Pilot License Cost in 2024 | Full Breakdown of PPL Flight Training & Flight School Costs
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
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How much does it cost to get your pilot's license? Getting your Private Pilot License (PPL) can be one of the most rewarding accomplishments in any pilots career. But how much does it cost? After posting my last video explaining the Private Pilot's License process from start to finish, I received so many questions with regards to the costs. In order to answer this question as best as possible, I've put together this breakdown budget of each part of the training. My goal is to give you the most realistic cost estimates, utilizing industry standards, flight school data, and my personal experience as a professional pilot. FOR EXAMPLE: Although the minimum flight training time required for the PPL in the US is 40 hours... almost every flight school, student, and instructor that I talked to said that on average, their students finished their license in 55 to 70 hours. Utilizing these real world figures, I made a real life budget that will help you prepare for the financial requirements demanded by the PPL. Of course, there are many ways to do it, and many ways one can get their private pilot license and save money, however, this is a breakdown of the most common process.
The PPL is the first step in becoming a commercial pilot or an airline pilot. Once you have your private pilot license, you can then continue your training to get your multi engine rating, your IFR rating (instrument rating) and then your commercial pilot license (often called the CPL). In order to get your first flying job as a pilot, you must have at least your commercial license. Lastly, you can get your ATPL which allows you to fly larger two crew aircraft. I will be posting more videos soon explaining the CPL, muti engine rating and IFR rating.
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Hey everyone! Thanks for all of the support! Make sure you check out my other videos on my channel about my life as a corporate pilot. The amount of future young aviators reaching out for advice has been very cool!
Hey Evan, do you own your own plane? How much does a cheaper plane cost? Finally, with a private license, are you able to work and have a career or is a private license for your own use?
My daughter is taking hers right now. Every hour with an instructor is $580 !
@@KATIELAUGHTON you need to get your daughter over to the UK in the Spring! £115 per hour for the SF 25 Falke and £30 for Ian Atherton the instructor.
Stop wasting money like that in the USA!
@@andrewcullum8437 what's the point of getting a license in another country of you don't live there?
After my tour of duty in late '72 (and I'd saved everything I could while in) I came home and paid $5 for an introductory flight. When I asked how much the Private Pilot course was they said $635 so I asked if they wanted cash or would they take a check. When they found out I was a veteran they went out of their way to accelerate the training! For the next couple of months I was driving a cotton picker for my family as it was a very wet year then began pilot training in March of '73. By January '75 I had my first full-time flying job with a bank. By October I was in the right seat of a jet. Career span was 45 years of which the last 23 were expat (12 type-ratings / 98 countries / 22 on the African continent). At this time I'm waiting to hear from the FAA if they will reinstate my medical and if so I have two part-time contract gigs on a Gulfstream 650ER. You're the new generation and there is a lot of opportunity for you out there - God bless!
Hey Robert! Very inspiring story to say the least!! Thanks for sharing this? I would love to maybe get some insight and or discuss some of your experience in detail. If you want to get in touch send me a message on my social media (Instagram). :)
Those opportunities are far more expensive for this generation
@@turnerables agreed. For college (not flight school), for undergrad I had multiple scholarships and up to 3 jobs at times. AND parental support for rent. Older people are like, I paid my own way…Tuition was $25k at state school, and I made $7.25 an hour. Private pilot’s licenses are minimum $20k from my basic calculations. Enough that I’ve given up on that. I want to fly as a hobby, but not $20k worth of want. For that price I can get a cheap online MBA
Nowadays the military will actually pay for your pilot’s license both while you’re in and once you get out.
@@baileypugh5527 with my eyes and lack of athleticism? Nah, they wanted to send me to Iraq. Sorry, they “promise” I wouldn’t be sent to Iraq. With an offered MOS that screamed Iraq…. I was almost ready to sign too.
I spent about $8000 in 2019-2020. Realize that the cost is usually spread out over a year or more...that makes a big difference. Also, I took out a personal loan for $8K when I started and put the money in a separate account that I used for flight training only. That meant that I never had to worry about whether I had the money for the lesson this week, it was in the account with its own debit card. Then, as I trained, I made payments on the loan and...I paid off the loan two months after I got my license. I spent a little more because of interest but I never had to worry whether the money was there for training.
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing
8k? sounds a bit low? or did you mean 80k
@@houssamalucad753 No, I meant $8,000. Not an inexpensive hobby but, for me, it has been well worth it. You make choices about how to spend your money--I certainly could have afforded to replace my 10 year old Toyota Corolla but instead drove it for a couple more years so I could learn to fly an airplane.
@@houssamalucad753if it's true he likely lives in a very poor state or poor country.
Bro uploaded the video in 2021 and said its for 2024 in 2023. Time traveller fs
But the prices he mentioned are still relevant today.
😂😂
@DoNotDrive.221that's crazyy
My son is 14 almost 15. He's already in school to be a pilot. He's flying but always with an instructor. He can't get his ppl until he turns 17. But he absorbs everything, absolutely loves flying. He eventually wants to be a commercial pilot. The instructors are very impressed at how he absorbs it all both the flying & the school work.
Awesome! I’m finishing a commercial pilot license video
Awesome parents
@EvanLuft please do, as a kiddo at 16 years old. I am very curious and interested since im already heading my way to a flight school soon
I got my PPL almost 9 years ago for around $6500. I now have an instrument rating, commercial, and on the verge of my CFI rating. I don't know the total cost, but well North of 10X the PPL. It's been worth every penny!! I had to work second and third jobs to pay for it, but I was able to do it without barrowing a penny. If you want to do it bad enough, and are determined, you can make it happen. One of the most rewarding experiences of my life!!
Hey Kevin thanks for sharing this! Awesome you did your CFI rating too! I considered it but both my instructors at the time moved onto other things and I was already flying a turbine twin at the time. :) would have been fun to teach though!!
I’ve been obsessed with planes and flying since I was a kid, and growing up on a farm I always loved watching the crop dusters do their thing. The local airport/flight school is right across from one of our fields and I always loved watching the planes take off right over my head when I was out working in that field. Always wanted to give it a shot and get my pilot’s license. It’s a big cost, but I think I’ll regret it if I don’t give it a shot.
Sounds like exactly how I got started! If I were you I’d go meet the people there. If anything they will convince you and give you a good insight. And cropdusting would be a lot of fun!!!
In the same boat. Definitely say let’s go for it man. We live once. No regrets!!!!
@@EvanLuft The plane behind you is stunning , that's a sexy aircraft !
Just fking do it
Do it! I did not follow my dream and will always regret it. Now it's too late.
Great video! Very well documented. I am so glad you included the discovery flight, because small aircraft are much different than what most people are used to, so definitely this is an opportunity to test drive before you buy.The only thing I can add based on 30 years of experience, The number one reason for students not completing their training is running out of money, and the number one reason for running out of money is gaps in the training which requires re-learning skills over and over again. I highly recommend to your audience, and to everyone who asks, to treat your flight training like a semester in college. Plan that it will cost you $10,000, plan for three sessions with an instructor per week, do your homework and study. If you do this, it is highly likely that in 3 to 4 months he will be certified by the FAA as a pilot!
Thanks so much for posting this! I will try to pin this to the top, such a good point! I’ve heard many times of students giving up due to lapses in their training, sometimes from a bad experience or lack of confidence even!
At least. I’m about to take my checkride in Los Angeles and I’m $27,000 deep…
when I was in the Air Force, we would talk to our pilots about getting our private licenses, and generally, back in 2005 ish.. it was about $24k. And we all griped about how much it costed. And of course our officers would look at us crosseyed and say, "You have a $24k car in the dorm parking lot don't you?". Everyone has their own priorities...
