Private Pilot Cost | 2023 Update
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- Опубліковано 13 тра 2024
- Here's what you might expect to pay to become a Private Pilot.
Website: www.freedomflight.com/
Instagram: @davidtatum
Here is my list of recommended things to purchase if you are just getting started flying. Regardless of where you learn to fly, it is good to have these on hand. The FAA manuals can be downloaded for free but I still prefer to have a printed copy. In addition to the FAA material, I recommend you check out the below items from Aviation Ally. Their training aids break down complex topics into easy-to-understand language, making aviation accessible to all. I have personally used all of these materials and believe they can help you.
Aviation Ally:
Private Pilot VFR Checkride Q&A amzn.to/47a7tmx
Private Pilot VFR Flashcards for Oral Checkride Preparation amzn.to/3utgHvx
So You Want to be a Private Pilot amzn.to/47ykOoq
FAA:
AIRPLANE FLYING HANDBOOK amzn.to/3WmsIfi
PILOTS HANDBOOK OF AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE amzn.to/37XxsE2
FAR/AIM amzn.to/3vkXsln
PILOT LOGBOOK I recommend if just getting started: amzn.to/3zOxfxi
and also download pdf versions for free from the FAA here:
www.faa.gov/regulations_polic...
www.faa.gov/regulations_polic...
Here is an online ground school I often recommend for a home-study course:
www.sportys.com/learn-to-fly-...
As an Amazon Associate we may earn a very small commission from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support, as it helps us to create content for you like this!
These videos are for informational and entertainment purposes. They are not intended to replace instruction from your certified flight instructor. FAA regulations and procedures change periodically so stay up to date on the current rules and regulations with your instructor.
This is 100% accurate, David!! I was one of the optimistic (ignorant) newbies who thought I could get my private pilot cert in 40 hours, but I almost doubled the hours and paid around $20k for everything. Not many youtubers explain this (or those videos are out-dated), so I really appreciate you informing the public on this. After passing my checkride in Dec 2022, I told myself that I would also pay it forward and let interested people know the true cost of flying. But in the end, it's totally worth it!!!
Hey thanks for watching, but most of all CONGRATS on passing your checkride, that’s awesome!
Just out of curiosity, did you do flight sims before you started?
Llllll l.
I think if you want to do it part time, it will end up cost more. Best thing to do is be a full time student. Get the money ready in day 1, then go all the way. And make sure to work with a CFI that doesn’t rob you or have a history of ripping money from his/her students
I’m in the Northeast around NY/NJ and where all costs are significantly more expensive. It was about 30K for me with the same time budgeted here.
Been instructing 5 years. Mostly helicopters, but my advice is still the same. There is a TON you can do to lower the costs to you. Some big ones:
- Do an intro/discovery flight early before anything. Its like $150-250 bucks, and do this before you invest any real effort into planning out how you're gonna get your license. Make sure you get this done first to ensure you're hooked, but also don't let it totally discourage you if you don't have fun. The main goal of the intro flight is to have a fun start though! You'll also get to talk to a flight instructor in person for all their tips to get your rating, and get yourself over the 'hump' of starting. Plus, that flight time you get on the intro is loggable, so it'll count towards your rating all the same! All my other tips will assume you've already done an intro flight.
- Get your medical early. Talk to an instructor local to you about what medical class you should get for your specific situation, as well as what local examiners are good. Get this before you do any training in earnest. In theory this negates the possibility that you spend a bunch of money training only to find you have some condition that disqualifies you from flying, but more practically it's going to tell you if you have any issues that would delay getting your medical. You don't *need* your medical until you solo, but too many students drag their feet on getting it only to find the FAA requires them to fill out waivers for minor things that end up dragging on for months before their medical is approved. During that time, they're stuck not able to solo, which can really throw off the tempo of training (see my next point).
- Make flying a priority for you if money is tight. I mean schedule a minimum of 3 flights per week (you WILL have weather and scheduling cancels), and plan to dedicate a few hours of study time each week as well. The more time between flights, the more you 'forget' by the time you get in the cockpit the next time. Do NOT fly once every other week or every few weeks. You'll end up a 'forever student'. If money is tight, hold on to that temptation to get going early, and instead save the money up so you can do all your training all at once. Spend all that time working on my next point....
- Do your knowledge (written) test(s) before you start training. Really, it's not that hard. The question bank is limited, and you could almost memorize the answers to the questions (its all multiple choice, with only 3 selections for each!). Plus there are a TON of home study courses online. You won't learn the topics as well during this phase, but that's ok. It is initial exposure to them that then makes it easier to learn some things later. It also greatly cuts down on the ground time you need to spend with (and pay) an instructor later. The ground time that you have left can then be spent on whatever your instructor thinks is most important, instead of spending days learning about cloud layers since that's what is next in your written test prep books. Plus, your CFI will love it. When a student says they already have their written done before they even start, I jump for joy because that just says so much about how good of a student they're going to be.
