Pilot jobs and flight schools in Houston
16 Houston-area pilot employers and flight schools: who bases pilots at IAH and Hobby, who flies helicopters out of Houston, and where to train. Every fact comes from the operator's own site or its pilots' union; anything not published says so. Updated Nov 1, 2026.
Houston is the only Texas city with two mainline pilot bases (United at IAH and Southwest at Hobby), four United Express regionals crew out of IAH, and it is the hub of Gulf offshore helicopter flying, with Bristow headquartered here and Memorial Hermann Life Flight one of the country's oldest hospital air medical programs.
Airline pilot bases in Houston
| Name | Where in Houston | What | Published pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines Regional airlines | Houston (IAH) domicile | United Express regional | First officer $92.73/flight hour (year 1); captain from $144.24/flight hour |
| CommuteAir Regional airlines | Houston (IAH) pilot base | United Express regional | First officer $79.57/hour (year 1), $93.36 (year 2); captain from $152.25/hour; $20,000 FO bonus |
| Mesa Airlines Regional airlines | Houston (IAH) pilot base | United Express regional | Not published |
| GoJet Airlines Regional airlines | Houston (IAH) crew base | United Express regional, CRJ-550 | Not published |
| United Airlines Major airlines | Houston (IAH) pilot base | Mainline pilot base; one of 11 United bases | New-hire first officer $125.52 per flight hour (2026) |
| Southwest Airlines Major airlines | Houston Hobby (HOU) pilot domicile | Mainline 737 domicile; one of 13 Southwest domiciles | Not published |
| Ameriflight Cargo airlines | SAAB 340 simulator training in Houston | Part 135 cargo feeder headquartered in Dallas | Captain base $76,503 (BE99, yr 1) to $117,702 (EMB120/SAAB340, yr 12); FO $40,922 (yr 1) to $47,563 (yr 5) |
Helicopter employers
| Name | Where in Houston | What | Published pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristow Group Helicopter operators | Headquarters, Houston (3151 Briarpark Dr.) | Offshore, SAR and government helicopters | Not published |
| PHI (PHI Health and PHI Aviation) Helicopter operators | Air medical bases hiring in Richmond and Bay City (plus Columbus) | Air medical; sign-on bonuses up to $100,000 at Richmond and Bay City | Base pay not published. Texas postings list sign-on bonuses up to $50,000 (Mt. Pleasant, Columbus, Burleson) or up to $100,000 (Richmond, Bay City). |
| Memorial Hermann Life Flight Helicopter operators | Texas Medical Center (John S. Dunn Helistop) plus remote bases | Hospital-based air medical, EC-145 single-pilot IFR | Not published |
Flight schools around Houston
| Name | Where in Houston | What | Published price / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Aviation Academy Flight schools | Conroe campus | Airplane | Not published |
| ATP Flight School (Texas) Flight schools | Conroe (CXO), Ellington (EFD), Sugar Land (SGR) | Airplane, full-time airline career program | $123,995 from zero time ($90,995 with a private certificate); up to $5,000 training-center premium may apply |
| Thrust Flight Flight schools | Conroe | Airplane | Not published |
| American Flyers (Addison) Flight schools | Houston/Conroe center | Airplane | Not published |
| Veracity Aviation Flight schools | Pearland Regional (LVJ), 10 miles south of downtown | Helicopter, R22/R44 | Not published |
| The Helicopter School (Conroe) Flight schools | Conroe-North Houston Regional (CXO) | Helicopter, Part 61; R22 $325/hr, R44 $550/hr | R22 $325/hr, R44 $550/hr |
Sources: each listing page links its sources with the date checked. United bases from ALPA; Southwest domiciles from SWAPA; Life Flight fleet from Memorial Hermann. ATP's price is for its full program, not Houston-specific.
Plan your path
- Helicopter pilot jobs in Texas (pay by town)
- Regional first officer pay (SkyWest, CommuteAir, Mesa, GoJet)
- Airline pilot pay
- Hours to ATP / R-ATP tracker
- HEMS pilot jobs
- DFW flight schools compared
- All Texas pilot employers and schools
FAQ
Which airlines have pilot bases in Houston?
United has a pilot base in Houston, one of its 11 bases per ALPA, the United pilots' union. Southwest has a pilot domicile at Houston Hobby (HOU), one of 13 per SWAPA, the Southwest pilots' union. United Express regionals SkyWest, CommuteAir, Mesa and GoJet each list Houston (IAH) as a pilot base on their own pilot pages.
Is Southwest hiring pilots in Houston?
Southwest's First Officer application was closed when we checked on Nov 1, 2026. Southwest asks pilots to join its Pilot Talent Community and keep their flight-hours grid updated for the next posting. New hires bid for domiciles such as Houston Hobby by seniority.
Where can I fly helicopters for a living in Houston?
Bristow is headquartered in Houston (offshore, SAR and government flying). Memorial Hermann Life Flight runs six EC-145s from five bases around the Texas Medical Center. PHI Health was hiring air medical pilots in Richmond and Bay City with sign-on bonuses of up to $100,000 when we checked Oct 31, 2026. See our Texas helicopter jobs guide for pay by town.
Where can I learn to fly in Houston?
ATP has three Houston centers: Conroe (CXO), Ellington (EFD) and Sugar Land (SGR). Thrust Flight, American Flyers and US Aviation Academy each list a Conroe location. For helicopters, Veracity Aviation trains at Pearland Regional (LVJ) and The Helicopter School is at Conroe (CXO).
How much does helicopter training cost in Houston?
The Helicopter School in Conroe publishes $325/hour for an R22, $550/hour for an R44 and $60/hour for ground instruction. Veracity Aviation did not publish tuition on the pages we checked. Use our helicopter pilot guide to estimate the total hours you'll need.
Does Memorial Hermann Life Flight hire pilots?
Yes, Life Flight pilots work directly for Memorial Hermann, which holds the Part 135 certificate. There was no open Life Flight pilot posting on Memorial Hermann's job board when we checked Nov 1, 2026, so we don't list minimums or pay.
Know a Houston operator or school we're missing? Suggest a listing or correction