Thanks Kevin for posting this. You are absolutely correct. The things we waste money on nowadays could pay for a pilots license in itself. Heck, the amount I spend even on stuff that I could cut out of my life I could have probably donated to someone who couldn’t afford to fly. A new truck nowadays is more than double or even triple the cost of a pilots license.
and id say no. i have a 5 k car, and a 7k car and a 3k car. for my wife and i to use
@@SubieNinja You're focusing too much on the analogy and not the point.
@@SubieNinja so you have 3 cars for 2 people?
@@jd2161 I do. 3 for 2.
I loved training and flying to become a private pilot!! It’s an amazing experience! You become part of a new family! The Camaraderie between pilots is exponential. After I got my pilot license … I flew with friend that is also a pilot to Oshkosh!! Flying across this country from California to Wisconsin is an adventure in itself. This is what flying is all about…
My learning experience that I can pass onto you is that you fly a minimum of 4 days a week and do your ground school the other 3 days. Do your reading, studying and homework religiously. This will save you the most money and you will get your license faster! See you in the skies !!!!
So true!!! If you have the passion for it, it’s no longer flight training… it’s just fulfilling your desire to fly! Haha
7 days a week? Most people have a job.
@@jd2161 During summer time. You get off work at 5. You have 3 hours of sunlight. 4days a week would be weekends too the other is studying Can also be done at night. The point is … don’t spread it over to long of a period or it will cost more. You can get it done in two months over a summertime! Make that dream a reality !!! Be committed! GL. See you in g try he skies
This was interesting. I got my ppl in the early 1970's. I was a high mileage driver here in Maine servicing the clients of my commercial insurance business. One day I had to drive 150 miles to Bangor and return for just a policy release signature...a terrible use of time. I looked into commercial flying and found that the time involved would give me no savings because of the airline routing (Portland to Boston to Bangor to Boston to Portland). So I figured that if I had my ppl I could save at least nine hours of travel. When I was in the Air Force I learned the basics of flying the Cessna 172 so I figure it would be simple even though that training was ten years before. I went to the Cessna Pilot Training Center at the airport, took a basic orientation flight which was free on that day, and decided to give it a shot.
All my USAF basic flight training came right back as far as handling the aircraft. I had ended up being a GCI controller in the Air Force so the air traffic procedures and radio work was really second nature. I totalled the cost up and knew it was going to cost roughly $8000 to get my ppl: it was 1986. Then I learned something else that was really interesting. Private flying and general aviation was at a low point for Cessna at that time. Cessna Aircraft had a "special deal": if you got your license and bought a new Cessna airplane, Cessna would REFUND your total cost of learning to fly. AND as it happened, Cessna had a bunch of 172's in stock in Wichita. Better still, Cessna would finance your aircraft purchase at a really good interest rate (I've forgotten what it was, but it was CHEAP).
So I did some fast thinking. I asked the Cessna franchise management if they would approach Cessna about doing the deal backwards. That is, would Cessna Aircraft sell me a new 172 FIRST, assuming that the flight training through their program would be INcluded in the purchase price? Then I would buy the airplane and complete my flight training in my own airplane saving the airplane rental cost and the cost of the ground training also, which had looked at around $8000 or so at the time.
Cessna thought about my offer for about a week and then agreed. The only question was which airplane would I buy. I ended up with N99548, which was a blue striped Cessna 172 that was fully IFR certified. ( I new that truly safe business use of an airplane in Maine would mean requiring IFR certification). The cost of the airplane was right around $80,000 if memory serves and that included the private pilot flight training. There were of course, some other expenses involved such as the four place intercom system I had installed with "push to talk" on both yokes and a Loran system that I wanted as it would be simpler to fly my mostly VFR flights using the Loran. But I was in the airplane and ready to go in about two months from the time I knew that flying might be a good option for my business flying needs.
Since I could legitimately argue that 90% of my flying that 172 was for business purposes and kept the logs to prove it, 90% of my flying and aircraft ownership was deducted against my income tax, so for the time I had the aircraft and used it, essentially I wrote it all off against income taxes. Not everyone could do that at the time but through the few years of my flying, the net cost of it all approached zero.
Thanks Roger! This is very interesting and very smart way of utilizing an aircraft properly! If I can I’m going to pin this comment to the top (not sure how I do that yet but I will try) as it is great information! :)
@@EvanLuft You can pin a comment by clicking on the 3 dots on the right side, then press "Pin".
Woooow, Master Class in Obtaining Your PPL & BUSINESS... TALK ABOUT STICKING IT TO THE MAN. WOWWWW, I'M GONNA HAVE TO USE ONE OR TWO OF THESE MANEUVERS!!! THANK YOU...
@@lamarthomas181 Is it "sticking it to the man?" Or is it taking appropriate advantage of systems and deals explicitly designed to encourage people to take these sorts of risks and build effective small businesses that ultimately drive the economic lifeblood of our society?
@@Chasmodius , I think in their world its probably the same thing lol ... smart purchasing & knowing the deals currently running.
Everyone's experience is unique! Finally got my PPL this past November. Took me 130 hours due to the covid set back, switched flight schools twice, instructor availability etc etc etc - every setback in the book. All-in-all: $25k. Now, after two fatal accidents (one was one of my instructors) at my home airport in 9 months, I've decided to hang it up. Was a wonderful experience and I already miss it, but I've decided the risks involved just for a hobby aren't worth it for me. Own your journey, enjoy every minute of it and stay safe out there!
Hey Joe! Thanks for sharing this! Especially since it took you a longer amount of hours than most! Congratulations on sticking it out!!! :) :) especially through the tough times everyone’s had! It’s inspiring to hear this so you have my respect and congratulations sir! :)
Unfortunately ,the most experienced pilot has no control over wind or Murphys Law. A pilot in my area, always flew over Insterstate Highways. He died in a swamp in South Carolina after crashing.
130 hours is too much , really after about 20 hours shouldn't need a CFI to train you should be well into solo should be well into your flight planning and ground learning abiilty you just need ONE CFI to line up the DPE , 130 hours is a boat load
Wow 😲😲 congratulations
@@zackriden79 national average is 60-100 hours right now. I’ve seen a couple pilots not complete their PPL until 100-130. In those cases, in my experience working at a flight school, it came down to multi-tasking ability and self-study. I like in this video that he mentions putting in the work. I think anyone can get their license, but it’s not a “get the hours and you’re done” license.
Awesome video and a great breakdown. I took my discovery flight 9/29/2021 (which turned into my first lesson) and took my checkride 4/3/2022. With 41.5hrs walking into my checkride. I broke down the cost, and it ended up being $7,650 all said and done. This was a ton of self study (online ground school). Well worth every penny.
Thanks! I’m glad it helped! Awesome that you finished with the minimum hours!! :) congrats!
@@EvanLuft thank you!
@@SteelDogFab so why's ATP charging $90k for 9 months of training? Is it worth it? Please advise, thanks!
@@luissanchez1159 that’s probably to get you to commercial and CF1
@@SteelDogFab Did you go to a part 61 school?
I started flying on my 16th birthday. I took $200 dollars worth of lessons being 5 hrs $30 + $20 for instructor in the 150 Cessna. I had 2 $5 introduction lessons first and completed ground school and IFR. I was then ready for solo and bought a plane for $2500 from a airline Capt. Yes it was very inexpensive but I was prepared and had the books since the army where I got a lot of hours with rotary and fixed wing being with an Airborne unit. Flying has been my favorite passion followed by law enforcement and medicine about tied.