- Listen to your instructor, and trust their input. If you can't because you have a bad gut feeling, or because you don't like them, find another instructor quickly. Whether it be a genuinely shady instructor/business, a bad/unenthusiastic instructor, or that you and your instructor just don't 'fit', you should be making this decision *before* spending thousands of dollars with them. Trust me, when you change CFIs or schools later in training, you *will* add headache (and hours) to your training. Anytime someone calls up wanting to fly and says something along the lines of "Yeah I have 50 hours, and I'm really close to checkride, but I just can't seem to finish up with my current instructor for *whatever reason*" I usually expect that person to need at least 10-20 hours of training before they're actually checkride ready. Also, understand the differences between Part 61 schools, Part 61 independent instructors and Part 141 schools. In general, if you can find a good Pt 61 school, I think it offers the best mix of the flexibility of part 61, but while being a bit more structured than an independent Pt 61 instructor. Most schools also have multiple CFIs to make scheduling a bit easier, even if you'll have a primary instructor most of the time. Personally, I've never liked the rigidity of Pt 141 schools, BUT that might be your thing! Do some homework.
- For the love of God buy an iPad. No one in the industry goes without one, and Foreflight has replaced old paper charts despite what the boomers tell you. "Learning the old fashioned way" is silly. You need to understand how the calculations and charting is done, but you can absolutely learn that on electronic devices. I worry far more about someone who learns via charts and an E6B then gets their license, suddenly starts using the electronics, and does it wrong because there's no longer a CFI showing them the right way. (Just a heads up, this is probably the only advice point I have that could be considered a "hot take" by some folks in the aviation community :)
Thanks for watching and for your comments Mitchell
Thank you for that advice and wisdom!
Can I get your email address
that's profound. and thank you
Been flying for 50 years and your information here is spot on!
Great video. I was an IT guy in my 40s when I decided to fly. The owner of the flight school told me that "this will change your life, Danny!". I thought to myself "yeah, right.... use car salesman..." While in IT, I continued to get my ratings and certificates. I flew C150s when I was time building and now, While an IT guy I was hired by a Regional Airlines (Mesa) and rose to Captain of an Embraer 175; eventually leaving IT altogether within the first 2 years of being hired at Mesa. Here I am, 13 years later, starting a new career at a legacy airlines. In looking back, that owner was spot on. It changed my life!
Thats awesome Daniel, thanks for sharing that. I have a regional airline background too...now at a major as well. Thanks for watching!
You might have changed my life with this post because I too am in my forties and I'm looking to move on to a new career as a pilot so thank you for the words of motivation.
I'll keep you posted.
I'm 22 coming out of IT, starting my career by getting a CDL and a local pilot owns his own plane and does affordable trainings.
Super excited as this is the first time on my life of felt like this about something, even though it's daunting as hell lol
You got hired in your 40’s with Mesa??? You give me hope then.
How did you balance your IT job and flight training? How long did it take? Any tips? because I am in similar situation.
A big factor in the overall cost is the pace of your training. It’s always been a demonstrated fact that the more often you can fly and the quicker you can get through the process, the less you’ll spend. This is because of better retention of knowledge and skills recently practiced. The longer between lessons, the more time in the next lesson you’ll spend just getting back in the groove and catching up to where you left off, before you can continue progressing. Which all adds up to more hours needed, and those hours are expensive!
Thanks for watching
I spent roughly $12k including the materials needed, Bose A20 headset, written test cost, ForeFlight basic plan, airplane rental (wet), instructor’s cost, and checkride cost ($700). Got my PPL in under 5 months with 47 hours (part 61). My CFI was new but was really good at teaching. Make sure to always stay focused while training and I’m sure you guys will get it done in no time. Best of luck!
Good job getting it done in 47 hours! Thx for watching.
Thank you! Loved the video btw.
Here I am at 76 hours pre solo 😔
I think 47 hours is extremely reasonable. Mine was about the same, and honestly could have been less hours with a more competent instructor. If it would have been under part 141 (more structured) it certainly would have been done in less hours. I completed mine in 3 months while working a full time job, and driving two hours to lessons each way.
Most students miss the mark in two areas;
1) They allow too much time in between lessons, requiring relearning topics several times throughout the process.
2) Not putting in the work studying outside the cockpit. To maximize time when the engine is running, a student should be studying AT LEAST three times the amount of time outside the aircraft. That way the student is focusing on learning things that can only be done while flying. Everything else should be learned without the prop turning.
@@VictoryAviation I’m interested in doing the same. How many times/hours did you fly per week? Did you fly only on weekends? And where are you located? I’m afraid it might be difficult to fly consistently in the northeast due to the weather.
Wow! I learned how to fly back in the 70’s. I went to an aviation college and completed the course for PPL in 35 hrs at a cost of $750! Yo be fair, I had flown about 10 hrs with an instructor friend before I started the school program but it was at no cost. Went on to have a 41 year career with the airlines retiring a few weeks ago. The cost of learning has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, starting pay has not increased at the same rate.
That’s awesome, I sure wish it wasn’t so expensive these days, the high cost of entry has preventing many from enjoying this as a hobby or pursuing as a fulfilling career. Thx for watching.
