Cost of PPL training?

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SuperDecathlon

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Casey
My local airport charges $6,930 total cost estimate for PPL training in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. I figured that was about the going rate, but then I had a friend say he's getting his PPL and his airport is $4,760 in a Cessna 150. It seems like a significant difference I was wondering if that was just from the plane rental cost or if my airport is just on the higher end. What is the average price around? It's not a huge deal, but 2k is still 2k. I'm in a small town but I'm fairly close to the Boise area and I could look around if the local airport is on the high end.
 
There are many threads on this topic. There are too many variables to tell how much it will cost. Weather, your schedue, your instructor's schedule, how often you fly, how quick you learn, etc.
 
SuperDecathlon said:
My local airport charges $6,930 total cost estimate for PPL training in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. I figured that was about the going rate, but then I had a friend say he's getting his PPL and his airport is $4,760 in a Cessna 150. It seems like a significant difference I was wondering if that was just from the plane rental cost or if my airport is just on the higher end. What is the average price around? It's not a huge deal, but 2k is still 2k. I'm in a small town but I'm fairly close to the Boise area and I could look around if the local airport is on the high end.
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I pay $50/hr for my instructor, and $140/hr for the plane which includes fuel, (fuel is $7.05/gal) on an Alarus CH2000. I guess its really up to the individual, and their ability to learn.
 
It would be interesting to see how those schools came up with those estimates, and how many people actually complete their training and tests for even 20% more. My guess is they are not including all costs, and they are basing it on the regulatory 40-hour minimum rather than the national average of about 60 hours. My personal advice, based on working in this business for several decades, is to budget $10K.
 
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With the price you recieved I highly doubt it will happen. I finished just over at 45 hours and spent $9,000.
 
Started in a 172, transitioned to a Cherokee, bought a 182, finished my ppl, upgraded my panel to a 750 and an Aspen. Started training in a 310, finishing my ir. My point is that it can get very expensive if you stay with it.

All kidding aside, I agree with the previous posters, it can vary a lot. Around here I can get you in a plane for 75hr and an instructor for 35hr. If you train hard and often, you could finish in 40hrs, but that seems to be rare. I had close to 100 hrs, took 10 and quit for a few years, transitioned to a couple if different planes, including the 182.

I could have done it in less, but I wanted to be very comfortable. My check ride was so easy, it was like going out flying with another pilot. I am not advocating doing it like I did, but if costs are a concern, I would not assume you will do it in 40 hours, make it a goal, but budget more. I think the most important thing is finding the right instructor. All things being equal (safe plane, nice facilities, etc) go for the lowest cost per hour to train.

Jim
 
Ron Levy said:
It would be interesting to see how those schools came up with those estimates, and how many people actually complete their training and tests for even 20% more. My guess is they are not including all costs, and they are basing it on the regulatory 40-hour minimum rather than the national average of about 60 hours. My personal advice, based on working in this business for several decades, is to budget $10K.
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I'm sure that is what it is.

I believe I was quoted $7500 before I started. I think it ended up costing me $8300, checkride was at 59 hours. I honestly do not remember if that price included the Bose headset though LOL.

The easiest way to estimate your costs is hourly plane + hourly instructor and multiply by 60. Maybe subtract 5% because you won't need to pay for the instructor for your solo flying.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
The easiest way to estimate your costs is hourly plane + hourly instructor and multiply by 60. Maybe subtract 5% because you won't need to pay for the instructor for your solo flying.
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Leave the 5% in. That will cover the other things like headsets, kneeboards, exam fees (written and practical), etc.
 
Ron Levy said:
It would be interesting to see how those schools came up with those estimates, and how many people actually complete their training and tests for even 20% more. My guess is they are not including all costs, and they are basing it on the regulatory 40-hour minimum rather than the national average of about 60 hours. My personal advice, based on working in this business for several decades, is to budget $10K.
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Most around me use a 55 hour estimate
 
Thanks for all the info. I was just curious if it was around the right price range. Sounds like it is and probably budget more.
 
Budget and save $10k, then do all you can to not spend it all
 
96gs917 said:
I pay $50/hr for my instructor, and $140/hr for the plane which includes fuel, (fuel is $7.05/gal) on an Alarus CH2000. I guess its really up to the individual, and their ability to learn.
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$50/Hr for the instructor, for your Private???
 