Hey mike! Yup and that’s a good example of how to plan properly and be smart about your flight training. Lots of private guys will get their license by buying their own airplane and then selling it afterwards… or keeping it for fun. :)
I had 51.3 hours in my book prior to passing my practical test. But 4 of those hours were for a solo cross country that didn’t count due to weather diversion. So I’m going to say I took my test at 47.3 hours. Test only took 1.1 hours
That’s awesome! Did you fly consistently? It’s funny because I called 10 flight schools in the us at random and asked what I should expect and they said “we advertise 40 to 50 but the average is 65 or so. So good job!! :)
@EvanLuft hey brother watching your video while trying to push out a massive Dookie love the video brother man
I received my solo certificate in the early 70's with 8.1 hours of instruction. I went and bought a PA-28-140 right after. The instructor never told me that I had to be within sight of the home airport. I flew six 200 mile trips before I found out otherwise. I've been flying for more than 50 years now. Things were different back then.
Hi Michael! Yes they were different back then! :) Even from when I did my license in 2006! I’ve never flown in a pa28. Flown pa-30 and pa-34.
I decided to see how high a C-150 would go. A jet went past me at my altitude. He was landing at YYZ. Later I found out how illegal I had been. Oh well, 50 years ago.
So glad I stumbled on this video! I’ve been looking into starting some civilian flight training and this is an awesome breakdown of the costs to help me accurately budget out what I need to start this summer (I have some flight hours from military training but the minimum 40 hour cost will get me close to that 55-70 hour range).
Much appreciated for the video, sir!
I’m glad it was helpful! I also posted all of my favourite aviation products in the description if you need to check out what I use and recommend! Thanks so much for the compliments!! :)
I obtained my PPL at 43 hours, around 9-10k total, all depends on your efficiency on training and how quick you pick up things.
Totally agree! I got stuck on circuits haha 😂 so spent another 10 hours or so just on that solo practicing short fields
Same but that was way back in 1980's and it was still over $12K even back then, and I hate missing exam questions - usually 3. There's always a throwaway, and an almost correct to fool you, but you can save time on the exams by looking at the multiple choice answers an eliminating the obvious ones. So it is quite possible to ace the written exams. Just find a way to be really interested in every aspect of the subject matter. So if weather is not your thing, find a way to like it.
So isn’t there the cost of flight school like the one that costs 100k or is this flight training on top of the 100k
pretty cheap for around 10k.
Just watched your first 2 videos in this series and they're incredible. Going into them, I had a ton of questions, and although you answered PPL ones to perfection, I really wish you were a commercial pilot so you could do more videos going through that process for further steps. Or even if you had a close friend you could interview to answer them.
Potential content questions to answer:
So how much time did each step of training take to get to next certificate/flight hour milestone/etc? What things worked best for increasing flight hours? What was best for preparing for the actual jobs?
Finding jobs with just PPL to get tons of hours and experience in without breaking the bank?
How much did it cost to train for each step? How did you cut costs from what they would have been?
How hard were the written tests, and how much study went into it? Are there free good resources for the written exams? How many written exams and certificates are there, and what are the best free study resources?
What does the physical actually entail for health? How long is it good for? I love the breakdown for type 1, 2, and 3, buy what do they actually entail?
Do you have an example schedule from the past? What are short haul and long haul schedules like? Can you really see your family every night? How many hours did you work a month when short haul vs now? How many hours worked are flying vs on ground?
Uniform- Recommendations for comfort? Inspections ever? Bang for buck vs comfort, what to go cheap on and all out on?
Nice job! The one thing I was told as a student was to go as often as you can. I was able to go 2x per week every week until I received my private in ~ 72-74 hrs. Luckily we had a mild winter that year in the Northeast. My flying buddy went 1x per week for 2 years with the same plane and instructor due to his financial circumstances, but going more often will save money in the long run. Good point on having the time and commitment! You will ha ha to learn more than you imagine you'll have to, so be prepared for that. You have to WANT it... I did and it was a labor of love. I've been flying for 25 years and can't imagine NOT knowing how to fly. THEN... travel to Oshkosh and realize YOU DID IT!!
Hi Jay! Thanks for posting this! And you are absolutely right. You get what you put into it… more so the effort and time than just the money! :)
Oshkosh is definitely the trip every lover of aviation needs to make at least once in a life time. If coming from the south, a little stop over and fuel up at one zero charlie was always a good idea. Or it was, I haven't made that trip in a long time, and who know how it has come through lock downs.
Being a pilot for 20-plus years, I came over in 1996, only speaking very little English, and did my PPL at 45 hours and in 3 weeks with a part 61 flight school. It is all about commitment. I self-studied upfront to give me a bit of a head start. Overall I spend $1500 but that was at times when the instructor was 8 bucks an hour and the Cessna 150 could be rented for a block rate of $34 an hour. But I can't drive enough home that if you are committed and set a few weeks aside, even today it is possible to achieve this in a rather short amount of time. Trying to do this on the side, I agree with the mentioned numbers. And stay away from course programs that only let you advance if you pass certain milestones in my opinion this is more in the interest of the flight school and not in the interest of the student.
$8/hr. Mighty cheap, maybe it was 1896. Or in a foreign county.
@@tomallen6073 Nope, 1996, Plantation Airpark, GA, part 61 school
My nephew just completed getting his PPL and you are correct about the dollar signs , but his training doesn't stop there because he is now training to be a commercial pilot and flying the Big birds !! Very proud of him !!
Hey Dan! That’s great to hear. I have decided to make another video describing the costs of the commercial pilot license as well.
Oh my, how things have changed over the years. Back in 1956 I was employed at Sarasota/Bradenton airport and had a few lessons in an Aeronca Champ with a great instructor. At the time it was $12.00 per hour with instructor and $9.00 per hour solo ! Should have probably stayed with it given what the cost is now. Still have my log book for memories.
Hey Bob! Crazy to think of how much it cost back then! We could only dream of those prices today haha
Even with inflation factored in a good price.
no way, i go to that airport!
I like how this video is so simple, to the point, informative. Perfect.
As Step # 0 before spending anything on ground school, etc. I recommend getting a complete DOT/FAA physical. If you find there's something wrong with your medical it could put the kibosh on any certificate issuance. And it doesn't hurt to make sure you're OK anyway as the more thorough FAA medical can function as your regular checkup.
That’s a very good point and I wish I would have mentioned this at the beginning of the video now. I am realizing that the medical should be a first step with regards to FAA. I’m canada I often don’t even think about it, being younger and all it usually passes my mind.
Great tip, I did all my ground school and test then I found out I had a red/green color deficiency… which turned into a cluster
Intro flight to see if it is what you want, then FAA physical. My plan.
Excellent analysis, Evan! Our Foundation has been giving scholarships and tracking costs for many years, and your figures are right on the Money (Joke!) In our experience, the biggest cost saving tactic is to fly 2-3 times a week and do homework. That way your learning curve maintains its ascent and you'll get to your goal with fewer hours. Also, some clubs will give you a discount on rentals if you join the club, even as a student.
Hey! Thanks so much!! Would it be possible to link up and discuss this more with you. Maybe do a feature for your foundation in my next video as well! To help with getting the information to young new aviators!
@@EvanLuft Sure thing, Evan. It's the Patriots Jet Team Foundation based in northern CA. Lots of UA-cam videos of the team online. I was the Academy Director for the Foundation. I moved east a year ago. How can I contact you?
I obtained my license 5 years ago and did it in 3 months, less than 50 hours and spent just under $6,000, It can be done if you find the right instructor/plane.
Yup! I totally agree! :)
where u do it?
@@keithstleung Northern Michigan
How often did you go?
