PPL in NJ for around $5k possible?

tookamb

tookamb

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
6
Location
Edison, NJ
Display Name
Display name:
Tommy_The_Crafter
I have been checking prices for PPL training in NJ and I can not find anything around $5k. Does anyone know anything around that price?
 
I am in central NJ, and did alot of shopping. The best I could find in NJ was maybe $8000 in more southern NJ. That was through a flight club, which did require membership at $45 per month. They had a 152 that you could purchase block time on at $93 per hour wet, and the instructor was $38 per hour. Figuring 60 hours to finish your training and 1 year, and you see where this is going. I am using a different place right by me, and the final tally will be in the 9000 to 10000 range. I highly doubt unless you find somebody to rent you a plane cheap, and find your own indipendant CFI, you can do $5000 in NJ, sorry. If you can get it done more around 45 to 50 hours, yes that will save alot of cash, but do not count on your likelyhood of doing that. The national PPL average time is 60 to 65 hours.

There are other incidentals in there also, like insurance, medical exam, price for the private written, and cost of the checkride, which will add another $1000 to any number.
 
Last edited:
tookamb said:
I have been checking prices for PPL training in NJ and I can not find anything around $5k. Does anyone know anything around that price?
Click to expand...
Don't know of any, but at bare legal minimum of 40 hrs, which almost no one does, that's $125 hr avg. (even for just the rental) which is really low for this area of the country. Might be feasible, but doubtful. National avg I think is more like $8 -10K.
 
$5K is not possible unless someone allows you the use of their plane for free and you only pay for fuel. Thats tough to find.
 
Don't trust any promises of a total cost, unless perhaps you're working with a pilot mill of some sort that promises zero time to PPL for a certain price no matter the hours (do they do that?).

Anywhere else, look at the hourly costs and plan for at least the national average of 60 - 75 hours or so. As mentioned, $5k for the PPL is extraordinarily low.
 
Probably not possible, but I got it done for just under $5k in 2009/2010 in the 9 months or so it took me to get my Private.

C-152 was $65hr wet Hobbs.

CFI was $35hr.

I passed my written first time around, got done nearly in minimum time and passed my checkride first time.

It doesn't seem like that long ago, but fuel has gone up nearly $2/gal and instructors seem to be charging $45/hr now.

Inflation is a *****.
 
drotto said:
I am in central NJ, and did alot of shopping. The best I could find in NJ was maybe $8000 in more southern NJ. That was through a flight club, which did require membership at $45 per month. They had a 152 that you could purchase block time on at $93 per hour wet, and the instructor was $38 per hour. Figuring 60 hours to finish your training and 1 year, and you see where this is going. I am using a different place right by me, and the final tally will be in the 9000 to 10000 range. I highly doubt unless you find somebody to rent you a plane cheap, and find your own indipendant CFI, you can do $5000 in NJ, sorry. If you can get it done more around 45 to 50 hours, yes that will save alot of cash, but do not count on your likelyhood of doing that. The national PPL average time is 60 to 65 hours.

There are other incidentals in there also, like insurance, medical exam, price for the private written, and cost of the checkride, which will add another $1000 to any number.
Click to expand...

Even based on those numbers and using the hours it took me, I would have been right around the $5000 price, and closer to $5000 than $6000.
 
EdFred said:
Even based on those numbers and using the hours it took me, I would have been right around the $5000 price, and closer to $5000 than $6000.
Click to expand...

I am basing on 60 hours to train which is the low end of national PPL average.

38 + 93 = 131 x 50 = 6550 dual time
93 x 10 = 930 solo cost
930 + 6550 = 7480 for 60 hour train

Add 45 per month as membership and use you 9 months time

45 x 9 = 405

so 405 +7480 = 7885

Like I said if you can get it done well below the nationa average yeah it saves money, but I would not use that numer if your budget is that tight.

if at 40 hour minumum 405 (meber ship fees) + 930 (solo cost) + 3930 (dual time) = 5265

So yes you could make it but only if you got there at minumum time. Nobody should budget for that.
 
drotto said:
I am basing on 60 hours to train which is the low end of national PPL average.

38 + 93 = 131 x 50 = 6550 dual time
93 x 10 = 930 solo cost
930 + 6550 = 7480 for 60 hour train

Add 45 per month as membership and use you 9 months time

45 x 9 = 405

so 405 +7480 = 7885

Like I said if you can get it done well below the nationa average yeah it saves money, but I would not use that numer if your budget is that tight.

if at 40 hour minumum 405 (meber ship fees) + 930 (solo cost) + 3930 (dual time) = 5265

So yes you could make it but only if you got there at minumum time. Nobody should budget for that.
Click to expand...

