Aircraft Rental · Revised December 15, 2025
Review the requirements below and sign the official agreement before renting or operating a Star Flight Training aircraft.
Minimum renter coverage must be documented before solo flight or aircraft rental.
An SFT instructor checkout is required for each aircraft make and model.
Every flight must be dispatched by an SFT employee or instructor, as applicable.
COMPLETE AGREEMENT
Review each section below for important rental requirements. Download and sign the official agreement before using SFT aircraft.
All pilots renting aircraft and solo student pilots are required to show proof of renters insurance with minimum limits of $500,000 each occurrence / $50,000 each passenger for personal liability and $10,000 each occurrence for personal damage. Renter may be responsible for aircraft damage and loss of use greater than the minimum limits required. SFT strongly recommends that you acquire a policy greater than the minimum limits.
Additional Named Insured Wording (if applicable): Kane Communication, Inc. DBA Star Flight Training and Kane Aviation, LLC; their employees, instructors, officers and managers; 30 Mill Lane, Salem, VA 24153.
All pilots renting an SFT aircraft without an instructor must meet the open pilot requirements set forth by our insurance company. Pilots may be responsible for increased insurance cost.
Pilots must be checked out in each make and model aircraft they desire to rent by an SFT instructor. When a pilot is out of currency, an SFT instructor needs to be scheduled to fly with the pilot for a short recurrency flight to demonstrate proficiency. If a customer holds an instrument rating and wishes to have instrument privileges in an SFT aircraft, he or she must complete an Instrument Proficiency Check as part of his or her checkout.
Student pilots are required to be dispatched by a flight instructor for solo flight. Student pilots must plan to be on the ground at KROA one hour before official sunset. If an unscheduled landing is made on a student solo, the student pilot must contact SFT to be redispatched before departure.
All pilots are required to be dispatched by an SFT employee. All pilots planning cross-countries should note the airports of intended landing on the flight schedule reservation, including the exact identifier. SFT reserves the right to forbid landings at particular airports and/or forbid flights into certain airspace. All pilots renting an SFT aircraft are required to receive VFR traffic advisories from the appropriate facility, or be on an IFR flight plan, at all times.
Renter and student pilots will inspect and make a ground check of the aircraft, its equipment, and accessories before takeoff and will not accept said aircraft until they are satisfied as to its airworthiness and proper functioning. Renter/student pilots will also familiarize themselves with the aircraft’s owner’s manual and maintenance records. Any issues or damage not disclosed prior to takeoff will be considered caused by, and the responsibility of, the last person dispatched in that aircraft.
All pilots are required to maintain current and valid medical certificates, Flight Reviews, and Instrument Proficiency Checks, if applicable, while renting SFT aircraft.
Customers may schedule themselves for aircraft rental and instruction online through our scheduling system. If scheduling an instructor, coordinate directly with them to ensure availability; SFT can assist with reaching an approved instructor. Indicate “Remain Overnight” (RON) on the schedule when applicable, and include destination airports in the comments for all cross-country flights. Students scheduling an instructor for an all-day or overnight flight are responsible for increased instructor costs and expenses, such as meals, lodging, ground time, and excess transportation. Discuss these plans with SFT and the instructor in advance.
Pilots scheduling an aircraft for eight hours or more in a day are required to pay a minimum rental amount of five hours per day during the week, Monday through Friday, and six hours per day on weekends, Saturday and Sunday. The minimum hourly rates apply each day the aircraft is checked out. This fee is waived if the total hours flown during the reserved period exceed the required minimum.
Aircraft rentals and dual lessons may be cancelled without charge with at least 24 hours’ notice. With less than 24 hours’ notice, when weather or illness is not a factor, the student/renter will be charged a no-show/cancellation fee. Contact SFT as soon as possible if you cannot use the aircraft. If you need it longer than scheduled, call and check the schedule first; do not assume the airplane is open. If you have not arrived for your scheduled time, the aircraft may be made available to others after 15 minutes. To maximize the schedule or accommodate maintenance, SFT dispatch may move a reservation to another aircraft of the same make and model without notification.
In the case of a no-show, you will be billed for half of the reserved aircraft rental time and all of the reserved flight instructor time.
Pilots wishing to depart before normal business hours must make special arrangements with SFT staff the night before. For after-hours rentals, dispatch and financial arrangements must be completed before closing.
Ground instruction includes time an instructor spends briefing, debriefing, lecturing, standing by, supervising, checking weather, assisting with or supervising preflight, scheduling additional lessons, and performing other duties associated with the flight lesson. Customers will be billed for ground instruction received.
