PROGRAM COSTS

Cost is an important consideration and the primary reason why most aspiring pilots shy away from aviation. The overall cost of earning your pilot certificate is HIGHLY dependent upon your commitment to completing the course of study. A student who can dedicate three straight weeks of time is much more likely to finish their Sport Pilot program in 20 hours of flight than another student who can only dedicate one day every other week to flying. The skill set you are acquiring requires repetition and recency to become proficient enough to pass the Practical Exam. You are also acquiring a body of knowledge as well as risk management and decision-making skills (aka Airmanship). Completing the academic study is just as important as learning the “stick and rudder” skills. Your dedication and commitment will be directly reflected in the total cost of successful completion.

That said, most flight training programs run about $250 per required flight hour, plus or minus 20%. The variation is primarily due to the required duration (in weeks and months) to finish based upon student commitment. If you can “knock it out” in a few weeks, it will be less expensive overall.

Costs are broken down into initial, aircraft rental, flight instruction and testing/examiner fees. Initial costs include equipment outfitting. A good radio headset, a flight bag, ground school books, maybe an iPad with an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) program and renter’s insurance. Aircraft rental is a fixed cost for the use of the airplane (including its gas), which is about $140 per flight hour. Flight Instruction fees pay the Certified Flight Instructor to teach you and can vary. Currently, we charge $60 per hour for primary ground or flight instruction, which is very competitive. You will fly about 75-80% of the flight time with an Instructor. Lastly, FAA testing facilities and Designated Pilot Examiners (DPE) charge fees for their services. This Flight School has no control over these rates, which can run upwards of $200 to take the Knowledge Test and $500-$700 for a Practical Exam! These costs are a good reason why some students elect to change course in mid-stream and work towards a higher certificate in their Primary Training, so they only have to prepare for (and pay for) one checkride.