@@FreedomFlight1 It's also having negative affects on the industry now with the boomer gen retiring, the barriers to entry have helped create the pilot shortage and it's only going to get worse.
@@RyTrapp0 Also, not training, buying an aircraft has become expensive, too. Back in the 90's, the company I worked for bought a 20 year old Beech Baron 58 for less than $200,000. I am guessing it would be $750,000-$1,250,000 now. Even a new 172 is more than $500,000 these days.
Trained back in the mid seventies too. Yeah, it was about $700. Thought that was expensive.
$750 in the seventies translates to around $5000 today. Very doable for a lot of people. $20K, not so much.
That was very motivational! Thank you!
Thanks for watching Nelson!
Thanks, David! Loved seeing Carson in his intro flight with you. Great cost information and advice!
Thanks for watching Kyle. Carson is going to be an excellent pilot!
Sounds very realistic. Great informative video. Interestingly, as a Gold Seal Instructor late ‘80s I had zero ab initio students over 45 hours. Age ranged from 17-55. I had a few returning students with old hours after a long hiatus. 90% of my students arrived at the FAA check with 40.0-42.0 hours. I only ever had one failure on first attempt, and that was a 300 hour Commercial Multiengine Student, so an entirely different category. The trick was simple: Consistency, high frequency, and preparation. 3-5 flights per week & NEVER more than 4 days between flights. Better with a 0.5hr flight after 3 days and another after 2 days than 1.0 after 5 days. I didn’t know at the time, but the science of frequent repetition for improved retention is a well researched topic nowadays. I would debrief exactly which maneuvers to perform next lesson and never pack too much into one short lesson. I would also insist on cue card preparation for the maneuvers and advice to spend a set amount (let’s say 30-40min) immediately prior to a flight lesson on those cue cards while arm chair flying in a quiet place. People simply showed up prepared. I also insisted on flying by numbers. It’s far more efficient to fly by numbers while having little feel for the process and just developing feel over time. Old school style small airport school = no charge for ground school unless proper classroom lessons, so some ground time were freebies compared to now. Also, the plane was parked 100ft from the threshold and the airport was uncontrolled. Time from engine start to practice area was absolutely minimal. I also scheduled students in the same tail number. Even if the planes were identical, there is a comfort factor that became apparent after a short while. Confident students couldn’t care less, but nervous/hesitant students wasted focus and energy “getting used to” another tail number, and would occasionally blame performance discrepancies on the “different” plane. I scheduled other tail numbers late in the process so they instinctively understood that all airplanes are pretty much the same. All this cut the time required significantly. I marvel at the costs. $45 for a C150 & $13 for me vs &190/$75. Ouch. I loved teaching, or as I see it, sharing knowledge, but an airline career beckoned. I have the highest regard for those who remained true to the passion of light aircraft flight instruction, and even more for those who spend time and energy on excellent videos like this one.
Thank you for watching Anders, and thanks for taking the time to comment.
One of the most accurate information out there. I hit upwards of $21k when I was done.
Thanks for watching @pkdann
You did an amazing video. Thank you for your honesty and clarity. Really, very much appreciated.
Thanks for watching Javier, and thanks for your kind words.
Great info presented in a concise and honest manner.
Thanks for the kind remarks, appreciate you!
I got in with a few guys and we bought a Citabria, and hired instructors. This was back in the early eighties. Once signed off solo, we could fly as much as we wanted, just put gas in the plane (yes we split the tie down, annual, insurance, etc.) So, by the time I took my check ride, I had closer to 100 logged hours, and the checkride guy told me he could always tell when he was working with someone who owned their plane.
Thats a great way to do it. Thanks for watching!
You did it right!
I did get mine with 43 hours of flight time while majoring in Aviation at UVSC (Now UVU). I had 2 lessons a week pretty consistently and treated it like any other college course, studying the ground school material in between lessons, etc. I think it cost me somewhere around $12k back in 2005. Took me about 5 months. It was really helpful to have everything planned out, I also had a great instructor.
Thanks for watching Kyle
Can I ask you how much you paid per hour for the plane rental?
Great video David! I will definitely be sharing this to friends that ask that very question!
Thanks for watching Dalton!
GREAT VIDEO! thanks for keeping it honest and transparent. Starting my PPL right now so EXCITED!
Thanks for watching, I wish you the best on your Private training.
Low time Private Pilot here, the info provided in this video is spot on!!! Thank you for an honest overview, the video will help others to know exactly what to expect while embarking on aviation journey.
Thanks so much for watching, I really appreciate your feedback!
The true price is rarely discussed, but hardly a secret once you start actually looking. What I like most about this video, is how the cost is itemized. It’s important to digest the same info from multiple points of view when making big decisions (like getting a ppl).
Thanks for watching Jarbee
Thank you!!! I needed this. I'm working on mine now.
Awesome. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this informative and honest video with zero fluff.. subscribed 👍🏾
Thanks for watching!
