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Pilots in North Carolina
23,595 active pilots lived in North Carolina at the end of 2025, making it the 8th largest pilot population in the country and 2.7% of the US total. Of those, 9,019 were student pilots and 4,208 held a flight instructor certificate.
Active pilots
23,595
#8 nationally
Students
9,019
38% of pilots here
Instructors
4,208
one per 2.1 students
By certificate
Where in North Carolina
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.
- Charlotte919
- Raleigh541
- Mooresville312
- Wilmington290
- Greensboro237
- Fayetteville201
- Cary192
- Durham190
- Winston Salem187
- Waxhaw174
- Concord157
- Huntersville157
The people who keep them flying
North Carolina is home to 9,861 certificated mechanics — one for every 2.4 pilots in the state.
- Mechanic9,861
- Flight Attendant9,597
- Ground Instructor2,367
- Repair men1,150
- Flight Engineer559
- Parachute Rigger512