I got my Private Pilot certificate in August 1973. It took 53 hours and $726 total. You could also buy a brand new base model 1973 VW Beetle Sedan for $1780 back then. I used my VA school benefits, while I was serving my four years in the Marine Corps, to complete my Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, Flight Instructor and Instrument Flight Instructor training which left me $400 out of the $10,000 allotted. The VA paid 90% of all my bills. Pretty much I flew from MCAS Cherry Point, NC to my home near NAS Willow Grove, PA round trip (500 miles each way) for around $33 out of my pocket. If you happen to be a veteran with no intention of going to college you might want to check into it. By the way, when I stopped Flight Instructing and had to get a Biennial flight review every two years I used most of my VA balance of $400 to get a Sea Plane rating. That was only 5 hours. Most of it was learning how to move a plane in the water.
Thanks so much for sharing this! Incredible how much less it was to fly black in the day!
Did mine in 57.2 hrs. Cost $12,590. Finished in 3 month. Trained 3-4 times a week.
Great video!
Where did u train ?
@@AsadUsmani-vb9gz He didnt "train" he "plane`d"
What are the biggest recurring costs after you’ve obtained your PPL? For example, how often must you fly to keep your PPL current? How about an instrument rating? Thanks for the super informative video! This was very well done.
Mostly it’s the medical, and takeoffs and landings, I’d budget around 3k a year to keep your ppl current at least
Great analysis! Though from my experience in MA and RI, most people get there PPL after around 70 hours. Most of them will be dual, and solo time will actually only be around 15 (3 hours solo in the pattern and within 25nm, 5 hours XC, and others are for normal/short/soft landing practices). Interesting to see that you are expecting 25-35 hours of solo! But I guess that depends on the location too. I'd imagine most instructors are less comfortable sending people for solo in C or beneath B airspaces.
Thanks a lot!! And thanks for sharing this! Yeah I think students now spend less dual time and more solo practice than when I did my license. I wasn’t flying as regular as most students do today :)
Thanks for making this video, it’s the best I’ve found talking about realistic costs and is more comprehensive than the numbers I’ve gotten from flight schools and private pilots in the past.
I’ve wanted to get a PPL since I was a kid, but now in my mid 20s I’m not there financially yet. I’m currently in school getting a Class A CDL, which in many ways mirrors the PPL time line; class room time, DOT medical, permit test, behind the wheel time, driving test. It’s just less hours and under $6000usd.
When I am ready to finally go for the PPL, I think I’ll make sure to have about 16k-18k set aside in an account, if I’ve got left overs when I finish my PPL, well that’s just bonus rental hours to give family and friends rides.
I obtained my private pilot certificate at a part 141 school which has a minimum of 35 total hours and I passed the checkride at about 37 hours and ended up leaving about 8,000 dollars at the school but with insurance and all the other supplies as well as transportation to the airport (not to mention that was an hour and 15 minutes drive) I would say I spent around 10,000 dollars!
That’s good to know David! So you finished sooner than most! And congratulations! :) are you thinking of doing the multi and IFR? Commercial?
@@EvanLuft thanks! Yes I finished sooner than most. Yeah I do plan on getting instrument and commercial, end goal is CFI!
Good for you! I started me instructor rating but got a bunch of flying jobs instead!
@@EvanLuft yeah I’ve thought about that too but I just love aviation and I want to help other people get into it and achieve their dream!
That is very admirable! I am trying to do the same now with my videos. But i am also trying to show others that becoming a Pilot isn’t all about the flying, but the adventures, people, and stories from being able to expose yourself to the passion!
Paid $4 for instructor and $7 for the Luscombe and then graduated to a Cessna 150 that was $10/hr. Going one hour took me 76 hours, slow learner. For the comm and instru. I went every day. What a difference that made. Bought a Twin Comanche for $12,000 and it included the instructor for the ME rating.
Amazon go hearing how cheap it was back in the day! Thanks for sharing Larry!
Hey Love your videos. Just to conclude, can you make video on career prospects of holding a PPL, how beneficial it would be in terms of ROI.
That’s awesome thanks a lot! :) I will be making some more vids on the CPL and atpl soon :)
{USA} The ROI on a private pilots license {single engine land SEL, visual flight rules VFR } like he talked about in this video is zero. With it you have the ability to fly around and bring friends up, but it is illegal to charge them. They can contribute a little to costs {upto 50%}, but you cannot profit.
To charge for profit you need a commercial license {CPL, $10k}. On your way to that you will get IFR {instrument flight rules, $10k} rated, complex endorsed {variable pitch prop, retractable gear, flaps}, and high power endorsement {over 200 HP}. At that point you can find entry level jobs flying.
The two main directions are either corporate on call pilot or flight instructor. Neither is great pay, but both will get you paid while building hours {$40-60k/yr starting}. Flight instructor will require an instructor certificate {$10k}. In the mean time you will likely pursue multi-engine {MEL, $10k}. The norm was 5-10 years in one of those jobs, building up to 1.5k+ hours. Then you get the airline transport pilot license {ATPL, $5k} and apply to majors or regional airlines. That is when the pay really takes off {$100k+}. With a hard retirement age of 60 {might be 65 now}.
Another super helpful video! Thanks for breaking the costs down! :)
I am glad this video helped! Thanks Kathie really appreciate it and thanks for being a supporter of the channel. It goes a long ways. Really cool to see all the young aviators out there as well that are joining in and it’s really awesome to be able to help them out :) cheers
I did my in 42 hours. It’s very durable in this 40-45 hrs range. One thing that most likely made me succeed was that i trained at least 3 hrs a week. If it wasn’t windy (above 20 mph) or raining i was in the sky. Ground school was fairly straight forward and I did it at my own pace. Written test was a pretty easy. it only took me 30 min. I was the first person done and I remember they lady tell me that she seen many people speed though but never pass. I missed 2 questions. I think I pretty much memorized my Cessna training book. Bottom line if you want to learn to fly you have to dedicate to this and only this or you will be one of those person that it takes 60-70 hrs. Ouch said you pocket book. Good luck and have fun while learning! Cost 35 per hour for C152 (wet) and 15 per hour for instructor in 90’s. Total $2000 +/-
Thanks so much for sharing this!! You are absolutely right! I’ll try to pin this comment to the top. :)
You’re a certified goon in my book 😈
Yeah, I was thinking about how cheap it was in the 90s. Most people spent $4000 to $6000 to get their license. The price now is absurd.
Very well explained, thank you for all the details... 1 new subscriober here 🤙😎
Thanks!! I appreciate it!
Well done Evan - excellent concise summary on this subject. Actually my time is perhaps the bigger issue. While enjoyable, the training pilot might have a significant cost for their time (think driving back and forth to an airport - especially if it is some distance away.
Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it! Yeah your time is a huge commitment! I remember for me it was the time too. Hour drive for 1.5 hour flight. And then of that 1.5 hour flight, 1 hour was actual training. I trained at a big international airport so we had to fly to a smaller uncontrolled airport to do circuits. So much less inefficient than most places I know today.
Spectacular videos. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and the last. You answered so many questions I was curious about.
I’m really glad to hear that! You’re working on your private license? Which country?
@@EvanLuft I'm in Ontario, Canada and since turning 50 this is something I've waited too long to do.
