Breaking Out the Costs of Flight Schools
Posted by Jeffrey on March 30th, 2009
Press play to begin streaming the audio or right click the text link and choose “Save Target As…” or “Save Link…”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Download the MP3 [24 mins.]
As a pilot and a captain at a regional airline, no matter where I go, I get asked the question, “How much would it cost me to get my private pilot license or to fly for an airline?” I always respond, “That’s a tough question to answer. You got a few hours?” That is because unfortunately there is no right answer. When I read entries in forums like WillFlyForFood.com and AirlinePilotForums.com, you see people asking this question all the time. Now there are general guidelines and a certain career track that can guide you, but to earn a Private Pilot Certificate or go the distance and fly for a regional airline, the ultimate path will vary.
So, in today’s entry I’ll talk a little bit about what you can expect when digesting all the information you will get from a flight school you are considering attending. This is by no means everything but it should get you started in the right direction.
Hidden Costs of Flight Training
The term “hidden costs” strikes fear into most of us because it means we are going to pay more for something than we thought. Sadly, many times a business will hide some costs of goods or services so you can “discover” them once you have committed to use the service. Having to pay for a blanket or pillow on a flight after you already forked over a couple hundred dollars to an airline ticket is a classic example of “hidden costs.”
When you are preparing to go to a flight school to realize your dream of getting your pilot’s license and maybe becoming a professional pilot, it is imperative that you know how much you need from a budget perspective before you sign a contract to go through the program.
If you are signing up with an organized flight school like AriBen Aviator or FlightSafety or PanAm Academy or going it alone at your local airport’s flight school, you should know how much you are going to pay. So to be sure you are not going to get hit with a lot of “hidden costs,” it pays to know the terminology and to know what questions to ask before you agree to use that school to get your license to fly.
Get Your Head Outta the Clouds First
When you first contact a flight school, they will roll out the red carpet for you. And if they don’t, they should. They want to sell you on why you should chose their school to get your ratings. You may get a tour of the facilities including the classrooms and the airplanes to be used for your in flight training. You will meet wonderful instructors and at the end of the tour you will probably get a “test flight” where you get to sit in the pilot’s seat as though you were actually flying that plane or better yet, you sign up for a “Discovery Flight” and actually go flying for 15 to 30 minutes where you get to actually fly the airplane. That experience alone can hook you into their program.
CFI Note: I have used ”Discovery Flights“ to great success when I was a flight instructor. Almost always I was able to get the “future” pilot to sign up for ground school and flying lessons. Most people that came to the school really wanted to learn how to fly and a “Discovery Flight” gave them the reason. To keep the student, you need to follow-up and make sure they attend ground school and start flying. In other words, call them!
Then the flight school will present you will some colorful brochures, possibly a contract and a class schedule and finally, a schedule of costs along with payment options. But don’t sign on the dotted line just yet! Ask a few questions first and then walk away for a couple days to “think” about it and mull over the information and what you heard.
What Is It Going to Cost…Really?
Now, there is a good reason why they are showing you the costs last. They want you to get excited and “hooked” before you review the fees. It’s important to remember that the majority of flight schools are “for profit” businesses and the competition for customers is intense! The cost of flight training is the number one reason a school fails to “close the deal.” So if they can soften that blow by not showing you some of the costs of getting your pilot’s license with them, they might be able to get you into class and you will just deal with the additional costs…after the fact.
This is a little bit deceptive but they do it to get business and sadly they aren’t the only ones that do it. Like anything you buy into, it’s up to you to do your due diligence and it’s up to you then to know what questions to ask and to understand the terminology of the schedule of fees. Make sure that when you get the estimate of what you will have to pay that it is broken out in some detail. You will want to see both the cost of classroom instruction and flight instruction.
Here are a few of the additional costs to consider and you will want to see included…
- Books and classroom supplies- You may need to buy these yourself so to get a complete budget, do your shopping before signing a contract or committing.
- Dual instruction fees – A big part of your training is in the air. What they might not tell you is that you will have to pay for the instructor’s time by the hour for every hour you are up there with the instructor. And you must plan for the cost of the plane. Plan for a minimum of $50 per hour for the instructor and $100 per hour for the airplane. But this is something that is worth getting an exact quote on when you are estimating what it will cost to get your pilot’s license with that school.
- Fuel costs – The school may or may not be including the cost of gas in with the airplane rental fee but they most often do. This is referred to as “wet rental” and “dry rental,” respectively. Most schools include the price of the fuel in the cost of the airplane rental. Personally, I have never seen a school charge my students separately for fuel, but I know they are out there. Make sure you know what to expect as that can be a huge hidden cost, especially with price of gas as high as they are right now.
