Pilot Census
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Pilots in Delaware

1,930 active pilots lived in Delaware at the end of 2025, making it the 47th largest pilot population in the country and 0.2% of the US total. Of those, 817 were student pilots and 323 held a flight instructor certificate.

Active pilots
1,930
#47 nationally
Students
817
42% of pilots here
Instructors
323
one per 2.5 students

By certificate

Where in Delaware

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.

  • Dover135
  • Wilmington126
  • Newark112
  • Middletown79
  • Magnolia54
  • Bear43
  • Lewes34
  • New Castle32
  • Smyrna32
  • Milton31
  • Hockessin27
  • Milford25

The people who keep them flying

Delaware is home to 1,068 certificated mechanics — one for every 1.8 pilots in the state.

  • Mechanic1,068
  • Flight Attendant728
  • Ground Instructor222
  • Repair men77
  • Dispatcher39
  • Flight Engineer37

Nearby in the ranking