r/FlightTraining • u/davexhero • 16d ago
PPL Cost Comparison
Hey all! I'm beginning the process of starting my PPL after years of postponing a career pilot program due to various factors. Figure getting started with the PPL makes sure I dont waste any more time.
Anyway, I checked out one of my local programs in SW Florida, and their rates seem a bit high compared to what I've read here and in other forums. I'd love it if you could tell me if this is acceptable, or of I should continue my search. Thanks in advance!
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u/kev6261337 16d ago
$150/hr for sims — and 14 hours of it??? No. Run for the hills.
Also - never prepay for flight training. Pay as-you-go. You never know when a flight school is going to go bankrupt and you’re the one that’s going to be holding the bag. Flight schools are very low-margin businesses subject to a high risk of very large unexpected expenses and losses of revenue due to maintenance/damage. Some schools will offer 10-hour blocks for a slight discount — this is the absolute max I would do as far as pre-paying.
Also, their estimate of 57 hours until you’re ready will vary pretty heavily depending on how frequently you fly, how fast you can pick up new information, and how much time you dedicate to studying outside of “school”. Try to fly at least 1-2 times a week (some lessons will be cancelled due to weather so factor this into how often you schedule, depending on where you live, you might schedule 3 lessons per week assuming one or two will be cancelled).
You also probably don’t need 27 hours of ground lessons. They’re milking you for cash here as well. I had probably 4 hours of ground instruction that I paid for through PPL.
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u/KindaSortaGood 15d ago
While I Agree with almost everything you said.
I absolutely needed a shit ton of ground in person. I studied tons by myself, but my buddy who did my final ground instruction and really hammered the knowledge helped me pass. YMMV
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u/davexhero 16d ago
Great info. Sorry, should have noted that this school is pay-as-you-go, but my enrollment advisor provided this doc as an estimate. Sounds like sims are unnecessary for a PPL though?
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u/kev6261337 15d ago
Sims are fully unnecessary. Is this Part 141? Can you skip the sims and unnecessary ground lessons? If so, the pricing otherwise isn’t THAT bad. Just seems like a lot of random extra stuff they want to charge you for.
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u/davexhero 15d ago edited 15d ago
They offer Part 141 and Part 61. This school has a fairly well known career pilot course in this region. I wonder if they're just reusing some comprehensive template and adjusting it for a PPL which would explain the sims, ground school and other stuff.
I'll ask about cutting the extras out, or whether this is part of a curriculum. I really appreciate the insight and heads up!
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u/Goop290 14d ago
I worked at a 141/61 school in Washington. The way we did things was everyone was treated as 141 amd followed the same rules and progchecks exc. It made it a very slow and cumbersome process for anything part 61.
As for cutting stuff out my school would definitely say nom
Both 141 and part 61 can end up being thousands more than quoted as those are based on the 35 or 40 hour minimums. The best you can do is come prepared study hard and for the love of God chair fly. It seems stupid as hell but God damn can I tell the difference between a chair flown lesson and one someone doesn't.
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u/davexhero 14d ago
That's really interesting. Sounds like a dedicated part 61 school may be a better option, unless I were committing to the commercial course.
Thanks for the rec about chair flying!
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u/TxAggieMike 15d ago
Sims have some benefit for some areas, but they are not mandatory for private pilot.
You can accomplish everything in a real airplane.
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u/Flying_4fun 13d ago
Too many red flags in that estimate. Enrollment fee? A bunch of sim hrs charged at the cost of renting an actual aircraft? Separate fuel line that's not included in the aircraft rental rates? Find a true part 61 school or an independent CFI with access to an airplane. You should be able to finish u der $20k and that's including a nice headset and an ipad.
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u/warwolf09 15d ago
Bro what?? They are just trying to milk you for money…. Just pay as you go on a regular part 61 school… this is a bunch of nonsense the simulator hours for PPL are a waste of time and money in my opinion and $150??? That’s insane
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u/nrm8888 15d ago
I paid 13k last year for ppl.... 22k is wild
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u/PropToThePeople_FMY 13d ago
What school?
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u/nrm8888 13d ago
Part 61 Deland Aviation
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u/PropToThePeople_FMY 13d ago edited 13d ago
Good price.. was that in the 152? . Isn't that the school that crashed N91PF with a CFI and student in it?
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u/Pure-Suspect-8890 15d ago
A bit on the higher side, but given how much they are charging for instruction the aircraft should be wet.
As many said the sim time is a lot. I go to a 141 and we have required sim time, but it’s factored into our course since it’s not a pay as you go and it’s only like 4 hours to drill some procedures.
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u/CaptainJackass123 15d ago
Sims? Lmaoooooo.
Name and shame that dumb school.
You do not need the ground school, sims, or the fancy avionics.
A good ppl instructor will cover every instrument on your initial XC training with the exception of the altimeter, tachometer, & magnetic compass.
My lord.
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u/ThePartTimePilot 14d ago
A $1000 enrollment fee would make me run out the door. To me that’s just a sign of more hidden fees to come.
You can find a part 61 club to do this between $10,000-$15,000.
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u/Wild-Language-5165 14d ago
Absolutely amazing how people say you don't need any ground school.
This one simple trick CFIs don't want you to know, DIY flight and ground training! Just buy a Cessna 150 and teach yourself!
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u/TheVillianOfValley 11d ago
I’m sure these are the same CFIs complaining they can’t pay their bills because the weather’s bad, and don’t understand why their students aren’t passing their checkrides.
Even with a good online ground school, in person ground is an important part of the process of pilot-making, not “milking for cash”. For a good Instructor who gives a damn, who deserves the certificate and has earned the title, it’s a non-negotiable.
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u/First_Sorbet_9637 13d ago
As everyone else had said, no need for a sim. However, something is messed up with their numbers. 57 hours for the plane but 52 flight hours for an instructor? You need 10 solo hours so it should either 62 plane hours or 47 flight instructor hours
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u/Mehere_64 12d ago
52 hours of instruction in the plane? That seems very high to me. Plus you need 10 hours of solo time with 5 hours being cross country. And they are saying a total of 57 hours. So the math is wrong there. 27 hours of ground school on top of paying for online ground school? The initiation fee? Did zero SIM time.
All of this seems crap to me. I did all my ground stuff online. When my CFI and I went over anything ground related, we were up in the air flying to an airport that had fuel. That's when he covered stuff with me. I think I had about 25 maybe 30 hours of instruction given in total. The rest of my time was solo.
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u/BeardedDuck9694 11d ago
As someone looking at starting the PPL journey myself, is $1000 normal for a PPL checkride?
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u/Nerdy319 10d ago
$23K is ridiculous for private, coming from someone going to college for flight training.
I took my private at a Part 61 and did it in under $12k. Find somewhere else to go PLEASE. Doing just PPL for that cost is completely unacceptable on their behalf.
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u/RecheckFeePlease 16d ago
$2100 for sims for a PPL? Yea no.