My $.02. Your flight instructor has a HUGE influence over your costs. My recommendation is to choose a seasoned, retired instructor. Even if scheduling with them is difficult and often frustrating due to weather (primary factor) and his or her scheduling conflicts. Why? Because young, aspiring pilot instructors will drop you like a hot potato if they get an offer to take the next step in THEIR flight career, leaving you to find another instructor at your school and having to spend (spend, spend, spend) more time and money establishing yourself with your new instructor. I was dumped 3 times in my pursuit of my PPL at an estimated cost of an additional 9 or 10 hours doing standard maneuvers. Eventually I went to the head of the school and warned him that I am not a cash cow and would seek another training facility if it happens once more. They know your passion, that you'll bend a little to get what you want, but be firm and always be polite, with your school.
Hey Kevin! Thanks a lot for sharing this and I totally agree! My instructor was a lady that was currently flying for a charter in a twin commander so she was set up and dedicated to teaching on the side, and she brought her real world experience to the table as well! Nowadays I’ve seen a lot of young pilots go right into teaching and they are so fresh that they are immediately jumping to the next opportunity. So I agree 100%. Find experienced instructors with decent time and or real world experience flying! Turnover on instructors is so high now
That should be illegal for them to do. Not only costing money, but affecting quality of training.
Had to come back and re watch to see the lighting set up. You did a pretty good job, didn't even really notice in the first watch. Haha. Good work.
Haha thanks man! You guys are the pros though, and have it lit so soft and professional. I have a lot to learn haha
I’ve been thinking 💭 about getting a pilots license because as kid 🧒I had a relative that would take me on his trips and would let me fly the plane with supervision of course. Anyway he taught me how to fly a plane ✈️ without all of the schooling to get an actual license. He was a retired LT. Colonel from the US Air Force for 16 years. He flew for American Airlines for 20 years and flew airplanes until he passed away at 75. Anyway he gave me a love of aviation.
Really cool! You need to look into flight training by the sounds of it! Passing the torch shall we say! I would love to fly military at some point but my eyes are corrected and I’m a little older now :(
I’m amazed at the cost of flight training today. I go my private in 1972, my commercial in 1974, instrument 1974 and multi in 1975. When I started a Cherokee 140 was $20/hr wet. My multi was obtained in Florida on an Apache that was so old I think it was serial number 1. This cost $50/hr for 5 hours plus the check ride which was $50 plus an hour’s rental for a total of $350! I can remember the instructor asking the examiner if he was going to shut an engine down to which he replied “I’m not going to sit in that thing with one engine feathered!”
Hahahahah yes! Crazy how times have changed. Those were the days even before the plane I fly was built (1981) lol!
today 3 different country were i live USA,thailand,north europe plane rent normal have 100$ and teacher take 60-100$/hour,this have normal ewerywere in europe and asian. if take more have big scammer and robber. all include school cost 7000-8000$ ewery country. if take more have big thief. plane have all cessna 150 and 172 or piper,
Excellent video Evan. You've cleared up a lot of questions I've had for awhile, and a few questions i didn't know I had lol. Great job and safe flying.
Jesse
Thank you! I am glad this video is helpful! :) thanks! You too!!
I’m an active CFI and your cost estimates seem very reasonable. Those who fly several times per week can get done near 40 hours. Fly once a week, 70 hours is a good estimate.
Thanks! I’m glad to hear that coming from you! :) means a lot!
How long are these sessions? 1 hour a day?
@@jaimereyes7480 not sure what you’re asking, but I use a syllabus that lays out structure and times. Typically a flight is 1.3 hours, with ground lessons, and training device sessions mixed in.
Very informative and well delivered. With the high cost of flight training now it would take a high level of commitment, as you pointed out, passion for flying to justify $15,000 just to achieve the first step in an aviation career. Because with the new rules regarding part 121 crew certificating requirements, i.e. first officers needing to hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, the cost to get to that level would probably run $100,000 or more. I was very fortunate to have earned my certificates in the early 1970's when it was much less expensive. Downright cheap actually. I believe the Cessna 150 was $5.00 per hour wet at the Air Force base flying club where I was stationed. That was the catalyst for a 35+ year aviation career that I enjoyed immensely. Best of life to all the fledgling pilots answering the call of flight.
Thanks so much!! You are absolutely right. Thanks for the information! :) :)
Love the numbers that were throw out immediately. Quickly to the point and addressed the topic of information prior to speaking. Great video 🤝🏼
Thanks a lot Ethan! Tried to make it as to the point as possible! :)
I kept a financial log. I trained at KOAK in 2008-2009 in a C172SP. I took my checkride at just under 100 hrs training. Cost of supplies, rental, instructor, fuel, etc was just under $30K
Thanks for sharing! :)
I didn't get my pilot license very efficiently, probably 65 hours total in 3 different airplanes over 2-3 years so there was time relearning what I was had learned a few months before. First plane cost $8 /hour wet, back in 1966 or1967. On the other hand, learning to fly helicopters to commercial +Instrument rating equivalent cost me zero and I had free room and board while training. Army Flight Training, and that is available now. It isn't for everyone. It might be for you.
Hi William! I think you win as far as lowest cost per flight hour in the comments! Haha hard to believe at one point it was only $8/hour back in the day! :) although 8$ back in the sixties was a lot of money :p
I lost my medical long ago. I work for a fractional airline. My daughter complained that I work for an airline and she had never been flying. I went out and bought a Piper Arrow. It had good paint, good pedigree, never been with a flight school and a new engine. I replaced the instruments and radios, new interior and it is getting a new prop. Working at an airline ops center pilots are easy to find. I have 3 up and coming pilots/CFII who just need hours, they love to fly my Arrow.
Cost to get my daughter and her boyfriend their PPL
Arrow, right at $220,000
Gas: 9.5-14 gph at $6-7 a gallon
Lunch after or during a lesson $50-$100
Airplane cleaning supplies $100 a year
This is not a cheap game to play.
Wow, how times have changed, I received my ticket in 1978 and a 152 rented for $15.00 hr. and a 172 for $21.00hr ,both wet.
Instructor went for 5 or 6 bucks an hr. It took 42 hr. when I went for my check ride and a total cost of $950.00 for my pvt. License.
(The good old days )
Haha Larry you’re making everyone jealous haha. 950$ nowadays gets you 1.5 hours in a Robinson R44 for flight training! Miss the good old days
The answer is at 11:42
When I was a full time instructor back in the early 80’s, 90 percent of my students took around 55-65 hours to get their private(40 dual). For those students that took longer breaks between flying, you could add about 10 hours.
I did my private pilot training and license in 1973. I soloed at 8 hours and passed the flight check ride at 38 hours. At the time, if you trained at an FAA certified flight school, the minimum hours of in aircraft training was 35 hours. Total cost was 900 dollars. How was I able to do it? Wet rate for a Cessna 150 was $ 15 an hour, instructor was $ 5 an hour. I also booked flights for 3 times a week. On an average, I actually flew about twice a week because weather, plane, and instructor availability usually caused one cancellation each week. I completed all training and took the flight check in a three month timeframe. It is important to fly frequently or you waste both time and money in relearning what you did the last time you flew. I did the written prep and test very early in my training and found that I learned a lot from the written that helped me in the in plane flight training. I did the written prep and test at one of those weekend crash courses at a hotel, in classroom training all day Saturday and Sunday morning. Written test Sunday afternoon. I stayed the weekend at the hotel so I wouldn't be distracted by outside activities and Saturday night I studied in my hotel room what was covered in the classroom earlier in the day. I had a couple of other things going for me. I had undergone navigator training in the USAF, so the navigation and radio perficency were no problem. I also shared an apartment with a friend who was working on his Commercial Pilot License under the GI bill. We talked aviation every evening and he flew every weekend to build hours. I flew with him as his unofficial navigator/radio operator. My suggestions to anyone wanting to earn their wings as a pilot are: 1, fly as frequent as possible so you are not relearning what you previously learned, flying is a perishable skill and is diminished over time not practiced. 2, study and take the written test very early in your flight training, it will get that hurdle behind you and what you learn will help in your in plane flight training. An added tip is look into joining the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). CAP is the all volunteer USAF Auxiliary and have units, called squadrons, at the local level nationwide. Many squadrons have their own assigned aircraft, mostly Cessna 172's and provide flight training at an hourly rate less than prevailing commercial rates. Many flight instructors in CAP do not charge CAP members for flight instruction. I did all of my IFR flight training with a CAP flight instructor in my squadron who did not charge me anything for the instruction. I introduced my son to the CAP Cadet program in his early teens. He loved it and earned his Private Pilot license at age 16. He went on to get his FAA Airframe and Powerplant license at a local community college and retired from a major airline with 38 years of service.