You're forgetting a few things....Here is another couple of $$$

Written Exam
Charts
E6B
Plotter
Medical
Ground School
 
momalley said:
You're forgetting a few things....Here is another couple of $$$

Written Exam
Charts
E6B
Plotter
Medical
Ground School
Click to expand...

I said in my original response about another $1000 for that stuff. :D I did self study and an online course to keep my own costs down a little.
 
drotto said:
I am basing on 60 hours to train which is the low end of national PPL average.

38 + 93 = 131 x 50 = 6550 dual time
93 x 10 = 930 solo cost
930 + 6550 = 7480 for 60 hour train

Add 45 per month as membership and use you 9 months time

45 x 9 = 405

so 405 +7480 = 7885

Like I said if you can get it done well below the nationa average yeah it saves money, but I would not use that numer if your budget is that tight.

if at 40 hour minumum 405 (meber ship fees) + 930 (solo cost) + 3930 (dual time) = 5265

So yes you could make it but only if you got there at minumum time. Nobody should budget for that.
Click to expand...

As I said earlier based on the hours it took ME - which was minimum time. So to say it can't be done is not entirely correct. And your numbers are off a little on the second part - you only need 20 hours of flight training. So you could do 20 solo and 20 dual - reducing costs further.

And there's no reason anyone should take more than 2 months to get their private if they really want to be cost effective. The guy I got my last flight review from they took a guy who had never been in a GA plane, and he got his private in 18 days.

I budgeted for 40, I hit my 40. So at least somebody can plan for it. Though that's not quite true. I didn't have a budget, it was going to cost what it was going to cost. Which for me was minimal.
 
Last edited:
EdFred said:
As I said earlier based on the hours it took ME - which was minimum time. So to say it can't be done is not entirely correct. And your numbers are off a little on the second part. You only need 20 hours of flight training.

So you could do 20 solo and 20 dual - reducing costs further.

I budgeted for 40, I hit my 40. So at least somebody can plan for it. Though that's not quite true. I didn't have a budget, it was going to cost what it was going to cost. Which for me was minimal.
Click to expand...

I second, it can be done but I would plan for the 60 and shoot for the 40hr.
My PPL cost under $5k (including exam) but I figured it would cost 7k going into it. C152 @ $82/hr wet - landed at examiners with 42hrs and instructor was 21hrs @ $40/hr.

This was not easy though, I worked my tail off for 6 months using MS simulator and practiced skills on almost every solo flight (not much sight seeing) I also pushed my instructor to be extremely critical and available 24/7 for questions & emails.
 
Ok, so i will need a couple extra $$$. I would need 2 to 3 months more to save that, so back to the waiting game :)

Thanks guys.
 
Just out of curiousity, what are you planning to do AFTER you get your PPL? Are you going to have enough money to continue to fly?
 
Have you considered a Sport Pilot license? I imagine this could be in your budget. Not affiliated with this school, but came across them on Google: http://www.aeroventures.net/sport-pilot-flight-school/

Approximately 95% of my hours would fit the light sport criteria (including the plane I fly being a LSA) so I don't consider it very limiting for my purposes but others it may be. Depends on what you want to do with your license. Don't forget that you'll want some money left over to fly after your license also.
 
Last edited:
tookamb said:
Ok, so i will need a couple extra $$$. I would need 2 to 3 months more to save that, so back to the waiting game :)

Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

It is not a great idea to put all the money up front as there is a risk of the school going under and leaving you high and dry (it has happened). If you go with a part 61 operation, you should be able to pay as you go and unless you have a lot of free time on your hands, it will take a while to complete. I think most people take 6 to 9 months and some take a couple of years.
 
Theoretically possible, but not likely. Budget $10K. If there's a few thousand left over at the end, great -- you can use it to have fun and build time for your instrument rating.
 
I would consider the sport pilot ticket,then if you want move up to a private. 40 hours can be done,but it takes a lot of determination and luck with the weather.
 
Also for what it's worth I flew three times a week and finished at 60 hrs for my PPL. It cost me $11400 all expenses from first lesson to checkride included. I imagine the sport pilot would cut that significantly and as stated above you can always bump up to PP with some additional training, as long as you take your sport training with a regular CFI.
 
