Tennessee Pilot Camp — Shelbyville Municipal Airport

This week-long aviation program at Shelbyville Municipal Airport gives teenagers a rare chance to actually get off the ground — literally. Operated under FAA-certified instruction, the camp covers ground school fundamentals alongside real flight time: participants log up to two hours in an actual aircraft and one hour in a flight simulator over the course of the week. For teens who've been curious about how planes work or who are seriously considering a future in aviation, this is about as hands-on as it gets without enrolling in a full flight school. The program runs July 6–10 and is designed for ages 13–18. At $1,299, it's a significant investment, but it includes apparel and what amounts to genuine introductory flight training — not just lectures or model-building. Shelbyville is about an hour southeast of Nashville, so plan for the commute or look into lodging nearby for the week. Few camps in the region offer this level of certified aviation instruction, making it a standout choice for teens with a genuine interest in aerospace or STEM careers involving flight.