Private Pilot Training cost?

[OkieAviator]

Invest in a good headset, well worth it.

 

[JMac1773]

Invest in a good headset, well worth it.

Oh I know. That's why I'm a little leery about what she might get me. I figure I'll use it for training and once I get the ticket I'll invest in something better. She understands that. I hope.

 

[RyanB]

I don't see training prices getting any lower unfortunately

Training prices really vary, depending on your location. My PPL training was roughly 7k give or take.

 

[RyanB]

Invest in a good headset, well worth it.

One thing I still would like to do soon. During training I just used my schools headsets, and still do, but I'd like to get a Zulu 2 or something.

 

[Jeff Oslick]

I figure it cost about $4,100 for my PP-ASEL, 20 years ago, including headset, portable intercom, test fees, books, etc. I didn't have a lot of dough back then so it was spread over the better part of a year for the training, 65 hours.

At 4%/year increase, that comes out to just about $9K today. Given the improvements in avionics and increases in fuel prices, I don't think an average of 4% increases is all that bad. Except for the part that incomes of the "middle class" haven't improved by the same amount.

How many people do you know who drive a $35K car that could get by just as well with a $25K model? It has more to do with how people are choosing to spend their money rather than the cost of flying by itself.

 

[JMac1773]

How many people do you know who drive a $35K car that could get by just as well with a $25K model? It has more to do with how people are choosing to spend their money rather than the cost of flying by itself.

+1

 

[DesertNomad]

15k for private? JesusChrist... There are some limits on how far on the safe side you should be. 15k is beyond any reasonable estimate.
I would say 10k is a good safe number. Work hard, fly often, and you should easily stay under that.

I trained at KRNO in the high desert and with everything it was just shy of $15K.

I had 80 hours when I finished the check ride but I was in a weird situation for a month with no local DPE so I flew an extra 10-20 hours or so while I waiting for a DPE to finish required FAA training/recurrent stuff.

C172 here is $135/hr and CFI is $45.

I also did spin training at $150/hr for the Decathlon.

 

[HouTxPilot82]

In my area, with the plane rental (wet) cost of 152/hr (before recent gas price decline), and instructor rate of $50/hour. Breaking 10K total cost is not difficult at all.

 

[danhagan]

In my area, with the plane rental (wet) cost of 152/hr (before recent gas price decline), and instructor rate of $50/hour. Breaking 10K total cost is not difficult at all.

Sometimes free in my area

 

[RyanB]

Agreed, flying is definetly not cheap, but it sure is worth every penny!

 

[Henning]

Assume a rental costs $100/hr.
Assume the average student takes 75 hours[1].
Assume 60 hours are flown dual with a CFI who charges $35/hr.

75hrs*$100/hr + 60hrs*$35/hr = $9600

Now add in all other expenses....

[1] https://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/deaf_pilot/training/
"Though the regulations require a minimum of 40 hours flight time, in the U. S. the average number of hours for persons without a hearing impairment completing the private pilot certification requirements is approximately 75 hours."

60 hours of dual for a PP? Unless you have a medical condition that delayed your solo significantly past 25 hrs, if you need 60 hrs to solo, you need to be doing something different. Whether that is switching instructors, dedicating considerably more effort than you are, save up the money to fly 40 hrs straight so you can fly 4 times a week instead of once a month; or just accepting that you don't have the required sets of abilities to do this safely and effectively. Seriously, flying isn't for everyone, sailing brings many of the same joys while not requiring some of the abilities to judge energy by reducing three dimensions of operations to two.

Sometimes we just need an honest self assessment. We don't need to succeed at everything we try, and in something as hazardous and unforgiving as aviation, sometimes retreat is the best option.

 

[Henning]

Agreed, flying is definetly not cheap, but it sure is worth every penny!

The problem typically comes when people try to learn without a sufficient budget to maintain a 3-4 flight per week schedule. Less than this and rate of muscle memory and perception/perspective cue building goes from reinforcing lesson on lesson to a atrophy, relearn, reinforce cycle, so you lose a great deal of effectiveness and $$$ efficiency in your training.

You should have at least enough money saved up or freely accessible to do 20 hrs as rapidly as 2-3 hrs a day over 14 days. That will get you from 0-Solo and possibly beyond/ready to enter the cross country phase of training.

Once you make this point, you have over come the greatest of the 3D control learning curve and are starting to get into the finesse. At this point you could likely slow down to 2 flights a week and still manage a high rate of progress/minimum atrophy state. If you put in the extra book work hours and had 40 hours and a check ride saved up, you could also choose (weather permitting)to pound it out in the next four days, a 6 hour day, an 8 hour day of dual and solo Cross Countries, a day of rest from flying, going over some ground and oral prep, next day fly your last 6 hours finishing any requirements and a 1 hour test prep, check ride the next day.

That's how the accelerated programs treat the 2 week to PP programs. There is a lot to say for training hard on the deep imprinting process. I did my Instrument, all 40hrs training and a check ride in a week. That was 25 years ago. I have very few IFR hours after the first 5 years, and only 130 some before including training and ride. The only time I fly IFR is when I do an IPC and it always amazes my instructor at how well the skills come back. It is by no means an easy way of doing it, much of it will not be fun, you will not be comfortable, your back will be sore; some of it will be downright frustrating, you will be tired but you have 3 more hours of studying to do.

But you are much more likely to be taking your ride on schedule at 40 hrs and the most $$$ effectively you will get done.

To be most effective, buy the plane you want, hire a CFI by the week (or month) to train you full time and fly 90 hrs as hard as you can straight through the PP-IR. 10 more hours you qualify for minimum insurance rate, call the insurance agent after a month of ownership insured with your CFI as primary insured (saves you some on the initial, but it won't matter as you'll see...) you call them up to update your info and tell them you have gained your PP and IR in the plane and now have 100 hrs in it. With that information, they will recalculate your rate to their 'best' rate, issue a new policy with you as primary and send you a prorated rebate of the unused premium from the other policy.

If you know you want/require a Bonanza, or Mooney, or Lance, or 210, even a 310, for your flying, and have the time and money to do it. This is the most cost effective way of going about it all things considered.

 

[Jim Logajan]

60 hours of dual for a PP? Unless you have a medical condition that delayed your solo significantly past 25 hrs, if you need 60 hrs to solo, you need to be doing something different.

I didn't intend for my guesstimate to mean that it took 60 hours of dual to reach solo followed by 15 hours of solo; solo could have taken place at 20 hours, followed by solo time interspersed with dual time.

I think if you go check most log books, the bulk of the training time, regardless of the total hours needed to a passed checkride, is mostly dual time. I'd guess roughly 80% to 85% would be dual.