● Discovery Flight · $325 · Sim + Flight + Debrief

Your first hour
at the controls.

30 minutes in our state-of-the-art Redbird AATD simulator. One full hour flying a Diamond DA40NG over Charleston. Then 15 minutes to debrief and talk next steps. No experience needed. A flight instructor in the right seat the whole time. By the end of the day you'll know if flying is for you. Most people walk away knowing it is.

Book Discovery Flight What to Expect
What Is a Discovery Flight?

Honestly? A test drive.

A Discovery Flight is the cleanest way to find out if flight training is right for you. Sim time, real flight time, and a real conversation. $325, all-in.

You start in the Redbird AATD to get oriented, then move to the actual DA40NG you'd train in. You're in the left seat, the pilot's seat. Your CFI handles takeoff and landing; everything in between is you on the controls.

30
Min Redbird Sim
60
Min in the Air
15
Min Debrief
No
Pressure to Continue
LIVE · KCHS
Diamond DA40NG · Charleston Coastline
What You'll Do

Three stages. One unforgettable day.

Show up at our office 15 minutes early. The whole thing wraps in about two hours door-to-door: sim, flight, and debrief.

01
Redbird Sim
30 minutes
Climb into one of our two state-of-the-art Redbird AATD simulators. Your CFI walks you through the controls, the panel, and basic maneuvers, straight-and-level flight, gentle turns, climbs and descents, so you're already comfortable before you ever leave the ground.
02
Fly Charleston
1 hour airborne
A full hour at the controls of the Diamond DA40NG. CFI handles takeoff and landing, everything in between is you. Coastline, harbor, the bridges from above. Skills you just practiced in the sim, now over the real city. CFI is on the controls anytime you want.
03
Debrief & Next Steps
15 minutes
Logbook entry signed by your CFI (these hours count toward your PPL). Honest conversation about how the flight went, what training looks like from here, and whether CRAFT is the right fit. No hard sell. Photo from the cockpit, sent to you afterward.
What's Included

$325 covers everything.

No add-ons. No fuel surcharges. No "instructor fee" hidden at checkout. The number on the booking page is the number on your card statement.

And if you decide to enroll in any CRAFT program afterward, the $325 applies as credit toward your tuition.

Reserve Your Slot
Frequently Asked

The questions we get most.

None. Most Discovery Flight passengers have never been in a small aircraft before. Your CFI handles everything you don't yet know, and you'll learn what you need to learn in the briefing.
Yes. You'll be in the left seat (the pilot's seat) with hands on the controls for most of the flight. Your CFI handles takeoff and landing, though we'll let you try the takeoff if you're up for it. With a full hour airborne, you get serious stick time, not a quick lap.
We rebook at no cost. CRAFT only flies when conditions are clearly safe for a discovery flight, we're conservative on this and you'll never feel pressured. Charleston has 320+ VFR days a year, so rebooks are uncommon.
It's an honest answer to "do I actually want to be a pilot?" If you decide flight training isn't for you, no follow-up. If it is, the $325 applies as credit toward any accelerated program. We don't make money on Discovery Flights, they cost more to operate than $325. We do them because some students stay.
Bring as many people as you want, family, friends, the skeptical uncle. Everyone’s welcome at the FBO for the briefing, the photos on the ramp, and the debrief afterward. Two people total can actually fly, typically you in the left seat and one guest along for the ride. Everyone else hangs out at the FBO and meets you when you taxi back.
We use and Atlantic Aviation at Charleston International Airport (KCHS). Address: 6060 S. Aviation Ave, Suite 109, North Charleston, SC 29406. Free parking. Show up 15 minutes early. We'll meet you in the lobby, we'll confirm which FBO when you book.
About two hours door-to-door. 30 minutes in the Redbird sim + 60 minutes flying + 15 minutes debrief = ~1h 45min core, plus arrive-early time and check-out. Block off 2½ hours and you're set.
Minimum age for the Discovery Flight is 14. No upper age limit, we have students starting in their 60s. Spectators of any age are welcome at the FBO.
WHY PILOTS · CAREER OUTLOOK

What you can actually earn.

Airline pay is seniority-based. Year 1 in the right seat of a regional turboprop is one number. By year 12 in the left seat of a wide-body, it’s another. And once you’re senior at a major, the contract minimum guarantees you a paycheck whether you fly 1 day or 20, drag the slider to see how the math works.

REGIONAL FO · YEAR 1
$92,000/yr
75 hrs/mo guarantee · ~$102/hr · regional turboprop FO base
$7,667
Monthly
1 day
Min trip = full guarantee at top of seniority
TierRegional First Officer
Year of SeniorityYear 1
Year 1Year 12+
Pay shown is industry-typical hourly × the contract guaranteed monthly hours (about 75–80 hrs/mo). When you’re senior enough to bid the line you want, even one trip a month earns the full guarantee. Numbers are pre-tax estimates from public 2025–2026 contracts; per-airline values vary.
Book Discovery Flight — $325 See Accelerated Programs
Book Your Slot

Pick a time.
Step into the cockpit.

Live availability from CRAFT’s booking calendar. Pick a slot that fits your schedule. We’ll confirm within an hour and walk you through what to bring.

Discovery Flight · $325 Live Calendar
Confirmation in 1 hr Bring a Friend (2 fly) Min Age 14 ~1h 45m on Site
Calendar not loading? Open Calendly directly →  or call 843.800.6498
Book Discovery Flight — $325