I had 59 hours and was around $9500 or so. I can't remember but I am pretty sure this didn't include my Bose headset, but did include books, written exam, medical etc....

$5K isn't realistic unless as stated you have access to an airplane for free.
 
I trained at SMQ.. Great bunch of people.. All the instructors were always helpful. Total including all books, vids, tests, and soloing was about 8500.00
Good Luck!!
 
Tommy,

We have just opened a new flight school at Central Jersey Airport (47N) and are accepting new students. Stop in, Edison is very close to Hillsborough. Our rates are very good for this area. Although 5K is a little low, come and meet with us and we can discuss your training with you.

Anyone else in the 47N area, stop in and check out the new FBO and school. We have the cheapest fuel around the area. It was 5.40 yesterday.

Good luck with your training.
Mike G
 
vdehart said:
Have you considered a Sport Pilot license? I imagine this could be in your budget. Not affiliated with this school, but came across them on Google: http://www.aeroventures.net/sport-pilot-flight-school/

Approximately 95% of my hours would fit the light sport criteria (including the plane I fly being a LSA) so I don't consider it very limiting for my purposes but others it may be. Depends on what you want to do with your license. Don't forget that you'll want some money left over to fly after your license also.
Click to expand...

I want to be able to leave and return to the US on numerous occasions
 
If you go by the national average of 60 hours or so for a PPL, then you're hoping to get all in for $83/hour including plane and instructor. That's what it cost 20 years ago in my area (PHL) with instructor in a Cherokee 180.

Even buying a simple, basic trainer and paying an instructor (figure at least $30-$40/hour) and the hourly operating costs (fuel alone will be about $40-$50/hour depending on plane) will come in higher than $5K, and that's before factoring plane ownership costs and maintenance.

It's understandable that you want to save money, as we all do in this business/hobby. But going in with that attitude from the outset is prone to lead to cutting corners in other critical safety areas that may prove harmful in the long run.
 
I wouldn't use the national average of 60 hours to figure it out. There are folks in there who are not serious and take a hundred plus hours and that screws up the average. It'd be a little more fair if there was no minimum hours limit so super pilots like me could help bring the average back, but alas, the government makes 40 hours a hard floor.

So, if you know your serious and can afford the training in terms of money and time then right off the bat you can lower that average 10 hours. If you know your not 'intellectually challenged' you can take another 5 to 10 hours off it. If you plan on doing training at a place not expecting icing conditions and have access to a full time CFI then deduct another 5 to 10 hours.

After the above calculations see what you get. If the answer is less than 40 add whatever you need to bring it up to 40 and there's your target.
 
If you can't afford the price of training no reason to get started. It only goes up from there.
 
Captain said:
I wouldn't use the national average of 60 hours to figure it out. There are folks in there who are not serious and take a hundred plus hours and that screws up the average. It'd be a little more fair if there was no minimum hours limit so super pilots like me could help bring the average back, but alas, the government makes 40 hours a hard floor.

So, if you know your serious and can afford the training in terms of money and time then right off the bat you can lower that average 10 hours. If you know your not 'intellectually challenged' you can take another 5 to 10 hours off it. If you plan on doing training at a place not expecting icing conditions and have access to a full time CFI then deduct another 5 to 10 hours.

After the above calculations see what you get. If the answer is less than 40 add whatever you need to bring it up to 40 and there's your target.
Click to expand...

We are giving the national average to be realistic. I am training in NJ, and this winter was horrible, and a lot of days if not weeks were lost to weather. If you have them figure for 40 and they fall short in training and money, what then? Over figure and be happy when it comes in less.
 
There is a club in lakewood join for 700 and 152 is 69 an hour pm for more details you could be in that range for sure with everything if you finish in near minimums


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Not happening for 5k anywhere in the country unless you find someone willing to do it at a loss. By the time you pay for the checkride, written, pilot gizmos you convince yourself you need (but you probably don't) you'll blow past 5k.
 
steingar said:
If you can't afford the price of training no reason to get started. It only goes up from there.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I would think 5k training might compromise safety unless you are above average born aviator. I still dont feel adequate after 100 hours after my getting my ppl. It takes $ to fly and $ to be current and safe.
 
If you were here in Ohio, or the Midwest in General, you could get your private in 40 hours for about $6,000 at the cheaper schools out here. It seems to me the hourly rates on either coast are about $30 higher on average than the ones here for either airplanes or instructors. Seeing as you're probably not willing to move for training I'd do what others have said and look into the sport pilot route. Best of luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top