Hey bill! Thanks a lot for sharing this! This is great information that I didn’t even know about!
Not many people make it on the minimal hours required and in fact you could be up for double if things are not going well. Also it depends a lot on the flight school. If you end up with brand new instructors and have only just got their instructors rating and even CPL then that will make a big negative difference to your training...
Can't believe how more expensive it is here in Denmark. It's around $20000 here (45 hours, EASA). Finished mine at 17 years old about a year ago at the very minimum hours of 45. It's an amazing experience, and I can only recommend it!
Great to hear you got it though! 20$k in canada relates to about 65 hours of training so it’s a bit less expensive
@@EvanLuft Yeah!
many my friends go to asian or USA make ppl licence because have lot cheapen, finland have too many school all include cost 7000-8000$ asian same. who go to school make ppl ower expensive school, i know finland,USA,thailand have many school who thief student lot more money say 20k-30k cost but looking normal good school not newer cost ower price normal all in school cost less than 10k many country,
Very comprehensive video. Helpful on my next steps to my PPL!
I am glad it helped! :)
I rented and it was $15-20k for my private. When I got my ticket I was broke and in debt. Never flew after. GA aviation is just too expensive for the average person and I make a good income. Get someone else to pay for your ratings or go into military. This is why there is a scarcity of pilots.
Thanks for sharing this. It is something most people need to consider before training. Debt is helpful if it’s managed right, so good advice I agree
@@EvanLuft It’s not so much the debt, You need to fly often to be safe and proficient. Buy a plane and figure out what happens when you complete your training. I will say it is the greatest accomplishment in my life and I would do it again. There is nothing like flying your first solo cross country. My advice would be to have a plan once you get your certificate. I would start at the end and plan…I didn’t do that. It’s a huge investment of time and money.. why are you doing it! Thank you for your channel.
Wow, great in depth video. thanks for answering so many questions!
I’m glad it helped!
I work for a local FBO one of my ex-pilot colleagues suggested joining a flight club that every member puts in a portion for hanger and maintenance cost for airplanes making rental and instructor costs lowered combined with an online training course online this should lower the cost exponentially. I'm about to begin my adventure not sure what is required to pass the medical exam, but wish me luck! Thanks for the vids dropped a sub brotha!
I'm currently in flight school in Ms and our prices are has follow. Discover flight is 99.00. Ground school with all books and tools 800.00. Medical was 125.00. Faa exam was 125.00 plane rental for cessna 172 round dial is 140.00 for the g100 glass panel it's 180.00 hour wet per hr. So for around 55hr it's gona be around 14k
DO YOU THINK THE’LL HONOR MY 1983 PRICES WHEN I WAS PAYING $40.00 an hour for an instructor and a 152! Yeah, that’s what I thought. WTF happened with aviation prices?
As a current ATP certificate holder, you nailed this. Great realistic video
Thanks a lot Zach! Means a lot coming from an experienced pilot like yourself! :)
A few questions I have for school
1:Can you explain the medical exams? Wanna know what to expect when it happens.
2: What are some other cheap planes for training and ownership, I wanna keep my own plane so I dont have to pay for rental?
If you can explain these it will be very useful for when I start school
My first aircraft I owned was a 1949 Bellanca Cruisair Senior. I sold it back around 2005. That plane went on to win best classic award at the EAA in 2007. For a 1949 aircraft it was fast and nice. It was a tail dragger. Loads of fun to fly.
Yes those are great airplanes!!
I started my training Jan 1990 at age 19 and got my ticket in April 1992 at age 21. I had a long delay because I was sick and it took me 6 months to fully recover and I had to take some time to get back in the swing of things. I paid for this out of my own pocket and I was checked out in 5 different models before i got my private ticket. Final numbers for this PP SEL, 3900 dollars and it was done in 67 hours. Man, I wish planes rented as cheap today as they did back in those days! It also helped that I worked at the FBO where the flight school was located at and I got an employee discount on the plane rentals.
Awesome Matt! Thanks for sharing this :)
This video was very informative, thanks for putting this together!
Thanks nick! I’m glad it helped! Are you working on your private pilot license?
@@EvanLuft You're welcome! I am not currently, but I am definitely interested! I plan on doing a discovery flight at the start of the new year.
@@nickrobinson9486 how did the discovery flight go? Still interested?
@@PRYDAX I have not done it yet, but plan on doing it sometime in February. Still interested though for sure.
@@nickrobinson9486 Great! I wish to do one as well in the next months. Would plan on starting my PPL flight training either this or next year.
Just for reference I got my license in 1977. Paid $1000 and got credit for $1200 for paying upfront. That covered everything, 40 hours total. Soloed at 5 hours.
Haha keep those details to yourself so we don’t get jealous!! 👍 that’s awesome! I’d love to find out how much it cost back in the 20s :)
Hello someone that works at a flight school in Florida here we recommend you budget 11k-12k to get your ppl. DPEs in our area are 600-700 for the check ride.
Thanks for sharing! I would have thought it would be more expensive in Florida. Good to hear! :) :)
gotta chase your dreams and hope the bag comes along the way 🤷🏼♀️
Yes
Two things... first save up your money and have it all before starting flight training. The shorter time you spend learning the cheaper the overall cost will be. If you start then run out of money, you will be delayed and spend a lot to relearn once you start back up. Same if you only take a lesson once a month. You will spend way more time going over things from your last lesson. I have finished students in under 30 days and they took the check ride with barely over 40 hours. I would shoot for twice a week lessons.
Second.. in the US consider a sport pilots license. You are more limited in what you can fly and how many seats the plane has... but sport light aircraft are cheaper to fly and the hour requirements are less. This license can be upgraded to a private pilot later on.
One other thing... start your training when the weather is agreeable. I am in Tennessee and in August (sept and July also), there is often times very high humidity and on sunny days it is not uncommon to have barely 2-3 miles visibility and you cannot see the horizon due to high humidity. Not the best conditions to learn visual flying. It is doable though. I won't sign off on a country country flight under those condition, especially if it is your first solo cross country.
Thanks for posting this. If I can figure out how to pin this to the top of the comments I will. Weather is another good point. Especially up here in Canada, winter is not a good idea because you get only until 4:00 PM before night time! :) Thanks for posting this!
@@EvanLuft Well thank you. I would love to see general aviation grow again. When I got my private pilot license in 1988 I was paying $25/hour for a Cessna 150 Aerobat. It has gotten a little more expensive since then but still like to encourage people to do it.
Haha reality check. That’s 2 quarter pounders at McDonald’s now. Or 3 Starbucks coffees lol.
Can you do a video on the full annual costs to maintain a PPL?
Never went to a flight school, just retired from a super-fun Pt. 135 airline job. Passed all written tests with home study, worked as a commercial glider pilot giving sightseeing and aerobatic rides (150 glider hrs. can be used towards commercial power rating, got CFIG, instructed in gliders, CFI friends friends from glider port taught me cheap and singed me off for check rides, got my own hull insurance so people would rent me their planes cheap, flew glider tow planes, flew turbine jump planes, cargo, airline. Got all my ratings for about 20K. Had a blast!