Mine was $125/hr for the airplane (rising to $135 part way through) and $45 for the instructor. I did rather long XCs, plus an extra dual XC over the Sierras.

I finished with 81 hours and just shy of $15K. Without all the extra flying I think I could have done it for $12K or so, but money was not a limiting factor for me as I had budgeted $15K.
 
I just did my rough math for my PPL. Heres what I came up with.

Having my own plane:
75(hrs)X 14GPH = 1,050 Gallons. Which.....=4,725$ @4.5 p/g
21(Months)X 280$ (Payment on plane loan)= 5,880$
32(Dual Instruction Hours) X 45$ (CFI Rate)=1,440$
.................................................................12,045

If I rented:
75X150$(172 Rental Rate @ Closest Airport)=11,250$
32(Dual Instruction Hours) X 45 (CFI Rate)....=1,440$
...................................................................12,690$


Thats just ball park figures as I didnt take into account for learning materials or the written or Exam. Strictly for the plane and instructor. I also didnt add insurance or MX. If I did, then owning would be slightly more exspensive but it varies alot on what MX you actually have to do. Or the fact that I learned in a 235, which im sure in my area would of been something to the tune of 175$ per hour (rough I know...)

......................Owning my Own Plane and PPL= Priceless


Wouldnt change anything.
 
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Ron, good call. The misc books, sectionals, bag.... Easily a couple hundred.

Hulk, don't forget that in your scenario your payment towards the aircraft is going to something(equity) so it's actually cheaper if you're using your own airplane from the standpoint of having something to show for all those dollars spent.
 
What you are paying for the plane is usually the biggest cost adder.

I'm only paying $105 wet for a Piper Cherokee. $30 at hour for the instructor. The Gleim pilot kit was $140. Ground school is $285 for me. They provide the headsets.

If you pay $140 for a wet 172 and $45 an hour for the instructor, pay $800 for ground school, and $400 for your materials, then get ready to spend 10+ grand.

But if you live in an area with lots of different schools (competition = lower prices), shop around, and rent the cheapest planes you can (usually C150/152s), then you can do it well south of 10 grand, even if it takes 60 hours or so.
 
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I did mine in 2012, and I think I was about $7K in by the time I finished. I really didn't keep close tabs on it, but that's pretty close. Took me a little under 60 hours total.

Also, don't feel like you really need to go out and plow a lot of money into a fancy flight bag, headset, all the student pilot stuff Sporty's and other places will try to sell you. You won't need half of it during training, won't touch 3/4 of it after your check ride, and you can buy a lot of it used for a lot less.
 
I completed my ppl in 2012. Took me 7 months and cost me $7500. That was combined training in a 150 at $80 an hour wet and a 172 at $140 an hour wet. Same instructor the whole time and all my training was done in the 150 except my long cross country solo, 1 dual short xc, checkride prep, and checkride was all in the 172. Took me 55 hours. So yeah it's doable and that included medical, testing, and checkride fees.

I'd do it in the 150 if you can and then transition to the 172 after training.
 
...plan for $8-10k and you won't be dissapointed. No earthly way possible anyone on here, any school or CFI can accurately give you an estimate any better than the numbers I supplied. It's a function of how much you fly and how, for lack of a better term, good you are. :)
 
a. Buy an old Taylorcraft BC12D in annual.
b. Find an old codger with a CFI rating.
c. Find autofuel around you without Ethanol, and get some 5gal jerry cans.
d. Download iFly GPS on your Android, buy one sectional.
e. Get everything above together and go fly.
f. Sell the Taylorcraft when you pass your exam.

Few thousand.

YMMV.
 
For fun(and because I was bored), I broke down my costs as precisely as I could.

