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Pilots in California
82,437 active pilots lived in California at the end of 2025, making it the 3rd largest pilot population in the country and 9.3% of the US total. Of those, 36,587 were student pilots and 11,867 held a flight instructor certificate.
Active pilots
82,437
#3 nationally
Students
36,587
44% of pilots here
Instructors
11,867
one per 3.1 students
By certificate
Where in California
Pilots by city of residence, from the August 2026 releasable file. That file omits airmen who decline address release, so treat these as relative weight between cities rather than counts — see methodology.
- San Diego2,093
- Los Angeles908
- San Jose739
- San Francisco589
- Sacramento525
- Long Beach427
- Bakersfield425
- Carlsbad409
- Irvine369
- Riverside346
- Fresno345
- Huntington Beach334
The people who keep them flying
California is home to 29,122 certificated mechanics — one for every 2.8 pilots in the state.
- Flight Attendant32,774
- Mechanic29,122
- Ground Instructor7,517
- Repair men3,973
- Flight Engineer1,421
- Dispatcher1,138