I got my Private Certificate in 1991 for around $4000 and got the rest of my ratings (Instrument, Commercial SEL/MEL, CFI, CFII AND MEI) for around $30,000 in 1992. Fly as frequently as possible and cut out all the other distractions in your life and you will finish sooner and save money. This is true for type ratings as well. I have over 20,000 hours and many type ratings now with about 9 years left before I have to retire from 121 flying. Learning new planes, ratings etc is always easier without outside distractions.
RIP $4,000 in 1991 is worth $8,594.88 in 2022
I got my private certificate at around the same time for almost the same $$. I did the military route after that. After military pilot training was over I got instrument, commercial, multi- engine for $50 after taking a short FAA military equivalency test. I did my ATP for $1500 once I had the hours.
The money was less going the military route but the commitment after pilot training is up to 10 years now. I did 20 years anyway and wouldn’t trade it for anything…. The costs are still there…just different, deployments, gone a lot, tough, job, combat, etc….
For me it was awesome and I still ended up in the majors.
All flight time, no matter which route people take, is important and the experience gained is super valuable.
Excellent job!!!! This sounds like a very realistic breakdown of the cost involved in acquiring one's private license. On the bright side ...... student pilots do not have to pay for the fun, excitement, countless stories you get to tell everyone that will listen, etc. etc. I still remember one of my first students (yes you Bart!!) having a hot mike on his rollout on the last landing of his solo flight. He was saying THANK YOU to GOD for the opportunity to be able to fly and making it thru his first solo! This young man was truly a "natural" and he quickly went on to become a commercial pilot in the Ag industry!!
Thanks Tex, I appreciate your comments and for watching!
So well and honest explanation. Thank you
Thank you for watching
Great video. I appreciate straight talk
Thx for watching!
Great video, as a CFI I tell prospective students to save your money, and fly as frequently as you can. Flying several times per week cuts down on review time, gets you done sooner, and cheaper. Fly once a week and expect to take 65 to 70 hours to earn your certificate.
That’s great advice, thanks for watching and thanks for contributing your thoughts!
Well! While I agree with your statement to fly as frequently as you can, I'll definitely take it one step further. Take 1 month off, and do it in 4 weeks, flying twice a day and, yet better, living "on campus", in total immersion. That is THE way to get your PPL or IFR license in the minimum of hours, and to get you proficient... because you don't forget the mistakes done on last week's flight, you learn to correct the mistakes you made in the morning flight on the afternoon flight! I did that for my IFR license (in 3 weeks), some 30 years and a few thousand hours ago, and it went beautifully.
@@st-ex8506 if you can, fully agree.
I took a month's worth of accumulated vacation time and flew as many times each day as possible and chose my instructors wisely. With the previous lesson still fresh in my mind, I was able to stay very close to the minimum flight hours, saving a tremendous cost. I also used a Cessna 150, which is cheaper than a 172.
Absolutely nothing wrong with using a 150 or 152 to build required hours!!!
That is the way to do it. 150/152 are great airplanes to train in and fun to fly. The more frequently one can practice the quicker one becomes proficient - recency. People that space it out take much longer.
Thx for watching
Thank you so much, David!! Super-duper helpful.
Thanks for watching
Great video man. Thanks for all the honest information and encouragement. Life changing ❤
Thanks for watching Pablo.
Excellent Video!! When I was getting my PPL - it was around $52/ hr for a 172, and I thought that was crazy. Instructor cost around $30+, so happy that I got my ticket in the 80's. Good luck to anyone thinking of starting to learn to fly. David is right, once you get your ticket, you will never regret it!!
Thank you for watching and I appreciate your comments.
As a retired airline pilot (30 years, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, DC-10) I found this video very interesting and now understand why the airlines are scrambling to find pilots. Good job producing this video.
Thx for watching !
love your channel! please make more videos :) your numbers are spot on and great estimates! matches what I found out going around flight schools last month.
Thank you so much for watching!
Spot on content! I’ll be sharing this with my students….Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for watching Nathan
Excellent video! I just earned and received my Private Pilot License last month after training for 2 years and 1 month, with 10 different instructors and 3 different schools. I am so glad that I stuck with it, despite the large financial investment. My neighbor who admires my pilot journey, is now starting his own private pilot journey. I am forwarding him your video.
Awesome, congratulations! Thanks for watching.
There is one tricky part with learning to fly - if you're doing this in Arizona you can probably fly any day (even if you can't fly "every" day.") If you're in upstate NY like me there are going to be a whole lot of days where VFR flying just isn't happening, but you also can't really schedule a lesson on an hour's notice. Which means cancelling a lesson means "See you next week" and not "Lets reschedule for tomorrow" because you have to line up yourself, the instructor, and the plane and if all 3 aren't available means you're not going to fly as often as you want. Even if you have the time and the money.
Good points, thanks for watching
This is 100% the information I have been looking for! Thanks for the info.
Glad it helped, thanks for watching Aaron!
Thank you for the excellent detailed video.
Thanks for watching!
That is amazing! I got my private, instrument, and commercial back in the early ‘60s for $5.00per hour for a J3 Cub and $5.00 per hour for an instructor. I got all ratings for 165 hours and was lucky enough to be hired by Eastern Airlines two weeks later. I went from a Cessna 172 to the right seat of a Lockheed Constellation. Man how times have changed!
