The Cost of Learning to Fly
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The Cost of Learning to Fly
At a recent aviation seminar, I listened to a fellow lament the substantial cost of learning to fly. He confessed to spending upwards of $14,500 to obtain his private pilot certificate. Ka-ching! To him, aviation was too expensive for the average Joe. So I asked a few questions about his flight training experience. Here’s what I discovered.
When our friend, Lament Man, signed up for flight training the FBO suggested that he train in the airplane he’d most likely fly after receiving his certificate. That resulted in scheduling a technically advanced (glass cockpit) airplane for his lessons.
When I asked The Lamenter how he’d selected a flight instructor, he said the FBO simply assigned him one—as if they opened a closet, pulled one off a rack and said, “Here, make this fit.” Furthermore, he never used any type of flight simulation device at home to assist in his training. The FBO told him to stay away from desktop simulators because they don’t handle like real airplanes.
Are you hearing the warning klaxons sound? Our friend made choices that dramatically increased the cost of his flight training, most likely doubling the price he paid for his private pilot certificate. Surely there’s a way to earn the private license at less cost, right? There is. Let me explain.
If you elect to do your primary training in a technically advanced airplane (TAA), then you should have a technically advanced bank account. That’s one having a big pipe that moves money from your bank directly to the FBO’s bank. TAAs often rent at twice the cost of traditional two- and four-place aircraft. If you’re on a budget, there’s no good reason to start training in anything but the simplest airplane that you can afford. If that’s a J-3 Cub or an LSA, all the better. Learning in an airplane with traditional gauges instead of a glass cockpit won’t make you less of a pilot. But it will most definitely make you a pilot. As a budget conscious primary student, that is your objective. You can learn to poke buttons on advanced avionics equipment just as easily right after you graduate from private pilot school.
Here is where it’s important to understand our all-too-human nature. People respond to incentives, and flight instructors are people. Given a choice between a TAA and a basic training airplane, and without any input from you, a flight instructor might suggest that you learn in a TAA. And why shouldn’t he? To him it’s exciting, because the cockpit lights up like a Christmas tree on steroids. So, unless you can afford to fly such a machine, you’d better say that there’s no way you’re going to pay for a TAA today. Persist to insist on flying an affordable basic trainer. If the instructor suddenly feigns a long-term illness or claims he’s been called to join the French Foreign Legion, then you’ve just eliminated an instructor who was more interested in flying an airplane for his entertainment than flying with you for your training. Ka-ching! You’ve just saved some money.
Walking into a flight school without any idea of the type of instructor you want and need is also a very bad strategy. This is why you want to be an educated consumer. You want to find a flight instructor who loves to teach, and who uses a very simple and practical syllabus that emphasizes the essentials of stick and rudder flying.
In one sense, some parts of our aviation training industry have come under the influence of a very big Jedi mind trick. What trick is that? It’s the belief that it’s not possible to produce a safe, competent private pilot close to the minimum flight time specified in the FARs. While the reasons for this are far too numerous to elaborate here, let it be said that a private pilot taught primarily with emphasis on stick and rudder skills is far less likely to end up bending an airplane or a few bones. Statistically, nearly half of all accidents are the takeoff, approach, landing, stall and spin type. Good stick and rudder skills are the antidote to these problems.
So how can you identify a good stick and rudder instructor? I suggest you find out how long on average it takes for an instructor’s students—those who train two to three times a week—to obtain their private pilot certificate. Compare these numbers to the national average training time (approximately 70.1 hours) and the FAA minimum time for the private certificate (40 hours). You’re looking for an instructor capable of training closer to the FAA’s minimum than to the national average training time.
Finally, Lament Man’s FBO wasn’t incorrect in stating that a desktop flight simulator doesn’t handle like a real airplane. On the other hand, I’ve flown real airplanes that didn’t handle like real airplanes. When using a desktop simulation device, you’re not trying to replicate the actual flying experience. Your objective is to reinforce the motor, perceptual and cognitive skills you learned on the previous lesson. Any reasonable desktop simulator will serve this function, and such a device can easily reduce the time and cost of flight training by 10%.
Is flight training too expensive? It almost certainly will be if you’re not an educated consumer. So, find yourself a good flight instructor, a two-place steam gauge airplane, some simulation software and you’re in a position to earn a private license at a much more reasonable cost.
I’ve got a question; I’ve noticed that somewhere in New York (this was about 1 year ago) there was an Aeronca (I don’t remember what model) that was renting for about $110/hr. Meanwhile, at a flight training operation at KBUY one can rent a Cessna 152 for about $80/hr (or C172 for ~$110/hr).
Do you know of somewhere in a 100 mile radius around KBUY where I could rent a tail-dragger for a decent price? According to my last search (~1 year ago, and using AOPA) this C152 in I-don’t-know-what-condition was the cheapest option, and may not be the best because it is so cheap!
I’ve got some desktop flight sims (trained with you for Private, Instrument, and Commercial in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004), about 500 hours simulated time, 1 hour real time, and would like eventually to get some more real world flight training to eventually get to ATP–real world.
How quirky do you ACTUALLY think the C152 is? You have made some remarks regarding it’s slowness of speed, and I’d like a decently reliable and usable plane to train in. I’ve flown the 172 many times in the sim (100+ hours), and a relatively TAA Liberty XL2 for my 1 hour of real time.