I'd really discourage anyone from forking over a big pile of money in order to rush through their training and become, most likely, a rather mediocre pilot as a result. Take your time, master as many types of flying as possible and become the best pilot you can be. Do that, and you'll never have any trouble getting a good flying job. (But do get your CFII, and teach it for a year or so, something I should've done but didn't, and later regretted.....)
Thanks for sharing this! Very insightful
I just finished my PPL. I Started in 2022, two years and 75 hours later it cost me $19,000. At a part 61 school in the Denver area.
Got my license in 1974. Flew a Cessna 150. Instructor cost with plane was $100 / hr. Solo cost was $60 /hr wet. This was back during the OPEC embargo. Fuel cost is much more expensive now.
It took me about 70 hours for my license. I knew people who did it in less time because mommy and daddy paid for it and they could afford to go up whenever they wanted. I paid my own way and had to wait until I saved some money before I went up, Sometimes I could only go up once a month.
It was fun to take people up. You didn't have to show them anything fancy, they were impressed that you could find the way back to the airport.
Thanks for sharing Liam!! :)
You are lucky you got a supportive parent. My parent don't even allow me to be a pilot even though i was passionate about it. They both work at the airport though 😅
I’d love to get my ppl one day. I’m a huge gearhead, I’ve been into cars since I was 4 years old and I work in automotive today. Aeronautics is the big brother to my industry it feels like and many of the greatest cars came from airplane engineering. I’m in automotive school right now but one day I want to do this.
Heh Matt! I am a gearhead at heart as well, and sadly, a lot of pilots aren’t… they look at airplanes as if they have no interest in how they work, they just want to fly. And to me that is missing out on why aviation is so interesting. So yes if you are a gearhead, then you’d love flying and pilot training and be very much ahead. :)
I'm a gearhead as well. One of the biggest mental blocks for me was getting my brain to let the plane fly how it wants. I was so accustomed to instantly reacting to the tail moving around that I tended to overcontrol the plane.
Got my private license in 1967 for around $400 while in High School. Flight School was at Stapleton Arpt in Denver.. After getting out of Army in ‘72 loaded up on all the ratings including A&P.. Too many high time jet jockeys coming out of the armed services to even get close to an airline so I opted for Air Traffic Control in 1974 (ZAB/ZDV) retiring in 2006..
I was in the Army at Schofield Barracks working in the S3 battalion office at the time, December 1976 One of the Captains in the S3 office, a helicopter pilot, encouraged me to join the flight club at Wheeler and learn to fly. I went ahead and started but did not complete the process until after I had gotten out of the Army. For some crazy reason I kept all of my receipts and found that I spent $137 at the Hickam-Wheeler Aero Club for ground school and some flights from December 1976 to June 1977. I wound up moving to Honolulu Air Academy in July 1977 and did the remainder of my training there. I spent $1,460 to complete my training there and did my check ride on August 12, 1978. So my total cost was $1,597. I did accumulate around 200 hours time but life caught up and I have not done any flying for a very long time. I still consider it a worthwhile investment.
Thanks for sharing David! Very interesting story!
I learned in 1975 at Chino Airport, California. I soloed in 5.8 hours. Funny thing is I was making several landing one morning and I was told to pull over to the tower, the instructor got out and asked for my Medical and to my Shock he said I was gong to Solo this morning. He needed it to sign it on the back of it to Qualify to Solo, and he did. He went up in the tower and I went and taxed to the Runway and Soloed. I was cleared to take my instructor to his home in Big Bear and at 12 Hours and was taking off in High Density Altitude take off Airport like Big Bear and he was taken back to Chino the next day by a friend. I passed the written test the first time at Ontario Airport. I took all my instruction in 150 Cessna's and my total time was less than 45 Hours.
Hey Gary! That’s awesome!! Thanks for sharing this!
My flight training lasted 112 hours and cost me just under $31,000 total (including all supplies- Bose A20 headset, Ipad mini, electronic E6B, etc, plus other medical expenses I will describe below). And the reason that it went off the rails was due to FAA bureaucracy. I have a cornea problem with one eye. I can see but it's not very clear and it's 20/100 on my best day, and can't be corrected by glasses, only corneal transplant which may not even work and get worse. My other eye is 20/20. I thought that it could affect my medical so I went and got the medical done before i even started training. The doctor passed me and with my class 3 med certificate in hand, I started training.
A couple months into my training, and I'm about 20-30 hours in, I get a letter from FAA Medical Aerospace Division. After reviewing the doctor's notes, they stated that I will need some tests before they could approve my medical (I thought it was approved already?) and they canceled it. WTF!!!! Ok, so I did the tests they requested (at my cost, I think about $3000). And the back and forth with them was all by regular mail a few weeks in between, you can imagine. I finally did the test they requested. At that point, I was about 50 hours into training. I had to just keep flying to not get rusty. But I couldn't solo without my medical. So kept flying. They went silent for about 2 months with me calling them weekly. Finally after 2 months, they came back and said that in order to approve my medical, I would need to do a SODA. Look it up, but basically it's a flight with an FAA examiner that show you proficiency. So we scheduled a flight with me, my instructor, and the FAA guy from the local FSDO (flight safety district office--local FAA office). I took off, he gave me some regular turns, steep turn, then had me look into the distance to the sides and had me point out landmarks he named, then point out other planes in the air. About 30 minutes into the flight, once he saw there is no issue with my vision, he said, that I'm good to go, and we went back to the airport. Total was about 45 minutes I think. I finally got my mew medical a few weeks after that.
At this point, I'm at about 85 hours. I had gone through 3 instructors (first had a back injury and retired from flying, next left for the regionals, so I was paired with a guy who I knew and flew with 1 or 2 times- he was a fill in when somebody couldn't make it. He ran his own business so didn't have the time to instruct full time, so he filled in when needed. The few other instructors they had were all booked solid. I found out later that I was his first student, meaning he would have to sign me off for solo and check ride. Anyway, obviously I'm ready to solo and need him to sign me off. But this guy is saying I need more approach to land practice, more maneuvers, just stalling. It seemed having to sign me off was weighing on him because if something were to happen, he could be blamed. At 90 hours, I had enough and switched instructors (I explained my situation to the chief pilot and he put me with another instructor somehow). My 4th instructor (whom I flew with once in the past when one of mine couldn't make it) was a cool young guy (now a JetBlue FO). We went up for our first flight and he signed me off for solo that same day. So, I solo'd at around 88-89 hours I think. I don't my logbook close by, so I'm estimating.
My solo was awesome, my CFI was standing on the side watching, I greased 2 of the 3 touch and go's. Then we went to work on my cross-countries and the solo work. All went well, he signed me off for check ride. I was already more than ready 40-50 hours ago. At 112 hours, I passed my checkride. The examiner asked if I thought about being an instructor because he thought that I would be good at it.
In flight training, you will learn about parasite and induced drag. As you get your license, you'll probably come to learn about FAA drag. Welcome to aviation.
Geez! I got my PPL in Wichita back in about 1968/67. I learned in a Piper Cherokee PA140. Cost was $15 solo and $25 dual as I recall.
That’s unreal! Haha thanks for sharing!
In the mid 1970s, my flight training cost $20 per hour, covering everything including instructor time, aircraft and fuel.
It was a bit of mowing lawns and baby sitting for me to pay for 1 flying lesson. Worth every cent.
