← All states
Pilots in South Dakota
3,373 active pilots lived in South Dakota at the end of 2025, making it the 43rd largest pilot population in the country and 0.4% of the US total. Of those, 1,292 were student pilots and 592 held a flight instructor certificate.
Active pilots
3,373
#43 nationally
Students
1,292
38% of pilots here
Instructors
592
one per 2.2 students
By certificate
Where in South Dakota
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.
- Sioux Falls361
- Rapid City197
- Spearfish66
- Brookings50
- Watertown46
- Box Elder44
- Pierre44
- Aberdeen41
- Madison35
- Brandon33
- Mitchell33
- Custer27
The people who keep them flying
South Dakota is home to 731 certificated mechanics — one for every 4.6 pilots in the state.
- Mechanic731
- Ground Instructor255
- Flight Attendant166
- Repair men128
- Flight Engineer44
- Parachute Rigger23