I’ve read what you’ve had to say about the cheapest not being the best, which is why I am somewhat torn between 2 potential flight schools in my area.
Your response is appreciated!
Thanks!
Greetings Divad:
Thank you for reading this blog piece. Actually, the Cessna 150/152 is the best tricycle-geared training airplane that’s ever been made. I love that airplane for training and have spent at least 3,000 hours in it training students. If you can find one of these for training, then train in it…if you fit, that is (it is a bit small for some folks). As far as price for flight schools and airplanes, I’ve been consistent over the years in saying that students should find the cheapest airplane they can afford to fly and train in it. The most expensive, high tech and newest airplanes are necessarily better for training. Sure, they’re fine but they can be darn expensive. If your objective is to learn to fly, then there’s no real advantage to training in a glass cockpit airplane. This will just delay your acquisition of a private pilot certificate, in my opinion. Then again, if you have a lot of free time and extra money, then train in a more expensive TAA airplane.
As a final note, nothing—NOTHING!!!!—is as important a factor during training than having a good instructor. If you don’t fine one of these folks, then nothing else matters (not the airplane you fly or the school where you train!). The flight instructor is EVERYTHING in terms of the quality of your training. I’ve written a few articles on this blog regarding finding a good CFI. So please read them. Good luck with your training. And unfortunately, I don’t know enough about the NY area to make a training recommendation.
Best,
Rod Machado
I agree with you that we should have a technically advanced bank account…..
Thanks,
With the cost of fuel, flying (privately) in Cessna 172s has been heavy at times. For those wanting to take courses, its more expensive…in the summer…Moreover, winter is the best time to take lessons…. he air is cool, and most times the sky is clear.
Do your home work and talk to a school or instructor that will work the fees with you. MOST times is you get an enthuse instructor with a passion for aviation ,they will do everything possible to flex a payment plan and help you reach your goal.
Whether you complete or not, just enjoy every hour you spend and log in the sky.
Dear Rod,
I just wanted to thank you for the private pilot’s handbook in mp3 format, and share with you my experience on my CFI oral. After completing the oral, the FAA examiner shared a list of about 25 different items he had written down during the interview. Most of them were praises. Of special note was the comment he made concerning my description of our airspace system. He told me that it was the clearest and simplest description he had seen in his entire career as a check ride guy. I explained to him that it was basically straight out of your books and then played the first few audio tracks on airspace for him. I used your audios for probably 90% of my preperation and I wanted to thank you for providing such an outstanding product. I hope that in the future you will create two more books, one for the CFI and one for all the maneuvers from private through commercial. Thanks.
Joshua.
Greetings Joshua:
I can’t tell you how much I deeply appreciate that very nice comment on my private pilot material. You really made my day with that message. The idea that you could listen to the material then present a cogent explanation of airspace to an FAA examiner (not an easy thing to comprehend and explain, especially on a CFI oral exam) speaks a little to my ability to teach, and a lot about your ability at learning something very complex. I’m happy that I played some small part in helping you learn about aviation and, of course, pass your CFI checkride. I will have a maneuvers manual out next year and a CFI manual to follow that. So once again, thank you for that very generous comment.
Sincerely,
Rod Machado
Rod,
Just found this site. Happy to say that I have attended a number of AOPA CFI refresher courses where you were a presenter. {CFI since 1960-USMC ret} I have often made reference to your “Situation-Green-Orange-Red” lecture to attempt to get new pilots to have proper cockpit awareness at various phases of flight.
You once told of a flight in a C-337 from an airport in Atlanta that did not end at another airport. Was that you and a friend, just a friend, or am I mixing you with someone else? Or, was it just a dream?
Semper Fi
Thanks for the great overview of the costs involved in flight training. It’s a question I’m often asked, and now I’ll follow-up with a link to your post. Love your books!
Erika
Hey Rod,
It does seem like a lot of people don’t do enough research into
something as important as learning to fly.
BTW, I enjoyed and fully agree to your response in the last Flight
Training magazine to the fellow looking for “a free ride”.
I fly two corporate airplanes and frequently have room for a right seater. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is even with a busy flight school within an hours’ drive.
Our EAA Chapter is providing a Free PPL for a young man in need and I am donating the CFI time.
George K.Sharp CFIAIGR
Yeah, sounds like “Mr. Lamenter” should have done a little homework before starting his flight training. They took him for a ride in more ways than one!
hello Sir,
I’m starting my college in basair this November.. i have been told the fees is around $51000 for the CPL COURSE is it really worth that much??? or is it too much.!
& second of all your materials have been really useful..may God bless you & your family.
tankyou
Hello Mr. Machado,
I have been looking at obtaining my instrument rating. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to provide some guidelines in terms of cost, type of training and school would be best.
I have interviewed two instructors. The one at Part 61 told me that “we were not going to rush” through this training. To schedule one lesson per week. He also indicated that the instrument rating is mostly book work.
The other is a Part 141 and he said on average it takes about 70 hours and that is flying twice per week. No further details other than he has done quite a few.
I appreciate any insight you may provide as I am lost. These are the only two schools near where I live and one of them is over an hour away. The Part 141 is the one that is over an hour away.
I just want to make sure I am making the right call.
Thank you in advance,
Anne T.
Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Thank you
Greetings:
You are more than welcome to share this post with your group.
Best,
Rod