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Private Pilots license

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PhatAJ2008

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 24, 2005
Posts
218
I'm looking to getting my PPL. Went to the airport today and checked into pricing. They (Flightline) said it would cost me about $7,000. to get my cert. Does this sound about right?
Thanks
 
It all depends. Figure 60 hours @ $100/hr..... $7k sounds a little steep but not outrageous. If I was trying to save $$$ and location didn't matter, I'd find an old strip out in the south or the midwest. Regardless of location, consider a 150/152 (if you like high-wing) instead of a 172. Good luck.
 
What they alluded to is there are a number of variables. One is location. Prime location, busy airport, metro city, means they pay more to rent their facility, and they may (though not likely) pay their Instructors more. In addition, their insurance may be higher. Also, gas will be more expensive.

Depending on where you live, you may find a smaller, nearby, airport that will charge you less to rent one of their aircraft.

That's one factor. Another is how persistent you are going to be. For me, I wanted my PPL, not a career in aviation (I'm to old), and it was when I had some extra money in my pocket. As a result, I went through 2 flight schools, 3 different kinds of airplanes, and 4 different airplanes (one kind resulted in two different airplanes), 5 instructors, and 15 months. Oh, I started out in a 152. I hated it. Changed airports, flew a Maule Tri-Gear. Loved it. Maule broke (not me!!), flew 2 different 172's.

In hindsight, that is absolutely the worst way to do it. Get your money together, take a week, go fly 2 x / day, buy the King CD video set, study it when you are not flying. Read everything you can. In short order, you'll find that you are progressing, and you'll end up with a pilots license.

If you are gainfully employed, get the King set (as in www.kingschools.com ), go through the PPL stuff, take a week off, go learn to fly. If you do it that way, you should comfortably be able to get through solo the first week. It's an important milestone.

The rules are you need 40 hours. I took 70+. Assuming each hour cost some amount of money, you can see that doing it in a concentrated fashion is more cost effective.
 
Most ppl in the nyc area take close to 100 hours for the Private and spend around 10K.

C172 or PA28-161
 
nosehair said:

...................................!!!!
a hundred hours!?!?!?
any idea why??


Crowded airspace, .3 to get out to the practice area and .3 back, and lots of time sitting on the ground with the hobbs meter going "click...click...click." There's your 100 hours and ten grand. We had the same problem fliyng around the Boston area.
 
Yup.

Long taxi's to multiple runways, sometimes having to wait until the runup pad is clear to accomplish checks, being number 3 or 4 for takeoff as well as 3 to 4 aircraft on the opposite side along with some intersection departures, long cruise back and forth to the practice area, constantly having to maneuver out of the way or discontinue when you spot other planes in the practice area, being number 8 in the pattern, some days you can be calling in for 15-20 minutes and not get acknowledged by tower it's so busy, plenty of extended downwinds and 360's, not to mention the more complex airspace of JFK, LGA, EWR and ISP. Theres a lot going on before the student is even allowed to go solo. Fuel prices factor into all of this as well.
 
PhatAJ2008 said:
I'm looking to getting my PPL. Went to the airport today and checked into pricing. They (Flightline) said it would cost me about $7,000. to get my cert. Does this sound about right?
Thanks

Flightline Tallahassee?

If so, that price is about right. It could be lower, but I would plan on $7000. The folks at flightline set very realistic expectations for the students.

Do you plan on training in the warrior or 172? The 172 is quite a bit cheaper b/c it does not have moving map gps. I suggest it...it will make you a better pilot, and hell, it's cheaper.

I am taking my checkride within the next couple weeks. Send me a pm if you have any questions.

BTW, you go to FSU?
 

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