Airplane:

Intro flight - $69

C152 @ $85/hour wet - 46.1 hours - $3,965.60

C172 @ $109/hour wet - 12.9 hours - $1,417.60

Total aircraft rental including intro flight $5,452.20

Instructor - $45/hour x 48.7 hours - $2,191.50

Other Stuff:

Sporty's Online Private Pilot Course - $199

Sporty's VFR communications DVD - $34.99

Sporty's Private Pilot Maneuvers handbook - $17.95

Logbook - $11.95

AFD - $5.30

Chicago Sectional - $9.00

Fuel sump cup - $13.50

Flight Bag - $62.95

Jeppesen Private Pilot Textbook - $74.95

Jeppesen PTS study guide - $22.95

Jeppesen FAA written test study guide - $16.95

ASA E6B - $27.95

Plotter - $5.95

C152 and C172 fuel sticks - $12.95x2

Stick and Rudder - $15.00

FAR/AIM - $12.00

Airplane Flying Handbook - $14.00

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge - $14.00

C152 POH - $49.99

C172 POH - $59.99

Bose A20 Headset - $1095.00

Medical - $150.00

FAA written exam - $120.00

DPE Checkride fee - $300.00

AOA access badge - $45.00

Total 10,047.97

Of course, a number of things on my list aren't absolutely necessary, so I could have saved a fair amount by refraining from buying some items. But that's a good idea. The total cost of the "MUST HAVE" things, airplane/instructor/medical/written/sporty's ground school and DPE fee were $8,344.70.
 
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nice break down Bill.

Did you train at Wis. Aviation? I noticed you purchased both POH. Was this just for home reading/reference? or did they require this purchase? I bought one too, but the electronic version.

Tom
(Madison)
 
Yeah WisAV.

I bought the POHs because I wanted my own copies, just to study... and they help with the cross country and other flight planning when you have a POH that hasn't fallen apart from use. I could have used the ones in the classroom, but they had to stay there. I was a little irritated at the price but they are useful, so I guess...:)

I also did probably end up buying a few books that I didn't need. I ended up with two written test study guides because the Jeppesen one had several errors in it... so I bought a Gleim one... turns out I didn't really need either, I should have just used the Sporty's test prep that was included with their online course. I was pretty green and didn't much know what I was doing at that time haha.
 
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docmirror said:
a. Buy an old Taylorcraft BC12D in annual.
b. Find an old codger with a CFI rating.
c. Find autofuel around you without Ethanol, and get some 5gal jerry cans.
d. Download iFly GPS on your Android, buy one sectional.
e. Get everything above together and go fly.
f. Sell the Taylorcraft when you pass your exam.

Few thousand.

YMMV.
Click to expand...
Don't forget that you'll probably need to do 3-6 hours in a C-172 or 152 for the instrument and night portions of the exam.

Otherwise, yeah. Other aircraft to consider: C-150 / 152, C-140, Cherokee 140, Aeronca Champ / Chief, Piper Tripacer, etc.

And you don't HAVE to hire an "old" codger. Just make sure he loves to teach and isn't a rookie shooting for the airlines.

Ryan
 
I might also point out that the T-craft/Luscombe approach would work IF both the student and the CFI are relatively slim. If either is a bigger guy it's going to get awfully snug in there.
 
Hey, guys. Anyone able to decode "YMMV"?

don't like my plan?

do it your way.
 
Sorry, wasn't saying it was not a good plan. It's just not an airplane for the more gravitationally challenged is all.

YMMV.
 
SuperDecathlon said:
My local airport charges $6,930 total cost estimate for PPL training in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. I figured that was about the going rate, but then I had a friend say he's getting his PPL and his airport is $4,760 in a Cessna 150. It seems like a significant difference I was wondering if that was just from the plane rental cost or if my airport is just on the higher end. What is the average price around? It's not a huge deal, but 2k is still 2k. I'm in a small town but I'm fairly close to the Boise area and I could look around if the local airport is on the high end.
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Unless some school is willing to "guarantee" the package price, none of these "all in" prices really matter. Doesn't matter if they quote $6930, or $4,760, or $12k.

The cost is really simple.

Plane Cost
$$$/hr x 40 hours = $______________

$$$/hr x 60 hours = $______________

And, likely, your final cost will be somewhere in between those numbers, depending on if you are a quick learner or if you are a slower learner. If you think of yourself as learning slow, you might bump the 60 hour number up. If you are a quick learner, closer to the 40 hour number.


Instructor Cost
$$$/hr x 20 hours = $______________

$$$/hr x 40 hours = $______________

Same as plane rental, just depends on you. We can't answer how quickly you will learn.