They sure have Fred. Thanks for watching.
Great , honest video about what it will actually cost. Your estimate on hours seems right for the average between 60-80 hrs for PPL. The equipment costs probably vary wildly. Since I was going to pursue IR rating and maybe more, I equipped above minimums. Bose A20, $1200, Apple iPad, $1200, sentry 3 ADSB_in antennae, $600, foreflight premium, $350 and Sportys equipment bag $100. I think the best range total is going to fall between $20k-25k for a 172.
Hi Ed, thanks for watching and for sharing your experiences too!
Thank you so mich for laying it out like this. Really helps take the pressure off, especially when I plan tk finance per lesson to start and plan to go to commerical piloting.
Really helps keep everything in perspective and breaking dowm like this helps me reinforce that it doeant all have to be upfront, which is exciting!
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching, I wish you the best in this journey.
@@FreedomFlight1 Thank you!
Great video... Congrats!
Thank you for watching!
Another major cost factor is scheduling. I racked up extra time waiting to be scheduled for stage checks. Completed prerequisite lessons but had to keep flying so I wouldn’t fail the stage checks when it was finally my turn. Then, checkride scheduling was its own expensive scheduling disaster both because of weather and logistics.
I went in expecting that it would be more than the $8.5k for 40hrs quoted, but I didn’t quite know how high it would go. Except for the cost of my medical, which I did before my intro flight, all of my PPL, including exam and DPE fees and all of my student flight gear (including an iPad, a ground radio, headset, and ads-b receiver, etc) cost $16,672.99 at 59.70 flight hours.
Hi JB, thank you for sharing your experiences and thank you for watching!
SAME EXACT POSITION. Waiting on stage checks and checkride really made it expensive
Agreed. I was in same boat at hours and cost!
This is excellent.
For reference, I trained with a 152 in SoCal, and finished with 84 hours. Time was high due to 3 months worth of Checkride dealys, including needing to use 2 DPEs. (First one bailed on me after discontinuing for weather, but still kept his $900 fee in full.) My cost, all-in, was just shy of $20k. You did an great job including absolutly everything, as supplies and test fees really do add up on top of already hefty reality costs.
Even with the large price tag, it was totally worth it.
Thanks for watching Noah, and thanks for sharing your real-world costs with everyone.
$900 for a DPE?! Holy smokes.
HE KEPT IT!? I'd complain to his fsdo.
Good info, thanks for being accurate.
Thanks for watching!
Wow! Thank you for this information mate, am here planning on joining a flight school soon and start on my pilot career. This will really help me a lot.
Great, glad it helped! Thanks for watching.
This is a great video and is a much more realistic projection that many people would have you believe. As you note it can be done less expensively if you are using a C150/C152, can commit to it full time, and live in a place with consistent, excellent flying conditions. Some additional thoughts if I may, that I feel would have also been helpful before I started:
1. Add a buffer as sometimes things don't go as planned (e.g. last-minute cancellation penalty due to work/personal conflicts). 15% or even 20% is not unreasonable.
- Your CFI has been hired by an airline halfway through your training and now have to start afresh with a new one, and they may teach some things differently.
- You and your CFI don't really gel, and you have to switch to one that does.
- Weather / sim. At least in the Pacific NW, the weather can be a doozie 9 months of the year. Sometimes that flight you had scheduled now needs to move to a sim, which is fine for things like EPs but doesn't translate well to other lessons.
2. How old are you? I earned my PPL at 55, and the sad reality is that the older you get the harder it is to learn new information, especially ones that require eyesight, hand-eye coordination, and reflexes. Add in some additional hours if you are no longer a spring chicken.
3. How often can you fly? At least looking at other students, I have noticed that those who can commit to a regular and consistent flying schedule of 2 or 3 times a week complete their training faster than those who may only be able to go up on weekends.
Great points, thank you for watching and your comments!
Great video! 100% accurate. It took me about 65 hours to get my private and this was back in the late 70's as a teenager. As most posters said if you can afford to take a lesson twice a week thats the way to go as you'll avoid the repeat lesson because you lost the feel of the controls. Also if you can train at a not so busy non towered airport initially you'll be able to concentrate more and not be overwhelmed with radio communications and such, not to mention waiting in line for takeoff/landing while the engine is running/hobs meter is running.
Hi Adam, thanks for the kind words and for sharing your experiences as well.
I appreciate the realistic approach
Thanks for watching
Thank you! This is a common question that very few take time to breakdown. And staying up-to-date. Thank you for sharing this topic, I've had this question for a while... literally! Years.
Thanks for watching!
I got mine in 2008. I saved 10k and got halfway through my instrument training. The key is to know the written before you fly. I didn't spend any time outside the plane. I flew 4 days a week and got my check ride at 43 hours. The simulation will also help.
Great points Mike. Thx for watching.
What simulation did you use to help you ?
