How much did you spend of flight training?

[Way2Broke]

Flight training has become progressively more expensive. How much did you spend? If replying please note the year you finished and any special circumstances.

 

[flyf15]

2001-2003..... Private through CFI/CFII/MEI.... about $35000.

Lots of that was getting hundred dollar hamburgers in a Duchess, which added to the price significantly.

 

[say again]

1999- $22000, all but MEI (room & board included). I started at a good time!!

 

[j41driver]

Finished in 1996...mid-20K's...not exactly sure. Lots of $100 burgers thrown in there as well.

 

[siucavflight]

27,000, finished at Southern Illinois University in 2002

 

[d328pilot]

Joined CAP as a cadet and started taking lessons in 95 and paid $15 an hour dry for their 172. Also worked as a line guy and got an employee discount on fuel. Total was about $35 an hour. Total spend all the way through CFII / MEI was about $8000.

 

[V-1]

1998, $40,000 includes MEL, MEI, Associate's degree.

 

[jetpig32]

Joined CAP as a cadet and started taking lessons in 95 and paid $15 an hour dry for their 172. Also worked as a line guy and got an employee discount on fuel. Total was about $35 an hour. Total spend all the way through CFII / MEI was about $8000.

Similar experience. Used CAP benefits at a Navy flying Club.

 

[Flyer1015]

I know a guy who just got out of Riddle last year with roughly $200k in debt (college/flying/living expenses).

How he plans on paying that off starting at a regional salary of $21k is beyond me...

 

[BoilerUP]

Probably $30k for all my ratings through MEI; add maybe $5k for simulator courses required for my college major.

Total for 4 years out-of-state college tuition, all flight & simulator fees, room/board/rent? Close to $100,000. Regrets? Zero.

 

[Harmattan96]

1996, south of 25000$,got me 0 to COM/ME/IR at my own pace.
2003, south of 5000$, got me FI, II, MEI still at my own pace.
Degree paid by uncle sam's GI bill, with leftovers for masters when I feel like it.
Current debt...nada!

 

[bobs98tlr]

2001-(with a year and half break)2006....Pvt, inst, commercial, multi and 350hrs for alittle less then $40k....lots of personal trips in a C182.

$20k was pretty much wasted at a 141 school (about $8k) and the other $12k was wasted at a 61 school that ripped me off on my commercial.

 

[MEL'ed]

Probably $30k for all my ratings through MEI; add maybe $5k for simulator courses required for my college major.

Total for 4 years out-of-state college tuition, all flight & simulator fees, room/board/rent? Close to $100,000. Regrets? Zero.

How much of that did Harry's steal from you? Must have more quarter beer nights at the Cactus. Those were four great years of my life, and now I have to do State College overnights to have that much fun again.

 

[SPilot]

Started last month of 2004, finished mid 2006 with CFI/CFII/MEI. One year break in the middle of training.

Flight training only $42,000.00 (my flight school spending record). Advertised as $34,000.00.
Including living expenses for two years (nice housing, nice car) $60,000.00

Total hours when finished, approx 220 hours. Avg cost with 80 hours multi and 140 hours C172-time out of school: $190/hour.

Edit: And today, average number of days working to make $190: 2.7 days.

 

[QuasarZ]

about 22k for comercial multi instrument, high alt, high perf. this was over the last couple years at my own pace

 

[Citrus531]

29k after getting my CFI a couple of months ago.....that'll go over 30 when i get my MEI....

My instructor for my private, instrument and SE commercial was close to 60 after going to flight safety.

 

[Aviation Geek]

2005. Still need to get the CFIs done. Made LOTS of mistakes along the way.

 

[Goose Egg]

About $30k when all was said and done, and that was for a BS in Aviation at a state school, Private through CFII through Commercial Multi. The school that I instructed at also paid for my commercial glider, CFI-G, and MEI, so those were free for me. I wish I had known that they would hire me, because they would have paid for my CFII too!

I lived at home, so I didn't have to pay for rent or food, and since I was older and poor, only about $16k came out of my pocket in the way of loans--the rest was pell grants from the government. So it's worked out pretty well.

-Goose

 

[JonnyKnoxville]

$50,000 - Completed in 2002. PVT through MEI, expensive but no regrets with my training choice, just my career choice

 

[the turtle]

1998-1999 for ppt through m/cfi..15,500

small maryland airport

when i hear what some of my fo's pay today it makes me sick

ps. I already had my BS

 

[jmreii]

Many people will die with this debt, good luck paying it off. It won't be easy.

 

[BoilerUP]

Many people will die with this debt, good luck paying it off. It won't be easy.

Its not as hard to pay down as you might think...

 

[jmreii]

Its not as hard to pay down as you might think...

keep telling yourself that, you may begain to believe it

 

[BoilerUP]

keep telling yourself that, you may begain to believe it

I don't need to tell myself anything; my dwindling principal tells me everything I need to hear.

Its amazing what you can do to get out (and stay out) of debt with only a simple budget and highly discretionary spending...

 

[Dumb Pilot]

All of you PFTr's just make me want touke:

 

[Flyer1015]

HAHAHAhahahaaaa!


Btw, that Riddle guy I posted about has to start paying off his loans at a rate of $2400 per MONTH!

Good luck to him. Hope he realizes that he won't even make $2400 a month at his regional the first year.

Bankruptcy seems pretty good right about now for him.

 

[Sawmill]

1/2001 - 4/2003 Just under $40K for private, instrument, Comm ME, CFI, II, MEI and a BE30 type. Money spent includes buying an airplane (down payment and monthly payments) and $8000. spent on the type (150 hours of left seat actual time...no sim time)

 

[Goose Egg]

Its amazing what you can do to get out (and stay out) of debt with only a simple budget and highly discretionary spending...

Very true, and in some cases, very highly discretionary. However, the only regret that I have when it comes to career choice is that I waited until age 25 to make the decision to pursue professional flying. It's all a question of priorities. Right now, I'd rather fly and have a career that I enjoy than lots of expensive toys... (those will come later. See my avatar. )

-Goose

 

[Way2Broke]

Delta Connection Academy being the criminals that they are now recommend that you take out a home equity loan to pay for training. See it here for yourself on the schools web page. Scroll to the bottom and read under "additional sources of funding." Also notice that key bank in no longer a option. Wonder why? I would like to find any financial planner that thinks putting your house on the block to become a pilot is a good idea. Sick.

http://www.deltaconnectionacademy.com/pdf/Source of Funds 03-29-2007.pdf

 

[JetMonkey]

$20,000 from prt through MEI. 1997-1998 at home town fbo at the international airport. I started flying later than most so lucky for me times were good, the day I got my cfi the owner hired me. 15 months later, right into an RJ for a regional. I'm glad I did it when I did, the cost of flight training now, there's no way I'd be able to afford it with a family and mortgage.