We are located in Des Moines, Iowa at the Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Vertical Vision Flight Academy offers students the unique advantage of training in a professional, real-world airport environment. Our Des Moines location provides easy access, controlled airspace experience, and diverse Midwest weather—perfect for building confident, well-rounded pilots—all while staying just minutes from downtown Des Moines.

Des Moines offers a great mix of experiences for training. Not only is the airport itself a towered Class Charlie airport that allows you to learn how to communicate with Air Traffic Control (ATC), but it also allows you to see how large-scale operations are conducted without the hassles of most metro areas. Des Moines has also been consistently rated as one of the best places to live in the United States!

Vertical Vision Flight Academy began its operations in February of 2022 with a team of three Certified Flight Instructors along with one ‘business guy’ who had a zeal for all things aviation. Our school now has a large team of CFIs, CFIIs (instrument instructors), and MEIs (multi-engine instructors), whose experiences come from across the globe.

Yes! Vertical Vision Flight Academy is in partnership with Stratus Financial and other lenders to help provide flight school loans for their students.

Yes! Getting the process started is as easy as reaching out to us.

The cost largely depends on your goals in aviation. Most students destined for the airlines end up spending about $87,000 with us during their training experience in preparation for the airlines.

The cost for obtaining your private pilot certification can be as little as about $16,000, but most end up spending closer to $20,000.

In addition to these costs, note the following additional expenses:

Written Exams and Check Rides: There are fees associated with written exams and check rides, which are conducted by designated examiners. These costs typically range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the type of exam and location.

Medical Examinations: Before starting flight training, aspiring pilots need to obtain a medical certificate from an authorized aviation medical examiner. The cost for the medical examination generally runs about $175.

The pace of the timeline is decided by the person taking the course. Below is a sample timeline:

Private Pilot License (PPL): The PPL is the most basic certificate and allows you to fly as the pilot in command of an aircraft for personal and non-commercial purposes while carrying passengers. It involves both ground and flight training and includes minimum flight hour requirements and knowledge exams.
Instrument Rating (IR): The instrument rating allows pilots to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR) and navigate using the aircraft's instruments instead of relying solely on visual references. It involves training in instrument approaches, navigation, and flight in various weather conditions.
Commercial (CPL), Single-Engine Airplane & Multi-Engine Airplane: These certificates allow pilots to act as Pilot-in-Command for compensation or hire. This is the basic certification to begin working in the aviation industry.
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI): This rating allows pilots to train others on how to obtain their PPL, CPL Single Engine, and the CFI certificate. This is one of the most popular ways for pilots to build time toward getting to the airlines.
Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII): This add-on allows pilots to train others on how to obtain their Instrument Rating and CFII add-on.
Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI): This certification allows pilots to train students on their PPL multi-engine, CPL multi engine, and MEI add-on.

High Performance Endorsement: This certification allows pilots to fly in high-performance aircraft with engines stronger than 200 horsepower.

Complex Endorsement: This certification allows pilots to operate aircraft with advanced features like retractable landing gear, flaps, and controllable-pitch propellers. 

Vertical Vision Flight Academy offers a complete learning environment. We have the following:

Dedicated classroom: We offer students dedicated classroom areas for ground instruction, whiteboards, audiovisual equipment, free snacks & drinks, and myriad places to visit with other students to build both knowledge and friendships!

Briefing rooms: We also provide briefing rooms where pilots can review flight plans, discuss weather conditions, prepare for upcoming flights, and incorporate study sessions with groups or one on one. Debriefing rooms are used after flights to analyze performance, review lessons learned, and provide feedback.

Maintenance Hangar: We have a maintenance hangar with Vertical Vision Flight Academy personnel there to take care of all the critical inspections and maintenance that are part of aviation.

This ensures the aircraft remain in airworthy condition and minimizes downtime for repairs. Safety is paramount in everything we do!

Administrative Offices: We have an administrative office where students can inquire about enrollment, schedule flights, make payments, and receive general support. We also take care of the student records, scheduling, billing, and other administrative tasks.

Vertical Vision Flight Academy is proud to offer a full-motion flight simulator to make the most of your experience on bad weather days! From replicating the G1000 cockpit of our planes and having a 240° view of your surroundings, to being able to replicate a large array of weather conditions, you can be sure to replicate the experience of flying an aircraft in a controlled environment at a fraction of the cost. It even allows you to feel what it would be like to fly in and out of any airport in the world! It also incorporates a motion system to simulate the physical sensations of flying including acceleration, turbulence, and other aircraft movements that are so real that you will forget that you are not in a plane.

It includes flight management computers, autopilot, navigation aids, and the other onboard systems. It includes a high-fidelity sound system to replicate the audio environment inside and outside the aircraft including engine sounds, ambient noise, air traffic communications, and other audio cues. The short answer? It’s pretty awesome!

At Vertical Vision Flight Academy, you'll train in a modern fleet specifically selected to prepare you for today’s commercial aviation environment. Our single-engine aircraft include Tecnam P-Mentors and Piper Archers, both equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi and G3x glass cockpits for advanced situational awareness and avionics familiarity. For multi-engine training, you’ll fly the Piper Seminole—also outfitted with G1000 avionics—giving you valuable experience in complex systems. Our aircraft are meticulously maintained and chosen to mirror what you’ll encounter in the professional world, ensuring a smooth transition from student to commercial pilot.

We have a dedicated team to help ensure you get the flights you need. For the fastest progress, we have found that flying five times a week provides the perfect balance between mental rest days and proficiency furtherance. We are able to tailor our flight schedule to your needs. Our team of Certified Flight Instructors, combined with our fleet of planes, scheduling tools, and on-site maintenance, makes this achievable.

Wind and weather are definitely a factor, especially here in Iowa!

Wind: Piper Archer aircraft allow takeoffs and landings with a much higher crosswind than their high-wing counterparts. You will be able to fly more often than at competing flight schools and your skills in these situations will be sharpened.

Weather: Sometimes, though, mother nature just doesn't want to cooperate. On these days, while we have grounds crews that keep the runways clear within minutes of even the worst snow events with Des Moines airport’s over $13M in equipment, we either set you up in our simulator or use the opportunity to ensure that your ground knowledge is remaining on point!

Vertical Vision Flight Academy has programs that allow its career track and other students to obtain their PPL in as little as two months. We encourage our students to plan on a 14-month timeline to obtain their CFI. Compare our family culture, programs, technological environment, and structure to other schools in the space and see the difference!

At Vertical Vision Flight Academy, we understand that timely checkrides are critical to your progress. That’s why we have a dedicated scheduling team that works closely with a vast network of Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) to ensure minimal wait times. Once you successfully complete your end-of-course evaluation, our team will typically schedule your checkride within 2–3 weeks—so you can stay on track and keep moving forward in your aviation journey.