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Philadelphia Flight School · KPNE
Merlin Flight Training is an FAA-certified Part 61 flight school based at Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE) — 9800 Ashton Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19114. We train pilots one-on-one in a Grumman Cheetah AA-5A. No big classes. No waiting in line for an instructor. No surprises in pricing.
01 · Where we fly from
KPNE (also tagged ICAO "KPNE" / IATA "PNE") is a fully-public general aviation airport in Northeast Philadelphia. It's a normal airport with free on-field parking — you drive in, walk over to the ramp, and we go fly. No security lines. No ticket counter.
02 · The aircraft
Most flight schools in the Philadelphia area fly Cessna 172s. We picked the Cheetah on purpose — it's sportier, faster, and it teaches you to fly the airplane rather than fly past your mistakes. It's a forgiving trainer that builds real airmanship.
Our N9725U is well-maintained, IFR-equipped, and flown weekly so it's never on the "squawk and pray" plan. Maintenance is logged transparently. If something breaks, we fix it.
See the aircraft →03 · What you can train for
The certificate that makes you a pilot. ~50–70 hours in the airplane, ground school in parallel, FAA written exam, and a checkride with a designated examiner. Most students at Merlin finish in 6–12 months while working a day job.
Learn more →After your PPL. Add flying in clouds and low visibility to your toolkit. ~50 hours of instrument training, instrument written, and an IR checkride. Unlocks the ability to keep flying when the weather isn't VFR.
Learn more →The certificate that lets you get paid to fly. ~120 hours of flight time including specific maneuvers and cross-country experience. The on-ramp to a paid aviation career.
Learn more →04 · Start with a discovery flight
We'll do a pre-flight brief, you'll sit in the left seat, and we'll take off from KPNE and fly over Center City Philadelphia and the Delaware River. You'll fly the airplane — climb, descend, turn, level off. Land back at KPNE. Full post-flight debrief. No prior experience needed.
Book your discovery flight →05 · Where our students come from
KPNE is the most convenient general-aviation airport for most of the Philadelphia metro. Students drive in from across the region:
Nearby alternatives: some students drive past Wings Field (KLOM), Doylestown Airport (KDYL), or Brandywine Airport (KOQN) to fly at KPNE because of the runway length, fewer traffic patterns, and the 1-on-1 model. If you're comparing schools, reach out — we'll be straight with you about which field makes sense for where you live.
06 · Common questions
Merlin Flight Training operates out of Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE) — the closest fully-public general aviation airport to Center City. About 25 minutes from City Hall, 15 minutes from Bensalem, 30 minutes from Cherry Hill or King of Prussia, and 35 minutes from Doylestown.
A full Private Pilot Certificate at Merlin typically costs $13,000–$14,000, including aircraft rental, instruction, equipment, written exam, and the checkride. See the pricing page for the detailed breakdown.
FAA Part 61 requires 40 flight hours minimum, but most students take 50–70 hours over 6–12 months while balancing a day job. Students who fly twice a week typically finish in 6 months; once-a-week students take 10–12 months.
Yes. Our home base is KPNE, but most students drive in from Bucks County (Doylestown, Newtown, Yardley), Montgomery County (King of Prussia, Norristown), and South Jersey (Cherry Hill, Mt. Laurel).
A discovery flight is your first time at the controls — you sit in the left seat, take off with the instructor, fly over Center City Philadelphia and the Delaware River, and land at KPNE. $150 and includes the pre-flight brief and post-flight debrief. No prior experience needed.
You drive. Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE) is a normal public airport with free parking on the field. The airport address is 9800 Ashton Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19114.
One discovery flight tells you more than ten hours of YouTube videos. Book yours — and if it's not for you, no pressure.