteorology to the standard Midwest mix: localized snow bands, humid summer haze, and shoreline wind shifts that teach micro-scale weather reading. The payoff is versatility; a Michigan-trained pilot has seen more weather varieties in one year than sunbelt students see in three.

How to Evaluate Northwestern Michigan College - Aero Park Campus - Parsons-Stulen Building 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 Traverse City means building your early hours in Michigan 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 Northwestern Michigan College - Aero Park Campus - Parsons-Stulen Building

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 Northwestern Michigan College - Aero Park Campus - Parsons-Stulen Building'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 Traverse City, 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 Northwestern Michigan College - Aero Park Campus - Parsons-Stulen Building? 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.