Private Pilot License Cost

 

                               Private Pilot License Cost 

Cost to Become a Private Pilot

,
Private Pilot Requirements Cost

Onsite Pilot School $350,

FAA Private Pilot Written Examination $175, FAA Medical Certificate $125,

40 Hours Flight Training $7,000 - $11,000

FAA Checkride 650 $8,980 Total Cost USD - 12,300 USD

Jim needs to do a few things to get his private pilot license. You will need:

Pilot Ground School (an online course is great for this) ~$350,
Pass the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam ~$175, Receive an FAA Medical Certificate ~$125, Airplane Flight Training ~$7,000 - $11,000 (why is this a price range and not a fixed price?)
FAA Checkride (your flight test, sort of like a driving test for your driver's license) ~$650,
Total: $8,300 to $12,300

Learn how yours our private pilot school can help save you money by getting your private pilot certificate.

So Jim is starting his online ground school on January 1st, and it's helping him prepare for both his flight training and the FAA Private Pilot Written Test (60 question, multiple choice). He enrolled on FLY8MA in elementary school.com and completed it in 2 weeks with approximately 50 hours of total study time devoted to the courses. Having completed his elementary school at FLY8MA.com, Jim had a great knowledge base and passed his FAA written exam with ease. Jim has spent about $500 so far.

He then went to his local flight school (he chose his flight school using our guide here) and took his first flight lesson.The cost of flying lessons varies depending on the length of each lesson, but he carefully planned that each lesson would cost between $300 and $450. After his first lesson, Jim asked his Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) for a recommendation on which doctor to get your medical certificate.
Jim goes to the recommended AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) and gets his FAA Medical for $125.

Jim studies hard, flies at least 5 days a week and earns his private pilot license on February 15th after completing his $650 private pilot checkride with the FAA.

In all, Jim spent about 6 weeks learning to fly and earned his pilot's license for $8,527. Jim has also logged a total of 44.2 flight hours, which is just above the FAA minimum flight hour requirement of 40 to become a private pilot, but well below the 2020 national average of 73.1 hour.
Instrument Qualification Costs
You've probably heard of pilots flying VFR (Visual Flight Rules) or IFR (Instrument Flight Rules). We've all heard about how JFK Jr. crashed his plane in bad weather because he didn't know how to fly with instruments. Jim found that out too and he doesn't want that to happen to him so on March 1st he decides to get his instrument grade.

Instrument Rating Requirements (IFR) Cost
IFR Ground School $350
FAA IFR Written Test $175
40 hours instrument flight and 50 hours cross-country flight $5,000 to $9,000 (why is it a range)
15 hours Flight Training Minimum $3,000 to $5,000
FAA Checkride 650 $ Just like any other type of pilot license, Jim must take a "ground school" course to study for both flight training and the FAA pilot test (each pilot license level has one mandatory FAA written exam, and the FAA requires that you receive ground training and certification that you are ready for the exam prior to being admitted to the written exam).

It is important to note that Jim does not need to earn his instrument rating at this time, but it is a good idea to earn it before proceeding with his commercial pilot license as no company will hire him without this rating (Note: In aviation we have "Certificates" commonly known as licenses and we have "Ratings. You need to get a certificate first and then you can add additional "Ratings" such as an instrument rating).