How much will it cost?

It can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $11,000, depending on the type of airplane you want to fly for your training.  Let’s take some typical numbers:

          30 hours of instruction time @ $50 an hour for the instructor

          30 hours of instruction time @ $90 an hour for the plane rental

30 hours of solo flight time @ $90 an hour for plane rental

          Instructor             $1,500

          Plane rental         $5,400

                                       ----------

                    Total          $6,900

Other instructors may charge more – sometime significantly more.  Be sure and ask yourself what you are getting for that money.  Other instructors may charge less – likely because they do it part time, or don’t have the experience to warrant rates that high.

Other planes cost more.  Learning in these planes may be fun and slightly more comfortable, but under no circumstance will they make you a better pilot.  Planes with glass GPS cockpits and autopilots may serve to make you a WEAKER pilot.  There will be plenty of time to fly those planes (and pay those rates) AFTER you get your license!

You may also need additional ground instruction beyond self paced ground study either in a ground school or with a flight instructor