Bakersfield Aviation School and Flight Training

A Campus Built Around Aviation

The California Aeronautical University main campus combines flight training, academics, housing, and student life in one place. With year-round flying conditions and a location between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, you'll learn and train in an environment designed around aviation.

Real-World Flight Experience

Located at Meadows Field Airport (opens in a new window) in Bakersfield, an active airport with a controlled tower, you'll train in an environment that offers 24-hour flight availability, varied terrain and steady aircraft traffic. From your first flights onward, you'll gain experience communicating in controlled airspace, operating around other aircraft, and applying what you're learning in real-world flight conditions.

Live, Learn, and Train Together

The campus was designed specifically for aviation students. Home to flight operations, on-campus housing, dining facilities, and recreation spaces, it creates an environment where aviation is part of your daily experience. Living on campus means you'll be surrounded by other students who share your interest in aviation, making it easier to build friendships, study together, and learn alongside people working toward many of the same goals.

Home to an expansive flight center, onsite maintenance facility, and dispatch center, CAU's purpose-built flight training facility provides a training culture that embodies the aviation mission. From your first day through graduation, you'll have access to the facilities and resources that support both your academic and flight training experience.

Whether you're preparing for a flight lesson, studying with classmates, meeting with instructors, or spending time in a simulator, the Bakersfield campus provides spaces built specifically for aviation students.

Additional features our Bakersfield location offers:

A 39,000-square-foot administration and flight operations center that houses university offices, classrooms, flight-planning room, dispatch center, and simulator rooms.
32 shaded hangar ports.
An adjacent 32,000-square-foot hangar for students training in CAU’s aircraft maintenance program.
Comfortable, onsite housing with 168 student rooms, lounge areas, meeting rooms, and laundry facilities.
Double occupancy rooms with private bathroom and study area.
Campus recreation center, pool, fully equipped gym and athletic courts.