$800 for a flight review

rene86mx

rene86mx

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rene86mx
I'm trying to schedule a flight review in the SJC area

I called a flight school and they want 2 ground + 2 flight review

Their rates are $110 for the CFI and $185 for a C172 G1000.

I think it is expensive, does somebody know of a better option in the bay area?

Thanks
 
Can't help with a local SJC option, but it sounds like a great excuse for a weekend trip somewhere (like BOI)...
 
I do mine in Florida ,rates are a little cheaper,wouldn’t it be nice if the instructor ,got the money that the FBO charges.
 
rene86mx said:
I'm trying to schedule a flight review in the SJC area

I called a flight school and they want 2 ground + 2 flight review

Their rates are $110 for the CFI and $185 for a C172 G1000.

I think it is expensive, does somebody know of a better option in the bay area?

Thanks
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That’s California for you, still after taxes, fines and theft from the roaming gangs the CFI probably only really gets like $15hr lol
 
I'll do it for a hundo, but you gotta supply the plane. but I'm not in the bay area.
 
$110 just for the CFI?
I wonder how the school passes on the the CFI.
 
I am happy at how good I have it. My CFI charges me 45 per hour and the Warrior I fly is 110.
 
rene86mx said:
Their rates are $110 for the CFI and $185 for a C172 G1000.
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The airplane rate sounds about right.

Are you certain they didn't get their brain crossed up and were saying the Ground was $110 total and the airplane $185 per hour?
 
AggieMike88 said:
The airplane rate sounds about right.

Are you certain they didn't get their brain crossed up and were saying the Ground was $110 total and the airplane $185 per hour?
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Yes. I'm not questioning the airplane rate. I pay the same in Mexico for the same plane.

The CFI rate and 2 hour-minimum are what are getting me crazy.



I just called another school. CFI is $80 but suggests 4 hours of ground school.
 
2 hours ground + 2 hours flight? Maybe they think you're a rusty pilot.
 
rene86mx said:
I'm trying to schedule a flight review in the SJC area

I called a flight school and they want 2 ground + 2 flight review

Their rates are $110 for the CFI and $185 for a C172 G1000.

I think it is expensive, does somebody know of a better option in the bay area?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I don't know about their rates, but a flight review only needs 1 hr of flight and 1 hr of ground. That's plenty of time for a CFI to do the review. If you are a rusty pilot, or require additional flight instruction, that would be a different matter.
 
Whoa! I just did a recent BFR for $170, including the plane rental (Mine was out of service.) And just did an extensive BFR for $175, supplying my own plane. Unless you are totally clueless, I would think 1+1 hr should normally be plenty to demonstrate your fitness to operate an aircraft.
 
That sounds about the right price for a 172 G1000, given how much Cessna sells those for. That is double or nearly double the price of most CFIs.
 
N1120A said:
That sounds about the right price for a 172 G1000, given how much Cessna sells those for. That is double or nearly double the price of most CFIs.
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Heck, they get a $100/hr for a freakin' <$10,000 wave runner at the beach!
 
It's a BFR, not a check-ride.

Any FBO that's demanding 4 hours before even seeing you fly is just trying to screw you. 30 minutes on the ground and an hour in the air is plenty unless you are really rusty.
 
I wonder if they quoted a "checkout". To rent a glass 172, they very well might want you to get multiple hrs of training, and they'd wrap that up into a flight review at the same time.
 
Bonchie said:
It's a BFR, not a check-ride.

Any FBO that's demanding 4 hours before even seeing you fly is just trying to screw you. 30 minutes on the ground and an hour in the air is plenty unless you are really rusty.
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Unfortunately, the latest FAA guidelines/publication, the ground portion is clearly defined and is a true PITA. I got forced to sit thru 3 hours. Should have walked out, but I was a day away from my 2 year deadline and was flying Young Eagles the next day.
 
jordane93 said:
If an instructor is only giving you 30 minutes on the ground he/she is breaking a reg.
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I like to say that it should be up to the instructor as to what he or she feels is necessary.
 
rene86mx said:
...I just called another school. CFI is $80 but suggests 4 hours of ground school.
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Did they ask you about how current you are or when the last to you flew/what type of flying do you do?