Then before you leave, consider asking these questions to round out your view of the school:
- Are they a Part 61 or Part 141 school? – Part 61 is initially cheaper but is self-paced. Part 141 is a bit more expensive but is an organized curriculum. Personally, all my ratings until CFI-Instruments (CFI-I) and Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) were all Part 141 because personally I needed the structure offered by an organized curriculum. But, if you are one of those fortunate people who can stay focused, maybe Part 61 is for you! Initially though, I would recommend that you start with a Part 141. You can always switch later.
- Do they you have a ground school or is it self-study? – Most flight schools will have an organized ground school which is great but there are some GREAT home study courses out there too. (I’ll provide a list of what I recommend at the bottom.) Consider this, if you have a full-time job with family obligations and limited budget, home study may be the way to go because you can do it on YOUR time; however, if you don’t have other obligations and can set aside time in the evening or weekends for attendance based ground school do that. The biggest benefit of attending a ground school is that you have structure, fellow pilots in there to ask questions, and a real-live instructor. If you decide to home study it, make sure you have someone that will make you accountable to finishing the course.
- How long have your instructors been here? – This is important because you want to know if you are getting a “new” flight instructor or a veteran. If possible, go with someone that has been there awhile. Do not…I repeat…DO NOT…be a CFI’s first student. Second, if you don’t like the flight instructor after the first couple of lessons, ask for a new one. If you end up with the wrong flight instructor, you are going to wast hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars.
A Few More Considerations: Flight Time, Medicals, and Checkride
In order to get a good cost estimate you can depend on, you must estimate how many hours of flight training you are going to need. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that you have a minimum of 40 hours flight time (20 hours dual and 20 hours solo) before you can become a Private Pilot but to be conservative, plan on 50 hours. Understand, you may need more to cover the many situations that arise during your flight training but 50 hours is a good starting point.
You will also need a Third Class Medical, costs vary, and other training material besides just books. Believe me, there is always “something” else you are going to want to buy as you become a pilot, like headsets.
Also keep in mind you must do one final flight before you get your Private Pilot certificate and can fly passengers which is called a “checkride,” where you go up with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) who evaluates you both during an oral exam and a practical (i.e., flight) exam. So find out the costs of their time and add at least two hours of airplane flight time rental to your totals.
Do you see what I mean? There is a lot to consider, but in time you will be able to put it all together and it will make sense. Check out my article, So You Want to be a Professional Pilot, that actually breaks down the estimated prices from Private Pilot to CFI and how much it will cost you.
Private Pilot Certificate in a Single-Engine Airplane:
40 hours of airplane rental @ $100/hr. = $4,000
20 hours of dual instruction @ $50/hr. = $1,000
Third Class Medical Certificate = $75 to $150
Written exam fee = $50 to $75
Designated Examiner fee for checkride = $175 to $200
Jeppesen Guided Flight Discovery (GFD) Private Pilot Kit – Part 61 = $200.00
Additional ground school materials = $200
*Total Cost = $5,700 to $6,000
(*Very rough estimate. The total cost will vary based on your own personal needs, the training material you buy and location from which you fly.)
Your Action Step: Head out to your local airport, get a Discovery Flight, and pick up some information. The economy might be tight but you only live once! If you want to be a pilot, you have to make it happen…NOW! If you put it off you may never do it! If you head out to the airport, consider what I wrote, and take a Discovery Flight, you will be glad you did and you will be on your first step towards becoming a pilot!
To Your Flying Success,
Jeffrey
P.S. If this was helpful, please let me know. If you have a specific question about flight trianing or about getting your pilot certificates, you may contact me at “jeffrey [at] flycrj dot com“
Here is the list of recommend home study courses I recommend:
- Jeppesen GFD Private Pilot Ultimate Kit – A comprehensive kit for private pilots in Part 61 training. This has everything you need! Everything!
- Jeppesen Guided Flight Discovery (GFD) Private Pilot Kit – Part 61 – A comprehensive kit for private pilots in Part 61 training. One of the best products out there!
- Jeppesen GFD Private Pilot DVD Video Course – The New GFD Private Pilot Video Series on DVD contains 10 hours of dynamic content. If you learn better through visual learning this is the one you want to buy.
- ASA – The Complete Private Kit Plus – The Plus Pack also includes the Pilot Test Prep and a FAR/AIM. Worth every penny!
- Gleim Private Pilot Written Exam Guide – One of the easiest, fastest, and least expensive means of passing the “FAA Private Pilot – Airplane” knowledge test. Gleim is a terrific product but I don’t recommend this for Private Pilots.
- Rod Machado’s Private Pilot Handbook on Audio CD – 30 Hours of lively narration to prepare for the Private Pilot FAA knowledge and oral exams. Rod is awesome! If you learn better with little humor tied in, you can’t beat Rod’s books.
Related posts: