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Pilots in South Carolina
12,297 active pilots lived in South Carolina at the end of 2025, making it the 23rd largest pilot population in the country and 1.4% of the US total. Of those, 4,727 were student pilots and 1,976 held a flight instructor certificate.
Active pilots
12,297
#23 nationally
Students
4,727
38% of pilots here
Instructors
1,976
one per 2.4 students
By certificate
Where in South Carolina
Pilots by city of residence, from the November 2026 releasable file. That file omits airmen who decline address release, so treat these as relative weight between cities rather than counts — see methodology.
- Mount Pleasant324
- Charleston287
- Greenville275
- Columbia243
- Summerville182
- Fort Mill180
- Greer179
- Myrtle Beach175
- Simpsonville159
- Bluffton127
- Hilton Head117
- Lexington116
The people who keep them flying
South Carolina is home to 4,996 certificated mechanics — one for every 2.5 pilots in the state.
- Mechanic4,996
- Flight Attendant3,104
- Ground Instructor1,048
- Repair men431
- Flight Engineer334
- Dispatcher162