Montgomery County · Training at KPNE
Flight Lessons for Montgomery County
Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE) is about 6 miles from Huntingdon Valley and about 10 from Willow Grove, on local roads. Merlin Flight Training teaches there one student at a time, in a two-seat Direct Fly Alto.
Montgomery County towns and the drive
- Huntingdon Valley
- Abington
- Jenkintown
- Willow Grove
- Hatboro
- Horsham
- Fort Washington
- Ambler
- Blue Bell
- Lansdale
- Plymouth Meeting
- Conshohocken
- Norristown
- King of Prussia
Training takes place at KPNE in Northeast Philadelphia; we don't have a Montgomery County location. It's about a 6-mile drive from Huntingdon Valley, 9 miles from Abington, 10 miles from Willow Grove, 11 miles from Hatboro, 21 miles from Lansdale and 33 miles from King of Prussia by the Turnpike.
Driving to KPNE from Montgomery County
Each route below ends the same way: Grant Avenue to Ashton Road, where our hangar is. Which road gets you to Grant Avenue depends on where you start.
- From Huntingdon Valley and Willow Grove: PA 63 (Welsh Road, then Philmont Avenue) becomes Red Lion Road in Northeast Philadelphia. Turn right on Bustleton Avenue (PA 532), then left on Grant Avenue. From Abington, Susquehanna Road and Valley Road lead to PA 63.
- From Hatboro and Horsham: Byberry Road runs east into Philadelphia. Turn right on Bustleton Avenue (PA 532), then left on Grant Avenue.
- From Lansdale: PA 63 runs the whole way to Red Lion Road, as Welsh Road for most of it and Moreland Road through Willow Grove.
- From Plymouth Meeting, Norristown and King of Prussia: take the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) east to exit 351 (US 1). Follow US 1 south, which becomes Roosevelt Boulevard, for about 5 miles and turn left on Grant Avenue.
A control tower, which Montgomery County’s airports don’t have
Montgomery County’s public-use airports are Wings Field (KLOM) in Blue Bell, Heritage Field (KPTW) in Limerick and Pottstown Municipal (N47). None has a control tower. Pilots there announce their own positions to each other on a shared frequency, which keeps early pattern practice simple.
KPNE has a tower and sits beneath part of Philadelphia’s Class B airspace. Here is what that changes:
- You talk to Ground and Tower from your first lesson. You need two-way radio contact with the tower before you enter its Class D airspace (14 CFR 91.129).
- For a private pilot certificate in a single-engine airplane, you need three solo takeoffs and three full-stop landings at an airport with an operating control tower (14 CFR 61.109(a)(5)(iii)). At KPNE that is your home field. From a non-towered airport, you fly to one.
- The Class B shelves are overhead on every flight, so you learn to read them on the chart and stay beneath them early.
- The trade-off: radio work is one more thing to learn in your first lessons, and sometimes you wait for a clearance or follow a jet. Pilots who start at a quiet field learn the same skills later, when they first fly to towered airports.
Is KPNE the right airport for where you live?
It depends on which side of the county you start from. Your discovery flight is a good time to try the drive at the hour you would normally fly.
- Huntingdon Valley: KPNE is the closer airport, about 6 miles away.
- Abington, Jenkintown, Willow Grove and Hatboro: the drive to KPNE and the drive to Wings Field are within about 2 miles of each other, so choose on the kind of training you want.
- Horsham, Ambler, Blue Bell, Lansdale, Norristown and King of Prussia: Wings Field is the shorter drive. KPNE makes sense if you want a towered home airport and one-on-one lessons, and the 12 to 33 miles each way fits your week.
How training works here
- One instructor works with you one-on-one, planning and flying each lesson with you.
- You fly a Direct Fly Alto: two seats side by side, a control stick for each pilot and Dynon SkyView glass displays.
- Start with the discovery flight, then train for the Private Pilot certificate. See all training options for more.
- Lessons are by appointment. Early-morning and Saturday lessons are common, so training fits around a workday.
- You need to be 16 or older. Under 18, a parent or guardian signs a consent form.
Rates
- Discovery flight: $249, your first lesson on the controls
- Airplane: $185 an hour · Instruction: $75 an hour
- Start with a $1,000 training deposit or a prepaid block of 10, 20 or 40 hours (from $2,600), and lessons come off your balance
- 10-hour block: $2,600 plus $50 of free credit · 20-hour package: $5,200 plus $200 of free credit · 40-hour package: $10,000 plus $1,000 of free credit
Getting here
Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE), 9800 Ashton Rd, Hangar E3, Philadelphia, PA 19114. Lessons are by appointment. We text you the exact meeting point and gate instructions before your first visit.
Common questions
Where is the airport?
Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE) is off Grant Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. Our hangar is at 9800 Ashton Rd, Hangar E3, Philadelphia, PA 19114. Before your first visit we text you where to meet and how to get through the gate.
Do I have to take the Turnpike?
Not from eastern Montgomery County. Welsh Road (PA 63) and Byberry Road both reach Northeast Philadelphia without it. From Plymouth Meeting, Norristown and King of Prussia, the Turnpike to exit 351 (US 1) is the usual way, and it is a toll road.
Is Wings Field closer than KPNE?
From Blue Bell, Ambler, Lansdale and Norristown, yes. From Huntingdon Valley, KPNE is closer. From Abington, Willow Grove and Hatboro, the two drives are within about 2 miles of each other. Wings Field has no control tower, and KPNE has one.
How much is a discovery flight?
A discovery flight is $249: a $100 deposit when you book online and $149 at the airport. Your discovery flight is free with a training block: when you buy your first training block (10, 20 or 40 hours), we credit the $249 back to your account.
Is there a minimum age?
Yes, 16. Students under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign a consent form.
Can I start with no flying experience?
Yes. Your discovery flight opens with a briefing on how the airplane flies, and you fly with your instructor beside you the whole time.
Start with a discovery flight
You fly the airplane with an instructor beside you, then we talk through what training would look like for you. Questions first? Call or text (445) 456-3599.
Book a discovery flight