Payment is required at the time of service.
Smoking is not permitted in any aircraft, in the building, or on the ramp.
No food or drinks, other than water in a resealable container, are permitted in the aircraft. Animals are not permitted in aircraft.
After each flight, renters are asked to perform touch-up cleaning according to SFT’s published post-flight cleaning procedures. If you are unable or prefer not to do so, $25 will be added to the rental cost for cleaning. If an aircraft is returned with more than normal wear or dirt accumulation, the cost of cleaning will be added to the rental bill.
Headsets are available to pilots enrolled in flight training on an as-available basis.
Fuel and oil purchased outside SFT will be reimbursed at the current rate at KROA or the actual purchase amount, whichever is less. The renter is responsible for landing, tie-down, and other miscellaneous taxes and service charges.
Upon discovering a discrepancy, call SFT immediately for instructions and authorization regarding repairs or returning home. Renter pilots may not tamper with or attempt to repair the airplane or its accessories. All off-site maintenance must be authorized by SFT before work is performed. The renter will coordinate with SFT on returning the aircraft to KROA once repaired. The aircraft remains the renter’s responsibility and must never be abandoned without the express consent of SFT management.
If weather becomes a problem, notify SFT as soon as possible. If you cannot return safely and need to rent a car, you are encouraged to do so. No pilot should be overcome by get-home-itis or fly in weather they are not comfortable or qualified to fly in. If an aircraft is left at another airport, the pilot is responsible for its return. In some cases, the pilot may need to pay for another pilot and aircraft to retrieve it.
Maintenance logbooks may be checked out by your instructor for checkrides and must be returned promptly to your instructor after the checkride.
All students must have their flight planning approved by their instructor.
Renter and student pilots are responsible for checking aircraft tires before each flight for correct pressure and bald spots with cord showing. If an airplane is grounded for a flat tire or a bald spot with cord showing, the last student or renter pilot to fly the airplane will be billed for the full cost of tire replacement, including labor, parts, and retrieval expenses.
If a student or renter pilot leaves the master switch on and causes a dead battery, that individual will be charged for the repair.
No pilot may perform spins or aerobatics in SFT aircraft unless an authorized SFT instructor is on board. All multi-engine flights practicing single-engine landings or maneuvers require a qualified SFT instructor on board.
Pilots must have prior written authorization from SFT to land on runway surfaces other than pavement, including grass or dirt strips. This restriction does not apply during an actual emergency.
SFT reserves the right at any time to refuse aircraft rental and flight instruction.
Immediately before flight, pilots must obtain pertinent weather reports and forecasts and familiarize themselves with all available flight information. If forecast weather at any point is below the student’s or aircraft’s capability, the student will not depart until cleared by an instructor. If weather changes in flight beyond the student’s capability, the student will return or divert to a safe location and notify the instructor.
At the end of a flight, SFT aircraft must be returned to their assigned parking spot when at SFT. If the SFT ramp is full or crowded, use the tie-down area at Signature. Gust locks, chocks, tie-downs, and cones must be used. The renter is responsible for ensuring the aircraft is properly secured while parked and may need to carry appropriate equipment when parking away from KROA. The renter is responsible for expenses required to secure the aircraft away from KROA.
SFT rental aircraft are for personal and pleasure flying only. Flights for compensation or hire are prohibited. Only the renter or student pilot who received the aircraft checkout may fly the airplane, and dual instruction by non-SFT flight instructors is prohibited. Renters and students must observe all federal, state, and local laws and regulations and operate aircraft according to the aircraft flight manual.
Renters and student pilots must report all accidents and incidents, major or minor, to SFT immediately, including the names and addresses of witnesses and involved parties. Following an accident, the airplane must not be moved unless expressly authorized by SFT. The renter is responsible for damage caused by the renter’s negligence.
Much of the facility is inside the airport’s secure area and requires a security clearance, represented by badges, or an escort by someone with clearance. Security breaches are taken very seriously and may carry steep fines and jail time. Do not enter a secure area without an escort and do not allow yourself to be left alone in a secure area.
Accessing aircraft may require passing through an active maintenance area where aircraft, tools, and equipment are being moved. Maintain awareness of your surroundings. Insurance requires that only approved instructors and staff move aircraft inside the hangar. Allow your instructor or dispatcher to perform any required aircraft repositioning.
We’re happy to answer questions about aircraft checkouts or insurance requirements. Contact us if you need help interpreting a scheduling policy.