Todays Cost of getting a PPL

"john smith" wrote in message
...
After reading John's (BucFan) posting and the revelation that he spent
$12,500 to get his PPL, I have to wonder how representative this is?
It certainly is daunting, to say the least.
Is this is true, it is certainly a factor in the decline in pilot starts
and completions.
Where you live:
What are the going rates for dual instruction?

What are the rates and aircraft being used for training?

I did indeed include "everything". Some of the items I did not list in the
initial post were the study materials I used for the written exam (I bought
the Sporty's DVD set), books (Rod Macados book, the FAA Airplane Flying
Handbook, Aviation Weather etc), charts and A/FDs, supplies (lap board, red
light head lamp for night flying), the written exam fee, checkride fee, and
a timer for xc legs ( I got sick of trying to use my watch). I am sure I
forgot some things, but you get the idea.

I use MS Money to track my bills and stuff, so when I started flying I
created a "flying" category and put everything in there.

A little more info. I live in North Alabama and flew out of one of the few
remaining flying clubs on an army base, the airport designator is KHUA. The
cost of airplane rental was:

C152 - wet this started out at 60.50 (I think) an hour and was raised to
65.50 early this year or late last year, I do not remember exactly.

Piper Warrior - I think this was 79.50 an hour wet. I can not check on it
because they sold the plane.

The instructor was 22.00 an hour.

Club dues are 35 a month, I think this was 30 a month when I joined and they
were raised last year. The fee increases were directly related to fuel
costs.

I ended up with 91.7 hours total. My dual time was 69.0.

Remember also, this was spread over 2.5 years, so if you average it out I
think it was about 400 a month. I had budgeted 500 a month for flying
lessons, but there were some months where I spent 0 and some where I spent
700 or so. Hope this helps!

John
PP-ASEL

"BucFan" wrote in message
...
"john smith" wrote in message
...


Remember also, this was spread over 2.5 years, so if you average it out I
think it was about 400 a month. I had budgeted 500 a month for flying
lessons, but there were some months where I spent 0 and some where I spent
700 or so. Hope this helps!

John
PP-ASEL

One thing which helps is to accelerate your training. 90 hours over 2.5
years is 3 hours a month. It is hard to make much progress at that rate,
because you tend to forget things in that week or 10 days between lessons.

I completed my license in 5 or 6 months and about 45 hours of flight time.
I'd have earned the ticket sooner, but had difficulty scheduling a check
ride.

KB

I usually say "about the same as a new snomobile or a 4 wheeler... how fancy
you want it, is up to you." ($6000 and up)
Jim

I got my PPL in 2004 for about $4200. My IR is 85% complete, total
cost will be about $5000. Not sure how it's possible to pay $12500
for just a PPL, unless you wanted to do it in an expensive plane like a
Cirrus or G1000 C172 - and take 70+ hrs to get your PPL.

Anyway, it is definitely possible to get it done MUCH cheaper than that
guy did. BTW, the older C172s where I'm at are $79/hr (wet), CFIs are
$39 for primary instruction. Our 172 RG (cutlass) is $85/hr and has a
TAS of 137 kts. They all have good availability too (last minute
flights have never been a problem).

john smith wrote:
After reading John's (BucFan) posting and the revelation that he spent
$12,500 to get his PPL, I have to wonder how representative this is?
It certainly is daunting, to say the least.
Is this is true, it is certainly a factor in the decline in pilot starts
and completions.
Where you live:
What are the going rates for dual instruction?

What are the rates and aircraft being used for training?

Paul Tomblin wrote:

After I finally got it, my Dad asked me why I didn't get my license before
he retired when I could have done it at the deHavilland Canada Flying Club
for about $10/hr. BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T ****ING TELL ME THAT DEHAVILLAND HAD
A FLYING CLUB, DAD! Surprisingly, I let him live.

That is funny!

On Sun, 5 Nov 2006 02:40:12 +0000 (UTC), (Paul
Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, "Dudley Henriques" said:
I think my private cost around 800 dollars. :-)) Man have times changed!!!
Must be the damn lawyers for sure!!! :-))

When I was a kid I joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets in an attempt to
get a pilots license on the cheap. Didn't work - my smart-assedness
didn't work well with junior Hitlers who think that an Air Cadet rank
gives them sort of power.

I joined CAP as a kid. Earned a 15-hour flight scholarship, then did janitorial
work at the local CAP office in exchange for flight time in the squadron
Citabria (earned 80 hours). But then, I *was* one a'them mini-Hitlers. :-)

Ron Wanttaja

I don't think your Dad trusted you around all those Beavers, Paul.

Jim

I think my private cost around 800 dollars.

You could probably get a private for that same price now, if you used
800 actual dollar coins that were circulating when you got yours.

g,d Jose
--
"Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where
it keeps its brain." (chapter 10 of book 3 - Harry Potter).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Paul Tomblin wrote:

In a previous article, john smith said:

After reading John's (BucFan) posting and the revelation that he spent
$12,500 to get his PPL, I have to wonder how representative this is?
It certainly is daunting, to say the least.


Remember that most of the cost of getting your PPL is the cost of flying.
If you don't want to pay for flying, then why the hell are you getting a
PPL?

Because $12.5K is a ridiculous amount. That's more than twice what it
should cost.

Newps wrote:
Because $12.5K is a ridiculous amount. That's more
than twice what it should cost.

The flight school I worked at was a Cessna Pilot Center. At the time,
the new 172SPs were $100/hr and the instruction was $40/hr. They said it
was *possible* to finish in 40 hours, but that most people took 50 to 60
hours. We told people to plan on $7K - $8K, including books, supplies,
the written, etc. The old C152 rented for $63/hr, but depending on the
size of the student and instructor, that wasn't always an option.