Cheap ppl

[orange]

I think a lot of people look at the price of a PPL and think it's expensive and try to figure out a way to reduce the cost. What they don't think about is even after they have their PPL, it gets more expensive. A normal 2 hour flight (with CFI) during training was about $360 for me. Now, if a I go on any kind of a road trip, it's more than 3+ hours and the cost is like $500+.

 

[exncsurfer]

It would be interesting to know the content of the extra hours that are pushing people up toward 60-70 hours.

Is it 20 hours of touch and go's?

Or is it just air work?

I'm gonna end up in this range. In my case its probably a combination of frequency of lessons and treading water for months while sorting out an unforeseen concern with getting my medical. We didn't even hit the landings/touch-n-go's hard till after I got that. I can't complain though, every flight is flying and its not going to stop costing $$. My main problem is making the time with full time job and family.

 

[Z06_Mir]

It would be interesting to know the content of the extra hours that are pushing people up toward 60-70 hours.

Is it 20 hours of touch and go's?

Or is it just air work?

I have two students right now that are pretty close together. One has 5 hours and one has 7. The guy with 5 hours still struggles with the throttle and which why is full power and which way is idle. He has the same struggle with the mixture and pulled it out on the downwind the other day. I won't even get into his rudder "skills". The guy with 7 hours needs an hour more of airwork and one more flight of good landings (he's got one under his belt) and he can solo. Each student is very, very different. And then I've got another guy who is a great stick but just so awful on the radios that I can't solo him until he gets that figured out.

 

[JoseCuervo]

I have two students right now that are pretty close together. One has 5 hours and one has 7. The guy with 5 hours still struggles with the throttle and which why is full power and which way is idle. He has the same struggle with the mixture and pulled it out on the downwind the other day. I won't even get into his rudder "skills". The guy with 7 hours needs an hour more of airwork and one more flight of good landings (he's got one under his belt) and he can solo. Each student is very, very different. And then I've got another guy who is a great stick but just so awful on the radios that I can't solo him until he gets that figured out.

That makes sense if the people have unique, special difficulties. I could see it for someone who is scared/can't talk on the radio, extra hours would be comfort level increasing.

And someone with no coordination, or ability to multi-task on the controls.

That makes all sorts of sense.

But if the "average" student is now pushing 60's, or more, and even the best students can't get done close to 40, then I was just wondering what has started filling the log books pre-checkride.

Is it solo hours, or dual hours?

 

[Z06_Mir]

But if the "average" student is now pushing 60's, or more, and even the best students can't get done close to 40, then I was just wondering what has started filling the log books pre-checkride.

Is it solo hours, or dual hours?

I would guess a few of both? If a student texts me on a nice day and asks if they can go solo I let them even if it's not in the syllabus for the next flight.


What the heck is even with this ridiculous hours counting? In my career as a professional not once has someone asked me how many hours it took me to solo, get my private, my instrument etc... Heck, the only people who ever ask my total time now are my students, my insurance company and occasionally my husband.

 

[JoseCuervo]

I would guess a few of both? If a student texts me on a nice day and asks if they can go solo I let them even if it's not in the syllabus for the next flight.


What the heck is even with this ridiculous hours counting? In my career as a professional not once has someone asked me how many hours it took me to solo, get my private, my instrument etc... Heck, the only people who ever ask my total time now are my students, my insurance company and occasionally my husband.

I think we scare a lot of prospective students away, when we throw out 60 and 70 hours and $10-$15,000 numbers to get a pilots license.

Been along time since I've seen a student logbook, so didn't know what was getting written down.

 

[exncsurfer]

I think we scare a lot of prospective students away, when we throw out 60 and 70 hours and $10-$15,000 numbers to get a pilots license.

Been along time since I've seen a student logbook, so didn't know what was getting written down.

I think we scare a lot away when we throw out the price of ONE hour.

 

[Bman.]

I did exactly what you shouldn't do... I kept a running log of every expense. I wrapped up my PPL about a month ago. All in I spent around $11k in 58 hours training time over a 14 months stretch. Many of the hours were just out at the practice area, in the pattern and just enjoying the flying. The per hour expense was tough to think about but all in, well worth it. The extra hours were just to get out there and go fly. The license really has ended up being a side benefit of doing what I considered a bunch of fun. The only different now is that I can share the experience.