Almost all the other costs will be the same, no matter what flight school you pick. Items like headsets, study materials, exam fees and such will be the same no matter what airport you go to.


Bottom line is, shop around to find the lowest cost, if that is important to you. If convenience is important, pick the closest ones. If "relationship" is important, go meet a dozen CFI's and pick the one you like, ignoring the price.

Depending on where you are, outside of Boise, I would go to Nampa, Emmett, Ontario, Caldwell, in that order.

Good luck.
 
What a difference 7 years makes! When I started end of 2006 finishing 2007:

1. Pilots were screaming that fuel would eventually go over $3 a gallon
2. The C-152 I rented initially at $60 increased to $70 for checkride
3. CFI was $30/hr and increased to $35 last couple of lessons.
4. Finished with multiple "goof off" flights that I asked for at about 60 hrs total.
 
Let's not forget landing fees that more airports are starting to implement. I think of all the touch and go's I did when I got my PPL. It would have added up to quite a bit over the time to finish. And more airports are jumping on the bandwagon.
 
DaleB said:
I might also point out that the T-craft/Luscombe approach would work IF both the student and the CFI are relatively slim. If either is a bigger guy it's going to get awfully snug in there.
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Or if the CFI is pretty slim. I can take 230-240 lbs with me in the Tcraft.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
I don't think that's fair. Every CFI was a young buck at some point.
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Fair to who? Would you rather pay a flight school $40/hr to use a CFI who's making $15-25/hr and has 500-1000 hours or fly with some more experienced guy with 3-10,000 hours and has done other stuff besides fly a Cessna 172, a 172RG, and a Baron for his multi? It's not a matter of being fair, it has to do with potential quality of instruction and experience. Scenario-based learning, which is all the new fad is going to be a whole lot more realistic with the guy who's lived the scenario.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Fair to who? Would you rather pay a flight school $40/hr to use a CFI who's making $15-25/hr and has 500-1000 hours or fly with some more experienced guy with 3-10,000 hours and has done other stuff besides fly a Cessna 172, a 172RG, and a Baron for his multi? It's not a matter of being fair, it has to do with potential quality of instruction and experience. Scenario-based learning, which is all the new fad is going to be a whole lot more realistic with the guy who's lived the scenario.
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Got any data to backup your assertion that quality of primary training is lesser with a lower-hour CFI vs. an old goat? You're painting with a very broad brush.

Edit - I see you gave yourself a way out with the word potential... and I don't disagree with you in that instance.
 
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fiveoboy01 said:
Got any data to backup your assertion that quality of primary training is lesser with a lower-hour CFI vs. an old goat? You're painting with a very broad brush.

Edit - I see you gave yourself a way out with the word potential... and I don't disagree with you in that instance.
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Generally speaking, in all professional capacities the more senior or one with greater experience is paid more. If pay can be equated for valuable contribution, and we postulate that the aviation world follows the standard economic model then I would and will say that the 'old codger' will provide superior training over the younger, less experienced person.

Having said that, I'm sure you can find the example where a young buck left-seat captain has fewer hours, and less experience than the right seat, gray haired guy, but this isn't the general model. Far more often, the captain is older, but not always - given the nature of the way airlines have come and gone, and merged, and union priorities.

That's why I - with 30 years in the field I'm in command a significant higher wage than my two interns just out of university. Even though we are in a very high tech environment where youth is often served.

<edit: I thought of another key example. Sully. Without sail plane experience, the whole Cactus flight into the Hudson could have gone really pear shaped, real quick.>
 
docmirror said:
<edit: I thought of another key example. Sully. Without sail plane experience, the whole Cactus flight into the Hudson could have gone really pear shaped, real quick.>
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Just out of curiosity, since I don't watch a lot of CNN, What did he do that was so dependent on experience, grey hair, and time in sailplanes? Manage his airspeed?
 
JoseCuervo said:
What did he do that was so dependent on experience, grey hair, and time in sailplanes? Manage his airspeed?
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Flew the plane. Saved a lot of people. Feel free to disagree, it's only an opinion. Maybe you think Sully screwed up due to his advanced age? Like the Colgan guy, or the Comair guy?

It's just my opinion that more experience people provide better training. The rest of the labor economy agrees with that model, but I'm willing to be taught otherwise as a general rule statement.
 
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