Excellent video, if I may add: right after your discovery flight, go get your medical. You don't want to learn you can't get a ppl after investing money in supplies and training. And get your ground school first, invest that ~200$ in online ground school and study the books before taking any flight lesson, this way you'll be more prepared for your flight lessons and can focus on the fun of flying. I did mine in parallel and it probably cost me a few flight training hours !
Great points Pierre. Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comments.
It takes courage to share it. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your journey
Thx for watching
Great overview! Thx
Thanks for watching Alex!
Just received my private certificate. I have about 170 hours and happy with my training. Only thought I would spend $10,000 but I am well over 30,000 but bought into a 172 Cessna as part of my training. That is the way to go. If you can find a flying club that allows you to buy into the aircraft. It is true flying is awesome and has always been a long life dream of mine. Thanks to my wife and my two instructors I made it working on my IFR at this time. Safe flying and God bless.
That’s awesome Dominic, congratulations. Thanks for the comments and sharing your experience.
I got my private in 1967. The cost of a C150 was 5.00 dollars wet and the instructor was 5.00 dollars an hour. Things have really changed.
I took my instruction at SAT 1972-73. I thought I might be misremembering that it was $7 wet and $7 for the instructor.
I started in 1974 a 150 was 7.00 and hr and a 172 was 12.00 hr Thats WET for both Instructor was 10.00
Thank you. This is good to know up front. In the grand scheme of things, that's still not so bad.
Thanks for watching David
Thank you for the details.
Thanks for watching!
Former boss of mine many years ago had learned to fly in the 1940s (right after the war) we talked about the cost of learning to fly, and he said "it costs the same now as it always did: as much as you've got."
thanks for watching!
I'm almost done with my private lessons and I can assure you that everything you said is true. I don't know why schools don't tell you the truth about how much you are really going to spend on this. My goal is to graduate as a commercial pilot. I'm putting my plans in Jesus' hands.
Thx Hall! Congratulations sound like they are in order real soon for you that’s awesome. Amen to depending on Jesus. I wouldn’t be living a purpose driven life without him.
Yep. He has the best hands for plans and Grace!
This is very good education in starting pilot lessons.Very encouraging and exact expenditure expectation.
Thank you for watching Noah!
Excellent video!!!
Thanks for watching Brad.
Question: Do you think practicing with a home flight sim (with either MS Flight Sim or X-plane) with basic controls (stick/throttle ect..) would be beneficial to helping prepare for real flight training, especially for learning procedures and instruments? If so, which sim do you prefer? I've heard arguments for both games/sims (ie X-plane is better for IFR and the planes seem to fly more realistically, where as MS is better for VFR given their satellite mapping & weather, tho the planes are not quite tuned to realistic characteristics just yet).
There is certainly a lot that can be learned about flying even with a basic simulator. Of course, nothing can replace the real thing but both FS and XPlane are great. Personally, I think XPlane might be better for learning but the graphics on FS are sure impressive.
I don’t think it matters much what simulator you use. It’s more important that you’re trying to learn the right things in them. For instance my instructor spent about ten minutes in the plane verifying that I knew VOR and ADF navigation because I had already learned them with an old simulator. On the other hand, the simulator is basically useless for steep turns, stalls, slips, etc. because you need to feel what the plane is doing.
Yes, because you can practice the radio, and flying in the pattern at your home airfield, and you can buy realistic controllers. And you can do night-flights, and instrument IFR flights.
Very thorough. Thank you. I always was skeptical about the cost.
Thanks for watching Pat!
Thank you for the video
Great video 👍
Thanks for watching!
It's totally worth doing and like you said, the most rewarding learning experience, in my opinion as well. Of course, the cost of commuting to and from the airport, food, non-polarized sunglasses if needed, and a few others which some might overlook.
The Bose A20's are certainly worth it. One day my instructor used my David Clarks and let me use his A20's and the difference was mind blowing.
Thanks for making this video! Anyone passionate about aviation will have a hard time keeping away from training over the years, regardless to cost.
Hi Rommel, thanks for watching
EXCELLENT…spot on!! 👍🏻
Thank you Max!
Great video. I plan to fly for years so Im willing to give myself those extra hours you were talking about. Very accurate.
Thx for watching!
Great video!!😊
Thank you for watching!
Thanks for being truthful
Thank you for watching
great job explaining it
Thank you for watching!
Great info!!
Thanks for watching!
New subscriber 🔥great video btw… keep them coming.😊
Hey, thanks! I appreciate you watching.
Thank you to teach at no cost.
Thanks for watching
Solid answer. It's what I tell people all the time.
Thx for watching!
Excellent!!! My training in Bolivia has been postponed due to an informal school, so as soon as I am accomodated in Florida next october, I will be following your advice and going back to prepare and get that license because IT is our passion.
Thanks for watching!
Very informative for 2023. Out of my league for sure. I'm starting to think the flying lawn chair style ultralight is my way to go. Thank you.
Thanks for watching, "the flying lawn chair" sounds like a great name for a new youtube channel though!
Great info.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for an honest AND complete evaluation for PPL. I've been looking into it thinking it's not too expensive, but wondering what truly & realistic costs would be. ...I'll have to go mow some more lawns.