Because outside of saying you’re super rusty that’s sketchy, 4hrs is a good chunk of ground time for a licensed pilot.

My normal thing I say is, it’s one hour ground, one hour air minim, but more training may be required, but that all depends on you.
 
Ryanb said:
I like to say that it should be up to the instructor as to what he or she feels is necessary.
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An hour goes by surprisingly quickly depending on how the instructor teaches. If he is just firing off question by question, it drags on. Most of the questions I ask are scenario based and we get into a good discussion.
 
That's the area where a 2 bedroom shack costs $2 million. They just assume that anyone who can fly there is rich.
 
weilke said:
That's the area where a 2 bedroom shack costs $2 million. They just assume that anyone who can fly there is rich.
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And what does it cost the FBO to operate there? It is likely that nobody is getting terribly rich off the $800 flight review, and the OP is just getting poorer.

I'm not defending the FBO, just trying to put it in perspective for some people.
 
James331 said:
Did they ask you about how current you are or when the last to you flew/what type of flying do you do?

Because outside of saying you’re super rusty that’s sketchy, 4hrs is a good chunk of ground time for a licensed pilot.

My normal thing I say is, it’s one hour ground, one hour air minim, but more training may be required, but that all depends on you.
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The third school just asked me that.
I fly every 2-3 weeks (Wife permitting)
Keep current reading FAR, AIM and POA :)
90% of my hours are in G-1000, that is why I'm quoting the same I fly



weilke said:
That's the area where a 2 bedroom shack costs $2 million. They just assume that anyone who can fly there is rich.
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And flies a Cirrus :)
 
murphey said:
Unfortunately, the latest FAA guidelines/publication, the ground portion is clearly defined and is a true PITA. I got forced to sit thru 3 hours. Should have walked out, but I was a day away from my 2 year deadline and was flying Young Eagles the next day.
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Guideline, not a regulation. Until 61 defines what I need to cover exactly, and how much time on each item on ground, I'm going to tailor it to the person I'm giving the review to.
 
My last FR cost me $75 plus fuel. The CFI was a friend, he did not want to charge me a dime. I insisted on giving him something.
 
Two of my airplane partners are CFIs. A BFR costs me a cup of coffee and the fuel for the aircraft.
 
rene86mx said:
The third school just asked me that.
I fly every 2-3 weeks (Wife permitting)
Keep current reading FAR, AIM and POA :)
90% of my hours are in G-1000, that is why I'm quoting the same I fly




And flies a Cirrus :)
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Well as long as you’re not using the moving map G1000 as a crutch, I’d expect you to get it done in the min amount of time based off what you said.
 
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If you regularly fly a G1000, then try something else, tail dragger, retract, aerobatics, whatever..

KLVK or KWVI maybe.
 
EdFred said:
Guideline, not a regulation. Until 61 defines what I need to cover exactly, and how much time on each item on ground, I'm going to tailor it to the person I'm giving the review to.
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Actually, that is what the guideline says. Some of the detail that could take a lot of time? I didn't even read it as "best practice" stuff like the AIM or an AC. Just suggestions for possible topics and areas. And so much of the ground they suggest us homework.

I thought it kind of interesting that very little mention was made of WINGS, another FAA-favorite way to accomplish a flight review. I know of instructors who would ask whether the pilot has done enough courses for credit, assign homework if not, and tailor the flight portion to cover three flight credits. With a proficient pilot and a CFI with a decent plan of action, it can be done in an hour.
 
4 hours of ground is ridiculous for someone who flies as regularly as the OP. This is only supposed to be an update/refresher, not a course.

Another good reason to own vs rent; you can use an independent CFI.
 
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