Typical Instruction Rates

Azpilot that what drove me away from chandler air to wing270 because of the over inflated instruction rates.if I was to do tail wheel training it would be to own a tail wheel airplane and not rent and I would do it at classic aviation at falcon for less.
 
Get your rating in the Classic air c120 $99 hr + 60hr = $159 instruction. You may get it done in a few weekends. That c120 looks nicer than the CAS Supper cub.

So you decide if it's worth your drive time to Falcon VS Chandler.
 
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Sorry for the multiple replies but just thinking.

If your already bored with up right flying get your tail wheel and aerobatic trying in Classic air Sweet Citabria that rents $115 an hour. Kill two birds one stone.
 
The local FBO bills $40/hour for instructors and the instructors take home $20/hour. It's a tough way to make a living since they're only getting paid for somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3 of the time that they spend at the airport working with students. (They get paid by the Hobbs time) it gets even worse when we get weather and lessons start getting canceled.

The flight school I did my primary training at was $50/hour for primary instruction and $70/hour for advanced training. I have no idea how much of that the instructors took home but it wasn't enough to deter some of them from milking the clock and the student for more money and time in the airplane.

Thankfully, I am just part time instructing rather than trying to make a living at it. I do a lot of bartering and have set my hourly rate at $35-50/hour depending on what kind of training we're doing.
 
It SHOULD be $90 an hour. FBO gets $20. Instructor gets $70. 70 * 500 hours a year is $35000. A livable wage. About the minimum livable. Remember instructor has no benefits, so he has to pay his own health and retirement and has a little overhead in phone and supplies and vehicle. So the prevailing rates are low.
 
coloradobluesky said:
It SHOULD be $90 an hour. FBO gets $20. Instructor gets $70. 70 * 500 hours a year is $35000. A livable wage. About the minimum livable. Remember instructor has no benefits, so he has to pay his own health and retirement and has a little overhead in phone and supplies and vehicle. So the prevailing rates are low.
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Way low, in my opinion. Yet people still complain about how expensive instructor rates are, and how they feel like they're getting crummy instruction/service.

It's the same on the maintenance side of the fence. Everyone thinks they're getting screwed even though aviation shop rates are usually cheap and the mechanics are often taking home $15/hour or less. That's how it is around here anyway.
 
I'm wanting to say it's around $40 an hour here. There are 2 schools at the local FBO. One charges an extra $5 or $10/hr to use your plane. That put a bad taste in my mouth. I realize you want to use your plane since it makes you a little money but it's not going to cost you anything to teach in someone else's plane unless you're running at 100% capacity.

Anyway, I used the other school's instructor.
 
$90/hr wet for a 1968 Cessna 172K, and a built in Garmin GPS.
$35/hr for dual instruction off the hobbs.
Couldn't ask for a better CFI either.
 
evapilotaz said:
Get your rating in the Classic air c120 $99 hr + 60hr = $159 instruction. You may get it done in a few weekends. That c120 looks nicer than the CAS Supper cub.

So you decide if it's worth your drive time to Falcon VS Chandler.
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That's a real good point. This is something I probably won't do for a year or more. I just like to think out what my next moves will be far in advance.
 
evapilotaz said:
Get your rating in the Classic air c120 $99 hr + 60hr = $159 instruction. You may get it done in a few weekends. That c120 looks nicer than the CAS Supper cub.

So you decide if it's worth your drive time to Falcon VS Chandler.
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As we all know looks don't factor to too much as far as aircraft quality, it also costs more to purchase, insure and run a 150-180hp PA18, compared to a 85hp C120.
 
The number of hours instructing is irrelevant. The pass percentage and student satisfaction with the quality of the instruction is.

JHMO.

My rate here in El Paso is $45 per hour. Basic review for the pre-flight no charge. Debrief is on the clock (de-brief will cover what we did today and discussing what will be on the next lesson).
 
Was just thinking...

The going rate for a DPE ride for any advanced rating around here is anywhere from 11 to 14 times the hourly rate of the people sending them candidates.

Wow.
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
Hopefully he meant that he nets less than half the $70, not grosses... but, either way, it doesn't seem like a fair cut for the CFIs. There are seven senior instructors at my school with between 5,000 & 22,000 hours. With the exception of one, they've all been there for over a decade. I like not worrying that my instructor is just there to build hours to move onto something bigger/better. One guy has been there since 1989! So, something is keeping them devoted. It IS a really great school. I'm very impressed with the level of instruction, quality of the planes and facility, and knowledge of all of the staff.
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What school are you flying out of?
 