Hi David, thanks for watching. Thankfully, I did not grow up in a desert town or this may not have worked out, ha. Hopefully you are not either!
Great video! Thanks for putting this video together. I just earned my PPL SEL certificate (Dec 2022). I did an online ground school. I went to 3 different Part 61 schools to finish due to issues not in my control. My total cost from start to finish was about $15K. That was for everything. Training and check ride around 70 hours in a Cessna 150 in northwest Florida. I attempted to get the costs as low as possible but $7500 is what I was quoted when I started and it was double that. Your calculations are much closer to reality. I hope this info helps out anyone looking at getting a license. Thanks!!!
Hey Scott, thank you so much for sharing your info with everyone. Congratulations on your Private! Thanks for watching.
I'm about 2/3 of the way through my ppl training in Canada, and accounting for exchange rates, this looks to be pretty accurate to me. Great video, hope this helps prepare other people for the commitment.
Thanks for watching, I appreciate the comments.
I'm exploring flight schools that can help me get a PPL in Toronto- any info you can provide would be much appreciated :)
Thank you for breaking down the costs of becoming a private pilot in such a detailed and transparent way. It's eye-opening to see the various expenses involved beyond just the flight hours and instruction. Your insights about being well-prepared for each lesson and the importance of enjoying the journey are truly valuable. Learning to fly is a significant investment, but the rewards and experiences gained are definitely worth it in the end. I appreciate your honesty and encouragement in pursuing this fulfilling journey!
Thanks for watching!
Great video! I hadn't considered the check ride or the ground school costs.
Thanks for watching Tony!
Hello David, I enjoyed your honest and thoughtful review on the PPL.
I am from South Africa and would enjoy talking to you regarding our cost of a PPL vs the USA.
I think it can be a fruitful experience and collaboration
Have a great day and an even better one tomorrow
Hey thanks for the message, send me a message on my website and maybe we could discuss. Sounds interesting!
You are a breath of fresh air when it comes to the true cost factor today! I learned to fly in 1972 when I was high school. Every penny I made went toward renting a C150 for $6:50 an hour and the same for the instructor. I use the same analogy of cutting lawns. I could cut 4 lawns at $3.50 a lawn and fly for an hour dual and have enough left over to buy a coke and peanuts. My private Pilot check ride was $65.00 I had 88.0 hours when I took my check my ride I was ready at at 50 hours but I spent my money flying instead of saving for the heck ride fee.
I earned my Multi engine rating next and the PA23-150 rented for $45.00 wet. The examiner fee was $75.00 I had 8.8 hours of dual for that ME check ride. A C172 rented for $14.00 wet and a 1975 C177 RG rented for $220..00 wet.
I went on to fly corporate jets then retired from the 121 world and retired a second time after going back to flying corporate jets and was an examiner on several jets. It was fun but hit some turbulence along way. My out of pocket expenses that came out of my pocket was less than $5000.00 I was fortunate that I worked in electronics and the company I worked for provide all the field services engineers airplanes for our travel. I did have to pay for my instrument rating but the CFII and MEI an employer paid for those.
And I really appreciate you saying Private Pilot Certificate!
Back in 1976 I went to an FAA safety meeting the FAA inspector started out saying I have a$100.00 bill for anyone that has a pilots license in this room. Of course a bunch people stood up. He then said sit down you have Pilot Certificates.
One gentleman said I have a Canadian Pilots License.the inspector lost the bet. He modified his saying “ I have $100.00 bill for anyone that has an FAA license.😁🛫
Ha thats a great story ($100 bill one) thanks for sharing and thanks for watching the video!
bless u, buddy!!!!
Thanks for watching
Great info ! just took my discovery flight
Outstanding, congratulations! What did you think?
I just perused this video in the summer of 2023 in Paris, My home city is New York. I appreciate your straight to the point, clear and concise explanation of the cost associated with acquisition of a pilot certificate. Thanks so much!
Hey thank you for watching!
Excellent video.
Thank you very much!
thank you!!
Thank you for watching!
Thanks!
Thank you!
You’re so right about needed flight times. I’m a member of the pocono mountains flying club in mt. Pocono Pa where I use club 150’s for $68/hr wet, and Cfi’s at $55/hr. The club provides E6B’s, and plotters and offers a 24 hour ground school for $100. Total costs to be compared with your analysis is about 1/2 of your result and the club has a great social part as well. So clubs are a great way to train.
Great points. I need to do a video on flying clubs because they can be a great option. Thx for watching!
Just subscribed, am new and starting my pilot training all the way to the airlines, I'll make sure to watch every video and please do another video about instrument flight rating and commercial pilots license, and also multi engine and instructors rating, I kinda want to have all these licences
Thanks for subscribing McPherson! Stay tuned, I'll be created more content this year, thanks for joining me.
That was a great video David, please keep them coming!
