Learning
to fly is an investment. The cost of obtaining a pilot certificate
or rating varies nationwide and also from school to school.
Whenever you inquire about flight training, each school
will quote you an estimated cost. The final costs will vary
from student to student according to individual progress
and needs. There are several key factors associated with
the costs of flight training such as: the type
of school (i.e. college vs. FBO), location (i.e. IL
vs. FL), reputation (i.e. national vs. local), training
aircraft, aircraft rental fee, instructor fee, etc.
Other fees associated with flight training costs are books
and supplies, ground
school, knowledge test, medical
exam, and the checkride. Some
schools may include these fees in their estimated costs,
and others may not.
The
important issue when discussing flight training costs is
to review the “breakdown” of the training program
and to clearly identify what is and what is not included
in the final cost. Some flight schools base their costs
on the FAA minimum flight-time requirements and others base
their costs on the “National Average” figure.
The national average is generally higher than the FAA’s
minimum required flight hours due to average students needing
more training to achieve the necessary competency level
to pass their checkride. Understanding each school’s
cost structure will allow you to compare schools –
“apples to apples.”
To
help you understand the flight training costs, ask the
following questions:
•
What
certificate(s) and/or rating(s) are included in this
cost?
•
How
many dual and solo flight hours are included?
•
Is
ground school included with the cost? How many hours?
•
Is
your cost structure based on the FAA’s minimum
requirements or the national average?
•
How
much is the written exam?
•
How
much is the checkride?
•
How
much will I spend on books and supplies for this certificate
and/or rating?
•
Are
the books and supplies included?
•
Are
there any hidden fees? What are the costs?
•
Are
there any incidental fees such as usage of headsets,
specific supplies, etc.? What are the costs?
•
What
are your scheduling, no-show, cancellation, and refund
policies and procedures?
•
How
long will it take me to complete this program?
After
asking these questions and others you may think about, you
should have a better understanding of the flight school’s
training costs. Provided below is a sample cost breakdown
for a Private Pilot Certificate.
Sample
Breakdown:
Private Pilot Certificate – Estimated
Costs
Based on 40 hours of flight time (FAA Minimum Requirement)
Beware
of flight schools that want you to sign a binding contract,
which typically states – “If you decide
to stop training, you are still required to pay them
for the remaining balance of obtaining the certificate
or rating.
•
Any
time you exceed the training hours outlined in the school’s
cost structure, you will be charged for the overage
amount. Some flight schools will guarantee that you
will earn your pilot certificate or rating for a fixed
price no matter how long it takes you. In this case,
you should carefully read
the fine print, because many of these
guarantees expire after a certain number of flight hours.
If you have not achieved your certificate or rating
in this time frame, the school will continue to train
you, but you will have to pay for the additional training
that exceeds their guarantee.
Tips
for Minimizing Your Training Costs – Cost Saving
Strategies There are three major ways to reduce your final
costs:
•
Fly
as frequently as possible. - “Practice makes Perfect”
The cost of earning your certificate or rating is directly
related to how frequent you fly. As with learning any
new skill, ground and flight training should be obtained
as regularly and frequently as possible rather than
once or twice a month. Training frequently assures maximum
retention of newly acquired skills. If you train frequently,
you will be less likely to repeat lessons, and possibly
spend less time and money earning your certificate or
rating.
Note: A student who flies three times
per week will earn his or her certificate or rating
faster than someone training only once or twice a month.
In summary, the length and cost of your flight training
can be reduced by frequent training lessons.
•
Review
your lesson plans.
Your flight instructor should provide you with a training
syllabus outlining the lesson plans for that particular
pilot certificate or rating. Always review your lesson
plans before each lesson, so you know what to expect
during your ground and flight lessons, and how to perform
any new maneuvers. After reviewing each lesson plan
and studying any supplemental materials, you should
make a list of questions that you may have regarding
the subject and discuss them with your flight instructor.
•
Train
with a friend.
If you have a friend whose training for the same certificate
or rating, schedule your lessons back-to-back. This
will allow both of you to fly as an observer on each
other's flights. Riding as an observer will allow you
to reinforce your own knowledge and learn from the other's
experiences.
