| Since I started flying, I noticed that flight schools were | | | | looks like this: |
| not completely straight forward with the students. I | | | | 20 Hours Dual Flight Instruction $2,920.00 |
| was also a victim. Since that time I have grown into a | | | | 20 Hours of Solo Flight $1,920.00 |
| Career Flight Instructor and we even a flight school | | | | Total $4,840.00 |
| owner. I owned and operated 5 airplanes and have | | | | In a lot of cases this will be it. Some schools do try and |
| had many flight instructors working for me. | | | | make this a little more realistic. But in general they all |
| One thing I always tried to do was be straight forward | | | | will stay very competitive. Since flying is very |
| with students, telling them exactly what they were | | | | expensive they like to keep their cost estimates as |
| going to spend. Also to make sure they understand if | | | | low as possible to get the students. |
| they don't stick with their training, the more it is going to | | | | You have to remember this is just pure business. So |
| cost. | | | | you may want to call it a scam or you may not want |
| The first thing you want to make sure you do is | | | | to call it that. I call it just telling the customer what they |
| commit to getting your private pilot license. Many | | | | want to hear. |
| people will start learning to fly and then run out of | | | | Now the FAA only requires 20 hours of dual instruction |
| money because a flight school wasn't quite truthful | | | | and 10 hours of solo for the private pilot license but |
| about what it was going to cost. Another scenario is | | | | there is still a minimum of 40 so you have to get them |
| the student will let everything get in their way when | | | | somewhere. I just put them under the solo hours. |
| learning to fly. In short many people won't get their | | | | Most of the schools will be honest about it if you start |
| license because they don't plan. | | | | asking the right questions. You have to remember that |
| The first thing you want to do is plan. Would you just | | | | there is a lot of competition in this industry and there |
| start building a new house without a plan? Probably | | | | aren't enough students to keep every flight schools |
| not. So why do so many people just start taking flying | | | | planes flying 100 hours per month. Bottom line is they |
| lesson without a budget or plan? | | | | need to keep the planes flying or they go out of |
| So I will familiarize you with some terminology that you | | | | business. |
| will need to know and start you going thru this entire | | | | You will want to remember that the national average |
| process. | | | | for private pilots is 65 hours. Most private pilot |
| When you start looking around you will find a few | | | | syllabuses are between 45 and 55 hours. There are to |
| things that are in the cost estimates of all the flight | | | | many things that need to get covered. If you want to |
| schools. | | | | be a safe pilot you should plan on over 30 hours of |
| Dual Instruction: This is also known as flight instruction | | | | dual instruction. |
| received. This is the time you are up in the airplane | | | | With that said, you have just added another $2000 on |
| with your flight instructor. In the case of dual instruction | | | | to the above cost estimate. Remember this will also |
| the cost will include both the airplane and instructor. | | | | depend on the aircraft rental rates and the flight |
| Solo Time/Aircraft Rental: This is the time you will be | | | | instructor rates. So you are already somewhere |
| renting the aircraft that is charged on a per hour basis | | | | around $6,800 and you haven't included any books, |
| like the dual instruction: | | | | materials, medical expenses, flight test fees and any |
| Flight Instructor: This is the charge per hour for the flight | | | | other costs you may have. |
| instructor. | | | | I have a made up a free detailed report on the cost of |
| There are some different ways that a flight school will | | | | learning to fly. You can download it using the link below: |
| word their cost estimates. | | | | Learning To Fly, What it Will Cost You |
| One school may have DUAL INSTRUCTION in an | | | | Username: freeuser |
| estimate and another school may have Aircraft Rental | | | | Password: 88888888 |
| and Flight Instructor. | | | | The first thing you want to do before you start learning |
| I will give you some sample prices below: | | | | to fly is PLAN. I tell all of my students to plan on at |
| Flight Instructor Rate: $50.00 Per Hour | | | | least $7,500. You may want to add a little to that |
| Aircraft Rental Rate: $96.00 Per Hour | | | | estimate since people learn at different speeds. |
| Examples of a brief cost estimate from a flight school | | | | Once you start, don't let anything get in your way. This |
| may look like this: | | | | is the best way to keep the cost down for a private |
| A: 40 Hours Aircraft Rental $3,840.00 | | | | pilot license. Remember that learning to fly is not like |
| B: 20 Hours Flight Instructor $1,000.00 | | | | driving. You will need to be proficient in all the |
| Total $4,840.00 | | | | maneuvers and be a safe confident pilot. The quicker |
| Another Flight School May have a cost estimate that | | | | you can get it done, the better. |