Average Cost Of Ratings and Advice

[Angrymigpilot]

For flight training, what is the average cost of the ratings all the way up to Multi Engine Flight Instructor, including all the ratings in between? I’m going to go a 141 school with a flight program so if someone could give me a ballpark figure. So I know what I have to pay back.

Also

Is instrument the hardest rating to get?

Is multi the most expensive and what is the best way to log multi engine hours? Flight instructing students 10 hours at a time per semester a good way, it sounds awful slow considering you need 500 multi and 1200 total. Just need some good advice.
Thanks travis

 

[mainah]

The instrument rating was the hardest for me. It's hard to have flown visually then go under the hood for instrument training. Plus, there is a lot to learn. After you'll love that you did it. I too went to a school with a 141 program. The multi costs more per hour but you'll probably pay more for your instrument since the multi can be done within 10 hours, whereas the instrument will take longer. Best of luck.

 

[daddysquared]

Costs

Funny how hindsight is 20/20. Unless you have already enrolled in a school for all of your training, get your Private at an FBO or some other way than via a flight school. I got ripped for over $11K getting my private license at the school, when I could have paid closer to $4K at an FBO. My instrument training was certainly challenging and cost me aroung $10K. Just finishing up my commercial now and will do my multi right aftewards. When all is said and done, I'll be close to $40K in the hole.

Hope this helps.

 

[Angrymigpilot]

School Change and Price/Quality

Currently the University I'm going to offers private for 7000 dollars, the training is good and the aircraft and 172's which are 3 years old. The school has a couple new ones on order with Cessna. On the other hand I've found a community college which has a 141 program and the price is alot less but the planes are from the 80's and the price is 3000 for privates. The aircraft are 152's how much worse or better is it learning on an older,smaller aircraft?

 

[bobbysamd]

Training relativity

I like Angrymigpilot's screen name and avatar.

"Hard" is relative. Everyone has his/her strengths and weaknesses. Some people cannot develop an instrument cross-check to save their lives, despite hours and hours of sim and BAI in the airplane, while some people take right to the gauges but cannot fly a lazy eight to save their lives.

Instrument training may take the greatest amount of headwork. You have to learn to copy a clearance while flying on the panel, all while figuring out holding and asking yourself if ATC gave you an EFC time. But instrument flying is really the essence of professional flying. It can be learned, just as you learned not to float when making short-field landings.

Some people suggest buying blocks of multi, but I think you'd be better served by building it through paid employment. Anyone can buy time; earning it through real work is another matter. Instructing was very effective in building multi time for me. It took me about eight months to get into the multis during my first aviation job at ERAU. When I finally got in the multis, I built something like 250 multi hours that semester. This was along with my single-engine students. I should qualify this by stating that this was thirteen years ago, during the height of that training boom. But don't be surprised to see the flight schools crowded again within a couple of years, as people take advantage of the lull in hiring to load up for the next hiring boom.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your plans.

 

[BeachBum]

To answer your question on aircraft age and quality, I'd recommend saving your money and training in the cheaper, smaller, older aircraft. As long as they are maintained, older planes fly just as well as newer ones. I don't think I've flown a plane newer than the '76 Cessna 172 I used for my instrument training. A majority of my time is in planes from the '60's. Never had a problem with them. All you get with newer planes is a bigger debt.

A 152 is a great trainer for your private certificate. It does everything you need it to at a cheaper price. Plus, 152's normally lack all the gizmos and gadgets that can be distracting. I'd recommend you save your money and fly the 152's.

 

[Aeronca]

Angrymigpilot,

I did my private training a long time ago and my father was my primary instructor, so I saved some money on that. The cost though was approximately $2700, but that was in 1988.

I think the instrument training was the most difficult, but the CFI was also difficult. I trained at a local FBO that is 141 approved. The instrument rating cost about $5500-$6000. The Commercial and CFI cost me $10,000.00 combined. I am working on the CFII now and expect to have about $1200.00 into that. I expect to get my multi this summer and am budgeting about $3200 for it.

Hope it helps.

 

[Angrymigpilot]

Thanks/Future Choice

Thanks for the input guys, I think I'm heading for an associates and my cfi rating at the school that cost less and has the older aircraft. I figure that I can finish that two year degree in about a year and a half cause I already have a year of college and private ground school done, but not all of it will transfer. Then from there they have a plan where all your credit can transfer to a four school and you go there as a cfi. FIT Florida Institution of Technology that’s just one of the choices.

The college that offers the associates degree flight program doesn't have a multi engine program or aircraft, what shall I do considering you need this rating to get into regional and about 250-500 hours of time?

Is FIT a good flight school?

Thanks

Travis

 

[Aeronca]

Angrymigpilot,

I don't think I'd sweat the multi yet. The multi will probably take approximately 15 hours to complete and you can do that just about anywhere, except where you are going, in a relatively short amount of time.

I'd suggest you get the CFI through the college you are at and after you get the CFI, go someplace else to get the Multi and MEI.

Good luck.

 

[Doozer]

I instruct in a couple of clubs at what most folks would call a "podunk grass strip;" my wife calls it a "hayfield." I also belong to one of the clubs.

Nevertheless, even with a $1,200 membership fee, a club member can get his private pilot certificate for less than $5,000.

Instrument would run about $3,300.

Commercial would be around $9,500.

If one trained concurrently for commercial, CFI & CFII, which definitely can be done, CFI & CFII ASE would be about another $1,000.

Most clubs don't have multi-engine airplanes, so somebody like allatps.com would be required for multi-engine & MEI ratings. Those two are about another $3,300.

That totals $22,100 for all the ratings--under Part 61.

I think a lot of folks are getting ripped.