Frequently Asked Questions How much does it cost to get my private pilot's license? How much will it cost to earn an instrument rating? How long will it take me to get my private pilot's license? What do I have to do to earn my private pilot certificate? How do I get started with lessons? What requirements are there for an instrument rating? How much does it cost to get my private pilot's license? A minimum estimate is $5,000, which includes aircraft, training, supplies and exams. This estimate is based on the FAA minimum of 40 hours to earn the private license, with block rate discounts on aircraft. The cost increases if you fly more than the minimum 40 hours towards earning your license. The cost can also increase depending on the aircraft you train in and the books, materials & supplies you purchase while training. Very few people obtain their licenses in the minimum required flight time, though. Recent price increases in fuel and other requirments have also affected the overall costs. Currently, the recent average is about 70 hours flight time with about 18 hours ground time. Adding in books, accesories and outside testing requirments give an average cost of about $11,900. The best way to stay on the low side of the average is to study a lot so you're prepared, fly as regularly as your schedule allows, and pay attention to the instructors! Back to Top How much will it cost to earn an instrument rating? A reasonable estimate is $6,000 which includes aircraft, all training, supplies and exams. The minimum hours required is 40 hours of instrument training. The FAA requires a minimum of 15 hours from a Certificated Instrument Instructor. You can lower the cost by doing some training and cross country flying with a certificated safety pilot while flying under simulated instrument conditions. The FAA also requires an instrument candidate to have 50 hours of PIC cross country time. You will acquire most of that time during your instrument cross country training, but will most likely have to do some extra cross country flights. The cost can increase if the student flies more than the required 40 instrument hours and 50 cross country hours. Back to Top How long will it take me to get my private pilot's license? The FAA requires a private pilot candidate to have a minimum of 40 hours. How long it takes you to get there is up to your schedule allowance for training. You can fly as many times a week as your schedule and pocket book allows. We will accommodate the frequency of your training flights with appointments you make with us. Back to Top What do I have to do to earn my private pilot certificate? The FAA requires 40 hours of flight training. It is split into 20 hours of dual(instruction) and 10 hours of solo training; the other 10 hours can be fulfilled with either dual or solo flying. The 20 hours of instruction include: 3 hours of cross country training. 3 hours of instrument training. 3 hours of night flying to include:one night cross country over 100 miles total and 10 takeoff and landings. 3 hours of training within 60 days of your FAA practical. The 10 hours of solo flying include: 5 hours of cross country flying to include:one cross country over 150 miles with 3 landings at different fields. 3 full stop landings at a towered airport. Back to Top How do I get started with lessons? All you need to do is call to schedule your first flight. We will work with your schedule. You will need to fill out an information sheet and bring a photo i.d., proof of citizenship or legal immigrant status and some form of payment. That is all! Back to Top What requirements are there for an instrument rating? For Part 61: in addition to a Private Pilot Certificate & 50 hours of cross country time as PIC, the FAA requires: 40 hours of instrument training: and 15 hours must be instruction from an Instrument Instructor One cross country of 250 NM along airways must include three different approaches at different airports Back to Top