 

[Z06_Mir]

I think we scare a lot of prospective students away, when we throw out 60 and 70 hours and $10-$15,000 numbers to get a pilots license.

Been along time since I've seen a student logbook, so didn't know what was getting written down.

I would rather be realistic and up front about the costs and time associated than to have a student quit at hour 41 because "Everyone told me the requirement was 40 hours".

 

[ktup-flyer]

I pay 125 an hour for a crappy $15k 172 in North MS. I don't think cheap ppl's exist

 

[TRocket]

I don't think cheap ppl's exist

I would have to agree, but there are definitely "Cheaper" PPL options out there. You can go to a big commercialized flight school at and FBO and pay a lot, or you can go find a small mom and pops operation at a little airfield and pay a lot lost, and in a lot of cases, probably get a much better experience. Let's be honest, at a bigger flight school, you are more likely to get a CFI that is letting you pay to build his or her hours so they can get their ATP. Maybe not always the case, but more than likely, and you will pay a lot more too. If you go the mom and pops route, which I did and don't regret it for a second, you're gonna pay less and more than likely get an instructor that does it because they enjoy it. For my PPL, I paid $98 an hour for the plane wet and 30 an hour for the instructor. Plus I learned at a 2800 foot strip surrounded by trees, makes you work harder from the start. Best advice I can give you for a "cheap PPL", spend your own time studying and reading ahead. Ask you CFI what you need to work on and what is coming up next. Get the right books and be prepared for each lesson so you can get the most out of it. In my opinion, that's the best way to save money.

 

[airheadpenguin]

You might also add, for a "cheap" ppl buy a plane with a fresh annual and sell it before the next one then you're just paying for gas and spot Mx until you figure out what you really want

 

[coloradobluesky]

Sales tax.

 

[LDJones]

Wellll... Somewhere I missed that it's a 150, and due to density altitude concerns (and fat pilots!) we don't see too many of them used as trainers here.

$70 might be fine if he's not paying a mechanic, since he's doing the work himself.

I'd just watch it when the squawk list starts to get long and stuff isn't getting fixed. I soloed in a similarly set up 150 long long ago, and it eventually had to be sold because it wasn't earning it's keep.

Just before that, various things started getting "deferred maintenance" that really shouldn't have been deferred and my instructor recommended we switch airports and FBOs.

I've also seen the opposite where in a large flight club, the airplanes owned and leased back by the mechanics were the most sound rentals, and the private owner leasebacks were nickel and dimed.

Our mechanic owns our primary trainer and he's anal about keeping it in great shape. Someone posted a thread here about a control failure on a Cherokee in Canada. I forwarded it to him this morning as a heads-up, suggesting we may want to check that part on ours. He responded a bit ago with "Already inspected. A-OK!"

 

[Somedudeintn]

You might also add, for a "cheap" ppl buy a plane with a fresh annual and sell it before the next one then you're just paying for gas and spot Mx until you figure out what you really want

This is probably the cheapest way if you don't get stuck with any big issues.

There is a 150 for sale on here that would work well for someone smaller to get their ppl cheap.

 

[flyingron]

I took around 57 hours. My problem was getting a block of time to get my availability, the plane's availability, and the weather to all cooperate for my solo XC's. I did a bunch of local practice to keep current waiting. Anyhow, flying solo is just as much fun before you get your private as after.

 

[danhagan]

I took around 57 hours. My problem was getting a block of time to get my availability, the plane's availability, and the weather to all cooperate for my solo XC's. I did a bunch of local practice to keep current waiting. Anyhow, flying solo is just as much fun before you get your private as after.

I wasn't in a rush and it shows ... I was in the low to mid 60's. Three extra flights due to high winds before solo. Instructor wanted two flights in very high winds prior to long XC. Also added a flight for light gun simulation and another good off flight flying the 152 with trim, doors and power only (yoke not allowed). Extra time also included mountain flying, canyon turns, ridge crossing in high wind etc. We're in a mountain area so all of these were well worth it and added maybe 8-10 hours total.

C-152 started $65/hr wet ended $70 back in 2006. CFI $30 then $35

 

[RyanB]

Sounds like you're training was a bargain. Mine was roughly 7k. 88/hr wet and 35/hr instructor. Now the rental rates for 152/172 have bumped up 2$ an hour. And instructor rates are 40$/hr. Still not too bad i suppose