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How Much Did You Pay For Your Training?

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Doberman

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Posts
57
I'm just wondering who out there holds the record for money spent on flight training. I once was told by an FO at that she has spent somewhere in the area of $210,000 on fligth schools and training. She makes 18,000 a year as a second year FO on a 1900, WOW.

Anyone out there able to beat that? Or am I at least making some of you feel better?

Let me know what you think!
 
Doberman,

You need to be a little more specific. I could see someone that went to Purdue or Auburn's flight training/four year degree program having a pretty hefty total for flight training however they are also getting a college education while doing it.

If someone spent over $200k out if pocket for solely flight training I'd have to wonder who paid their bills.
 
I know it sounds like I am making it up, but believe me, I know all too well that here story is legit. About $130,000 was gobbled up in about a 2 year span at a company in Orlando called ATA (Airline Training Academy) They since have gone under and I believe they stuck many people who had loans approaching the 100K mark. She then went to another up an coming school near Daytona and took out aditional loans with KeyBank and Daddy.

Keybank will currently give out 100K, with a 20 year payback and variable rate, at the drop of a hat for approved flight schools, and people are taking them.

I am also told that you are able to take out an additional 100K for further flight training.
 
130K to a flight school in Orlando!!!

HOLY $HIT!!!

I LOVE IT. Capitalism at its best. I wish I started one of these places and got filthy rich off idiots like her!

fish in a barrel man!


PS - there is NO WAY any bank on the planet is going to give you 200K for flight lessons. You may be able to get a 200K loan, as long as daddy backs it up with his house or something else worth 200K plus 30%. No friggin' way they going to give you 200K to goto a flight school.
 
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I spent $50,000 for my degree and flight training at ERAU. There are cheaper ways to go about it. For instance, go to community college for your first two years and your local flight school for your ratings. Knowing what I do now, I wish I would have done it that way. 130k is way too much!
 
ACE said:
I spent $50,000 for my degree and flight training at ERAU. There are cheaper ways to go about it. For instance, go to community college for your first two years and your local flight school for your ratings. Knowing what I do now, I wish I would have done it that way. 130k is way too much!

I started flying after a 4 year degree and worked my way through. It took about 2 years and (I estimate) $20K from 0 time to CFII/MEI. Full time would have gone faster but I paid as I flew. No loans. Once you get on board somewhere as a CFI the other ratings can be less expensive than if you were just off the street.
 
about 20K sounds right on flight training. I went to ERAU but would not count the cost of the 4 yr degree as I would have gone to college anyway, and my degree was not Air Science.
 
oops...nothing like screwing up on a post right after saying what school you went to....(laughing)
 
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According to my ex during divorce preceedings, I spent $61,000 on flight training since day one of lessons until day one at American Eagle. This included legitimate flight training expenses, and also....

magazine subscriptions related to flying
all books and written exams
payments on the 172 I owned (insurance, tiedowns, fuel, maintenance, etc. included)
vacations taken in the airplane
$100 hamburger runs
the costs of headsets, flight bags, etc.
Oshkosh and all other airshows attended
job fairs attended
conferences attended


Basically, if it was related to aviation in any way, it was lumped into this figure. I was hired at Eagle with approximately 1200 total time. Not including the income I earned as a flight instructor, it cost me on average of $50 per hour to fly (single and multiengine).

The ex scoured every credit card receipt and check book we had, so I know this is an accurate figure :)
 
Four year degree at UND's aviation program from 1990 to 1994 Total cost of Bachelors degree (Airway Science) with room and board, about $30,000 for a Minnesota resident with reciprocity arangements with North Dakota.

Flight programs over the four years included, pvt, comm/inst Multi engine, CFI, CFII, and MEI, ran about another $40,000, for a grand total of around $70,000 in the early nineties.
 
A career that lets you look down on the tops of clouds: Priceless.

;)
 
19,000 Private to MEI, including the apartment and utilities. I happened to get lucky and live pretty much on my own in the two bedroom apartment.
 
3,600 for the PPL
32,500 PPL to CFII,MEI
70,000 lost income while instructing and flying right seat.
375,000 for house in the airpark
100,000 (projected) for the RV8 I'm building

It has cost me $581,100 to learn to fly and the total is is still going up.
 
my path
BigBendCC 1994-1996 went from 0 time to COMM- Mulit -Inst. flight fees right at 14,000$. also came out of BBCC with an AA. Then added on CFI-II-MEI after a couple of years having fun and getting a degree from a State U.

There are many ways to get the ratings I suggest what ever cost you the least. you get the same paying job in the end crappy, whether you went to a 90,000$ Acadmey in FLA or got your ratings for dirt cheap at the local FBO.
 
Bridgewater State, MA 1988-92

about 28k for 4 year degree and zero time through CFII.

Lived at home with parents.

ME and ATP added later for $1500 a pop at Action Multi Ratings GON, CT.
 
English said:
According to my ex during divorce preceedings, I spent $61,000 on flight training since day one of lessons until day one at American Eagle. This included legitimate flight training expenses, and also....

magazine subscriptions related to flying
all books and written exams
payments on the 172 I owned (insurance, tiedowns, fuel, maintenance, etc. included)
vacations taken in the airplane
$100 hamburger runs
the costs of headsets, flight bags, etc.
Oshkosh and all other airshows attended
job fairs attended
conferences attended


Basically, if it was related to aviation in any way, it was lumped into this figure. I was hired at Eagle with approximately 1200 total time. Not including the income I earned as a flight instructor, it cost me on average of $50 per hour to fly (single and multiengine).

The ex scoured every credit card receipt and check book we had, so I know this is an accurate figure :)

What was her point?
 

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