I wanted to ask you how long the average flight time per lesson is recommended during private training. I took the knowledge test first, so I'll be able to optimize the lesson time and focus on the briefing, debriefing, and learning maneuvers. I understand there are many variables (weather, taxing, waiting for clearance, and so on). However, if I want to get the most out of a lesson, could you suggest how much hands-on time is recommended and how to organize the hours with your instructor? Thank you!
Hi Marlon, thanks for watching. Good job knocking out the knowledge test already! Thats quite an accomplishment. Average lesson times can vary. One factor may be where you train at. For example, if your airport is in the middle of congested airspace and at a busy towered airport you may find longer lessons (2 + hours at a time) to be more efficient. Unfortunately at airports like this there is a lot of lost time taxing, waiting for traffic, and flying in and out of the airspace. However, on the other end of the spectrum you might fly at a smaller, rural, airport with minimal taxi time, able to do much of your training in the immediate vicinity of the airport and get the same amount of learning condensed into a 1 hour lesson. I would trust your CFI on what they think is best for your circumstance. Great question by the way.
I appreciate your feedback and am looking forward to more helpful videos.
I really enjoyed the video! I checked plane rentals in my area & a Cessna 150 is $120/hour - some real cost savings! I'm 54 & have been wanting to do this for decades.
Awesome. It's never too late to learn, I wish you the best. Thanks for watching!
Fortunately, I took my Pilot Training and my check ride in 1976. Spent less than $1000 including the check ride. I was also fortunate enough to solo after I only had 7 1/2 hours of training. The experience was awesome and I flew out of an airport with an elevation of 7,138 feet. Thanks to the G.I. Bill. I was able to take some additional IFR training before the funds ran out. Today’s prices definitely eliminate a lot of people who can’t afford numbers like you’ve presented. Learning how to fly. Awesome? Yes it is. Is breaking the bank. Awesome? No it is not.
Thx for watching
Thank You for sharing all this info.🤝. I much appreciate it, God Bless🌤🕊💨💨💨
Thx for watching!
THIS is the honest truth! Awesome video. I got my license two years ago for $16K but prices have gone up so much. But it was the most rewarding feeling.
Thank you so much. I appreciate you watching!
Super-helpful. Sounds like a budget of ~$20K would get it done. Wish I'd kept going many years ago but I ran out of funds after my first solo. Thanks so much for the info!
Thx for watching John. I hope you can get back into it.
Thank you for your honesty and by reading through the comments, I can tell you are being absolutely brutally honest. And while I am insanely thankful for this video and the honesty, I now feel a bit more discouraged... 10k is already a huge chunk of change... now when I see other people doing 60-170 hours, it's almost like a punch to the gut - with no hate to you!! 40 hours sounded too good. But I'd rather know now, which is why I clicked on your video, then when I think I'm done at 40k and thousands of dollars already invested. I think... I need to make friends with people who have planes...
Gorgie I sure wish the cost of flying had not got so out of control. I've personally spent a considerable part of my recent career trying to make flying more accessible to others (my work outside of this youtube channel) and it has been very challenging. What I have learned though is, there is always a way. I would encourage you to not give up on this dream, instead keep searching for 'a way'. It may happen a whole lot slower than you want, but slower is better than never. See if there is a flying club in your area (vs a flight school). If so, go check it out, and try to get to know some people there. I have no idea how old you are or what stage of life, but for me I was really young when I started learning and I gravitated to the airport. I found numerous jobs at and around the airport and the people that I wanted to become like. If this is close to your situation, maybe consider it. If not, don't give up that someday its possible. There is a lot of things you can be learning about flying for free or next to nothing. You certainly dont have to be in an airplane to be learning about airplanes. Dont give up, you never know whats waiting around the corner.
Hello FF. Obviously the gift of flight is not free. You did a spectacular job in toting up the costs. I've been flying (FS) since about 1985 when I purchased my first Commodore flight computer. Also, as the one who stayed in town I have lived most of my life in the direct flight path to our local podunk airport. Standing in my garden looking up, the planes, at that point aren't more than 500 feet up sliding into home. (Try flying a kite in my yard and see how quick someone visits!) My first intro into flying was from an encyclopedia purchased with green stamps when I was around 8 years old which illustrated the cockpit layout and that's about as close as I ever came. Been in a light plane exactly once. An old fellow, distant relative, who ran an airport near Wink, Tx flew to Alabama with his family for a lark and took me up one day. Wow! I guess I was about 10 at the time. So I have always been around planes...just never in planes. Where I live, excepting doctors, there was only ever one place of jobs that paid enough that the average joe could put himself through flight training. Just never was an option. I'm pretty sure though, if there was an emergency and they needed a pilot pronto, but all were busy, that I could take off in one of those prop planes (If someone would start it for me) that come over my garden all the time, especially that Beech Twin. Wow! Quite possibly even land it too. I like to think that. Could happen.
Hey thanks for watching!
What an honest and frank summary of costs and expectations, I would say around 60 hrs is a good benchmark, and add another 20 if you do not complete within a year. it is far more complex in the UK from the knowledge requirement and written exams, 7 of them and the radio telephony licence and exam, starting to see now why the US has a high accident rate in GA compared with EASA and CAA counterparts.
Thanks for watching