Hi
I am from Germany and want to make my PPL in the US.
Anyone any good suggestions/experience with flight schools or individual instructors.
I looked so far in the Florida region, also had the LA area or even Sporty's in my mind.
Would be happy for any tips etc.
Thanks
Marty
I sold my Cherokee 140 trainer to Augusta Aviation. 3AU airfield in kansas. They have a Cessna 150 for $60 per hour or $79 per hour for Cherokee 140 wet rental, Full IFR capable. They charge $40 per hour for the instructor.
Minimum for your PPL here is 40 hours at $60 or $79 ($2400-$3180), plus 20 hrs at $40 ($800) for duel would total Just under $4000. Most people require about 50 hrs total time and 25 duel so you can add another $1000 budget to be safe. $300 for books and King videos which make your ground school the cheapest choice. If you get a US medical they are $100 around here and I paid $160 for the inspector to ride with me to sign off my PPL. The written test was $80. You can get a basic set of head sets from $175 at the school or bring your own or buy them on Ebay and have them delivered to the school.
So it looks like about $5600-$6000 plus room and board for 2 weeks or even a month or so while you do it. Depending on when you come you can fly about 80% or even 90% of the time with few weather delays.
BTW- Every year we have a few England CFI's come over and they usually dry lease an airplane for the season and train a few Euro students.
Generally speaking Wichita, KS is lower cost of living than Florida or LA but it is not a tourist spot unless you like Clint Eastwood movies. We have extended stay hotels for $220 per week similar to the iBiz hotels in Europe. Meals at restaurants will average $7-9 per meal, Steak Dinner could be tiny bit more $9.99 with salad, veggies or potato and bread; lunch can be $3, $5 or $6 BBQ or Hamburger; if you dine out for breakfast Eggs, bacon/sausage, pancakes with coffee about $6.50. Toast and coffee about $2.55, Bagel and coffee about $3.50. Free coffee at the airport and often free donuts at least a few days a week.
I suspect if you want to live on the cheap to focus mainly on your flying you can eat the free Continental breakfast at the hotel, pack a thermos of apple juice, orange juice/hot cocoa/coffee or tea from hotel for free; take a banana, apple, orange from breakfast bar or lobby for later. I am not passing judgement this is how many people travel lite on vacations and not bust their budget..... American Restaurants serve too large of portions so you will not want to eat out two or three times a day for any period of time lest ye find out why Americans are so over weight.
Another way to save on your time and costs is pickup bread, cheese and crackers; TV dinners, microwave heat-able in the hotel also nick named heatem and eatems to heat in the hotel room you can get by about $2 per meal, $1.50 can of soup. these meals are not great some are ok but portions are more normal than a restaurant. No matter how you plane to eat you can plan Tea/hot cocoa/Coffee/juice and usually fruit is free at most hotels and flight schools (usually have the beverages).
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