Thanks for sharing!! We can only dream of the $20 per hour flying days haha!
This isn’t the flex you think it is.
I'm living in Switzerland and I will start my PPL licence pretty soon. The price in europe vary hugely from one country to another. For exemple, from my place (Lausanne in Switzerland) to the closest airport in France (1 hour driving), the price goes from simple to double. I got my first meeting last week (in France) and they told me that I have to count between 7000 to 9000 euros (8000$ - 10'200$). In Switzerland the price range goes from CHF 20'0000.- to CHF 25'0000 (21'604$ - 27'000$). So the difference is so HUGGE (for only 1 hour driving :))))
Good to hear this! Yeah it can vary huge between different flight training places. Price wise, sounds about right compared to some of the higher prices flight schools over here in canada. :) are you going to do the commercial?
@@EvanLuft It was my dream but the price was so high for me. Finally I've decided to change my plan (I did studies in economics). Now I have more financial means that's why I can afford the PPL. But who knows? Maybe I will end with the commercial licence in order to pilot some Boeings :)). What about you?
Good for you! Honestly, I fly a small turboprop doing a lot of adventure aviation, fishing, hiking in the mountains so I do it part time. :) it’s a great gig
@@EvanLuft Yeah, it will be the same for me. Thanks for your interesting video👍🏼
Anytime! I’m glad you liked it and thanks for the support!! :)
Great explanations good job !
Thanks!! I appreciate it! :)
40.5 hours to check ride, 7 to solo without prior flying experience, and all in Southern Cali next to LAX bravo. Lots of personal studying, Machado's book was a great resource. Checked the boards for an instructor (I didn't go through a flight school) and worked out a deal to use a 150 that belonged to an acquaintance. Ended up closer to $5k. Lessons with the instructor were 1-2 times a week and seemed a good balance of keeping the information fresh and keeping up with everyday life.
Thanks a lot for sharing this :) machados book was great I’ve read some of it too!
@@EvanLuft thanks for all the great content, keep it up. Subbed
I was licensed in 1965 cost was about $850.00 Cessna150 was $15 hr & A 65hp Champ was $11hr ground school $25 Instructors were $3.50hr on top of plane rental. After you got your license both you & the flight school got $100 from the Canadian Gov. 35hrs was the minimum and I took 42hrs I was 18 years. old. Maple Airport Maple Ontario. Its a subdivision now, by Canada's Wonderland.
thats amazing!! haha now its like 250 an hour for a 172
@@EvanLuft Ya, a 172 back then was $18.00 + instructor. I switched from the fabric Champ to a 140 or 150 because they had a cockpit heater. My last winter flight in a champ my feet were so cold I couldn't feel the 1/2" bent rods they called rudder peddles. Fun plane for low level IFR (I fly railways)😁
Great video. You nailed it. I would emphasize that students must plan to thoroughly immerse themselves in the training process which, among other things, requires a commitment to study and a commitment to fly regularly. Students that don’t make that commitment will, at best, drag the process out and add a whole lot to the bottom line cost.
Generally, however, students that don’t commit just don’t make it. The dropout rate for primary students is very high…in the order of 60%-70%. Some drop out because they find that flying is not what they expected….some because they are unable (work, kids, finances) or unwilling to make the commitment. Whatever the reason, flying is not a casual endeavor. You can’t just dip your toe in the water and hope for the best.
But, again, great summary. We’ll done.
Hey Evan, how do you feel about ATP flight school, their prices and zero to hero program in 2022?
Hey!! I’m not too sure actually. I’ve looked into them before for time building but never actually pulled the trigger. This was over 10 years ago though now, as far as I know they are reputable!
@@EvanLuft Nice..where’s you end up going?
There is a cheaper option but it requires some capital.
I bought a Piper Tomahawk for $15,500 and leased it to a local flying school. It gives them an extra aircraft without capital outlay. While I'm working at the saltmine it earns money for me. I used the same school to teach me. I just ensure my lessons don't clash with a paying pupil.
After about 2 years I had my PPL and had earned enough to cover my initial outlay.
As it was profitable I let the deal run until the School ceased trading due to the owners retirement. Then I sold the aircraft and walked away with a useful profit and lots of new friends.
No reason why a similar idea would not work today.
I got my private pilot, single engine land license the day before I graduated from high school in June, 1975. I worked for the FBO installing avionics in planes after school. I was renting Cessna 150's for $13/hr wet and my flight instructor cost was $10/hr. My goodness, those were the days. My buddies were working on their dad's farms or flipping burgers and I was flying airplanes. Would love to someday rent an airplane with an instructor and take a flight.
Thanks so much for sharing!! Yes I still rent sometimes!
I’m at 130hrs and getting my check ride prep… spent about $30k… aircraft cost $163-$180… instructor $80-$100…. I have been flying about 3 days a week since April 7th 2021, the biggest mistake I made was choosing the wrong flight school. The school was draining money out of me and the instructor were draining hours out of me…. They were doing it to others too… I switched my flight school…. I recommend everyone to switch right when you get the first feelings or else you’ll end up like me…. The new flu school is way better
Wow! That’s a lot!!! Glad you shared this
As someone 53 hrs in to my PPL training right now and expecting to finish at 65 hrs, i can tell you my personal all in cost will be about $24,000 USD when all is said and done. All training done in a C172 and i havent been attending a super nice/fancy school either. The other schools in my area are similary priced as well. sorry but either due to inflation or something else since this video was posted last year, you will need wayyy more than $15,525
Noted, thank you. Yeah there has been a massive uptick in inflation, and I’m sure the fuel prices aren’t helping.
Based on this video I am thinking I’m going to try setting aside 18k over the next few years to get a PPL. But I guess it would be nice to have more of a margin for inflation, so I’m not running out of funds at the end.
Got my license in college through the Air Force ROTC Flight Instruction Program. Cost --$0. I soloed in 3 hours and took my flight test at 40 hours. 28,000 hours of flying later- Air Force and American Airlines - I have only paid for flying once when I rented an airplane in Ft Lauderdale to fly to the Bahamas. After 40 years of flying I am retired. Rather then a cost, flying was a source of income to me
Incredible David! 28000! Unbelievable! Do you have Instagram? We should connect would love to ask more about your career in the Air Force! 😀😀😀
Awesome content man. Very useful! Question/Suggestion: what are your opinions on getting a bachelor's degree vs a specialized private flight school?
Thanks so much man!! :) means a lot! Honestly I went the private flight school route but if you want to be injected into the airlines right away…. The university route often has that path set out already. HOWEVER…. Considering the pilot shortage.., I don’t see doing the private route a problem at all. That’s what I did anyway!
I got my ppl in 1984 in the Houston area. I think that I soloed after about ten hours of instruction. It wasn't much. I didn't attend a ground school. I just had to buy the book and do all the work in the book. My flying was in a Piper Cherokee and a Cessna 172. The rental was only about $40-$45 wet. I took the exam and check ride at with the flight examiner about 60 hours and passed both on my first try.
I am nose diving into this career. I've done 10 years worth of military, law enforcement & investigations careers. I'm ready to finally chase after my dreams of saving every penny for this moment. Thanks for the clear layout on costs.
What are you recommendations for once I get my PPL, Instrument Rating and other certifications? (I know I'm way ahead of my self but I'm still planning my new career path)
I got mine in 92, 45 hours at about $3500 all in. Joined a flight club after and could get 150 for $33 an hour, 172 for 45, arrows and Cherokee for 45. Man, I miss those days.
Hey Terry…. So do I! Haha actually… I can only dream of your days because I learned in 2006 and cost me more than twice what yours was haha
this was soo helpful thanks for the info great job very informative