Wow, I need to raise my rates. I'm not high time, but I've got 700hrs dual given with that again real world experience. Not high time or senior, but I've been around the block a little at least. I charge $35/hr, engine start to engine stop if the brief/debrief isn't very long

When I was at the flight school, they charged $51 and we took home $15. Only Hobbs. Got tired of that fast.
 
dlsmith said:
Wow, I need to raise my rates. I'm not high time, but I've got 700hrs dual given with that again real world experience. Not high time or senior, but I've been around the block a little at least. I charge $35/hr, engine start to engine stop if the brief/debrief isn't very long

When I was at the flight school, they charged $51 and we took home $15. Only Hobbs. Got tired of that fast.
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I only have around 900 dual given. Damn and I thought I didn't get paid too well. We charge 55 I get 21. 75 if it's a Cirrus and I stil take home 21:confused:
 
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Cajun_Flyer said:
KBED. Very busy airport, but I like it. I just had lunch at your airport yesterday :)
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Should've let me know. I would've bought. :D

Oh wait, I'm in Alabama.....never mind. :lol:
 
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dlsmith said:
Wow, I need to raise my rates. I'm not high time, but I've got 700hrs dual given with that again real world experience. Not high time or senior, but I've been around the block a little at least. I charge $35/hr, engine start to engine stop if the brief/debrief isn't very long

When I was at the flight school, they charged $51 and we took home $15. Only Hobbs. Got tired of that fast.
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They charged $51 and you got $15? Per HOUR? I would have told them to shove that 15 where the son don't shine.


What school was this?
 
James331 said:
They charged $51 and you got $15? Per HOUR? I would have told them to shove that 15 where the son don't shine.


What school was this?
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I won't name any names, just to keep it professional. It was a local part 61 here. They can get away with it because MTSU does the same thing. I knew it going on though. I did it because I knew I could get in, fly 80hrs per month, and get out fast, it was 5min from home, and I got a discount on maintenance on my airplane. I slammed out a few hundred hours over a few months to put me over 1000, finished out almost all of my students so they didn't have to switch, then went on my way.

I'm getting hosed a little at my job now too, but that's because I'm still in the trial period where they're trying to get me enough time in type to be insured on the aircraft. :mad2: But, that'll be over by the end of the month and the pay gets very fair, so I can deal with it
 
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I hear ya, however if pilots just refused to work for wages like that cockroaches like those two schools wouldn't be able to get away with that crap, pay what a CFI is worth or close your doors.
 
I agree, but unfortunately there's a surplus of new instructors here that are willing to work for pennies on the dollar just to have a job. Mostly college kids that only have to buy gas and beer. Although I've seen several that aren't worth what little they get paid...
 
dlsmith said:
I agree, but unfortunately there's a surplus of new instructors here that are willing to work for pennies on the dollar just to have a job. Mostly college kids that only have to buy gas and beer. Although I've seen several that aren't worth what little they get paid...
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Frankly I wouldn't use any CFI who would accept 15hr.

Might have been more profitable to just move to somewhere that would pay you a proper wage for your time, going from 0-CPL/CFI ain't a cheap education and has massive amounts of responsibility. Sadly those college kids may have education, but they lack intelligence, they are shooting themselves in the foot by cheapening their profession/future.
 
James331 said:
Frankly I wouldn't use any CFI who would accept 15hr.

Might have been more profitable to just move to somewhere that would pay you a proper wage for your time, going from 0-CPL/CFI ain't a cheap education and has massive amounts of responsibility. Sadly those college kids may have education, but they lack intelligence, they are shooting themselves in the foot by cheapening their profession/future.
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Well said. I would have, but I'm still almost a year from graduation. That's why I'm busting around the country at 2am in a 310 instead of sitting in something with turbines. Got the time, but I've gotta work around my school schedule
 
$50-65/hr for an independent instructor around here. Planes vary but the 160hp super cub in my club is $145/hr, I hear it's a beauty. We've also got a Champ for $110 a Taylorcraft for $120, and a citabria for $97. Those are all the tailwheels.
 
Indiana the school I went to was $35/hour. Another nearby school charged $40/hour, but the aircraft were $5/hour cheaper. I didn't ask, but it sounded like my instructor only took home $15/hour :(
 
ECAC have the best prices in the world for R-44 rental or instruction.
I did my R-44 transition there and subsequent rentals, and they are a class act.
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
Yep! I don't know the last time I landed without an extended downwind or a right 360 from ATC. It's hustle/bustle every time I go up.
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I'm going to be meeting with ECAC @ KASH soon, my plan is to start training in May so want to find the best place for training. Good to know someone who vouches for them even though it's not at the same airport.
 
I charge $50/HR flight, $40/HR ground. $65 in your airplane.

I also pay my CFIs quite well, though I do majority of instruction right now. And when I do the instructing I don't take an hourly right now, it goes back into the business. The CFIs I do use are retired from their professional flying jobs and do great work, but it is not cheap. They're worth it though knowing my students are in good hands.
 
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Z06_Mir said:
I charge $50/HR flight, $40/HR ground. $65 in your airplane.



I also pay my CFIs quite well, though I do majority of instruction right now. And when I do the instructing I don't take an hourly right now, it goes back into the business. The CFIs I do use are retired from their professional flying jobs and do great work, but it is not cheap. They're worth it though knowing my students are in good hands.
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What is the logic in the $15 premium to use my plane?
 
JoseCuervo said:
What is the logic in the $15 premium to use my plane?
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For a lot of flight schools it is because it is not their plane. Sure, they may not be putting any wear and tear on their aircraft, but it is one less hour to pay for overhead. They typically want to discourage that.
 
It sounds like quite a few schools charge more than what the instructor gets paid, so wouldn't that be for the overhead?
 
round here its $50 for primary and $55 for advanced... Don't know about aerobatics... I can see how tail-wheel training may bring a higher cost for the airframe because of insurance...
 
I guess I do not have is too bad.

PA 28-180 is $120/hr wet
Ground school time is $30/hr
Dual is $35/hr
 
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