Private Pilot License Cost - What Your Post Solo Flight Training Should Cost You

The Post Solo Training Costs associated with theVor Navigation
Private Pilot License are normally close to the pre soloCross Country Flight Training
phase but will burn your money up the fastest. OnceNow the Hour Requirements are just for the Private
you break this down you want to look at the bigPilot License Aeronautical Experience but you have to
picture of the entire license. You don't want to gethave logged the above subject areas. I also Include the
stuck and run out of money because in this phase ofDual Cross Countries Day and then all the night time
your training, you are doing longer flights and will haveRequired.
more ground instruction.1.5 Hours Dual Instruction for Soft-Field / Short-Field
Once again there are some requirements put out byTakeoffs and Landings
the FAA that have to be done before you can do2.2 Hours Dual Instruction / Simulated Instrument
your solo cross countries. Some training syllabuses willInstruction
do some of the things I list below before solo but I like4.4 Hours Dual Instruction for Cross-Countries
to build each lesson on top of the other so you learn2.5 Hours Ground Instruction
one thing and then integrate it into the next lesson.3.0 Hours Dual instruction for Night Flying
A perfect example is the simulated instrument training. I5 Hours Solo Cross Country
have this broken into 2 post solo flights. That will getIn my syllabus, I have two dual cross-country flights,
about 2.2 hours of simulated instrument time. Then Iand each averages 2.2 hours. The FAA only has an
have a lost procedures lesson where we will gethour requirement for the private pilot certificate, but I
about another .3 hours then the rest I will pick up at thepersonally think that students need two different
flight test preparation stage. Bottom line is you needcross-country flights and about 2-3 hours of ground
the three hours but if you are getting a little here andinstruction. I am also going to add the solo cross
then a little there, chances are someone misses it andcountry hours here since the goal here is to get the
the examiner picks it up on flight test day and thensolo cross country requirements and move on to the
walks out because you are not qualified.flight test preparation portion of your Private Pilot Flight
The other thing that can happen is your instructor picksTraining.
it up and then up you go for an extra flight. The sameIf we add this all up we get the following cost for this
thing can happen with the night time. I can't tell you howpart of your private pilot training:
many times it has even happened to me no matterPrivate Pilot License Post Solo Cost
how careful I was. Now I do all the night time in one11.1 Hours of Dual Instruction @ $165 Per hour $1831.50
flight so it is over and done with. You don't want to get2.5 Hours of Ground Instruction @ $45 Per Hour
a call from your instructor the night before your flight$112.50
test telling you to meet them at the airport to get5 Hours of Solo Cross Country Flight $600.00
some more flight time.Total $2543.00
For our purpose here I will just list the requirements andOnce again with a good instructor and flying
then give you an estimate on the cost.consistently, you should be close to this amount for this
Basically there are 5 things needed before you can gophase of your Pilot License Training. Depending on the
on solo cross countries.instructor or the syllabus you may do one day cross
Soft Field Takeoffs and Landingscountry and then one night cross country. I personally
Short Field Takeoffs and Landingshave two different day cross countries to different
Simulated Instrument Timetypes of airports.