Private Pilot CostPrivate Pilot License Cost
March 8th, 2010 Posted in OutdoorsOne thing I always tried to do was be straight forward with students, telling them exactly what they were going to spend on their private pilot training. I also make sure I tell them that if they don't stick with their pilot training, it will cost them more.
You will want to remember that the national average for private pilots is around 65 hours. Most Private Pilot Training Syllabuses will be between 45 and 55 Hours once you look into them. There are too many things that need to get covered that are required by the FAA. 30 Hours of dual instruction should be in your planning, this is usually what it will take to become a safe and confident pilot.
If you ask the correct questions, most flight schools will be honest with you about the actual cost of your private pilot training. You want to remember that almost all flight schools will use the FAA minimums for their cost estimates and not the number of hours they have in their training syllabus. Since there are a lot of flight schools competing for a decreasing number of students, the cost estimates will in many cases be a bare minimum and will not be realistic.
Below I have listed what a cost estimate from a flight school will look like:
20 Hours Dual Flight Instruction $2,920.00
20 Hours of Solo Flight $1,920.00
Total $4,840.00
In Many Cases this is all the Flight School will put in their Private Pilot Training Cost. Some schools do try and make this a little more realistic. Flight schools will try and stay competetive in general. Since flight training is veryexpensive, the flight schools will keep their prices as low as possible.
There are a number of things that are not listed in the above cost estimate. The first thing is the additional dual instruction that is probably in the flight schools syllabus. You should plan on an additional cost of around $1,460 since there should be somewhere around 10 hours of additional training that the above cost estimate does not include.
In addition to this extra flight instruction there are other things such as books, pilot supplies and headsets that you will need to purchase. Many flight schools will not include the examiner fee for the flight test. Examiner fees will vary depending on your location, they can be as much as $400.
So the first thing you want to do is research what the private pilot license will actually cost you at a local flight school. Then you will want to plan the process out so that you understand what you are getting into before you start to spend money. Flying is very expensive and if you make a mistake planning the process out, you could end up spending $2,000 more that you expected. If you have limited funds, this could make the difference between getting part of the way through your training and getting your Pilot License.
Once you start your Private Pilot License Training, don't let anything get in your way. This is the best way to keep the cost down for a private pilot license. Driving and learning to fly are not the same, you will want to remember this. You will need to be proficient in all the maneuvers and be a safe confident pilot. The quicker you can complete yourprivate pilot training the better.
Detailed Private Pilot Cost
Hope to see you in the sky
Airfreddy
Airfreddy’s Flying Lessons Guide