Saving Money When Learning to Fly Light Aircraft

Flight Training is Expensive, but There are Ways to Make it Cheaper.

Oct 10, 2008

Obtaining a Private Pilot's Licence usually costs a great deal of money. But careful planning can reduce the costs. A flying instructor offers some suggestions.

Many people want to learn to fly, but are put off by the cost, which has spiralled in recent years due to such factors as increased fuel costs. But there are ways of making flight training a little less expensive.

Scholarships and Other Free Flying

There are not that many scholarships and bursaries available, but they do exist, and it is worth applying for them. The prospective student will need to do a web search in the country in which they live, but in the UK, The Air League offers a number of scholarships, and the British Women Pilot’s Association has some for women and girls who want to learn to fly.

For those of the right age, one way of learning to fly for free is to join the army, navy, or air force. However, this is not at all appropriate for everyone, and should be looked into carefully.

If the prospective student is resourceful and has the time, it is occasionally possible to obtain free flight training in exchange for washing aircraft, work around the airfield, or becoming a radio operator at a small airfield. This is worth looking into.

It is tempting to simply phone flying schools are ask how much they charge, but there is more to it than this. Schools charge in different ways: from engine-on to engine-off, from when the aircraft begins to taxi, and ‘tacho’ hours…without going into detail here, this is often cheapest. The difference can be as much as five to ten minutes on every training hour, so it is worth checking.

Also remember that the cost is not everything. It is best for the student to visit the school to make sure he or she likes the set-up and will be able to have an instructor he or she gets on with. This can make a significant difference in terms of the number of hours taken to learn to fly. In any event, the prospective student should remember that very few people learn to fly in the legal minimum number of hours, and budget for a few more.

Learning to Fly Overseas

Flight training costs vary significantly in different countries. For those in the UK, it can appear to be cheaper to learn in the USA, South Africa, or Australia. This may be the case, but costs need to be worked out carefully. The student needs to budget for flights and accommodation, but also add in some time spent learning about weather and different radio usage after returning to his native land. Savings can often be made in this manner, but care needs to be taken.

A Word of Warning

Whatever the student does, he or she needs to remember that money will be required after gaining the Private Pilot’s Licence in order to fly, learn, and keep current. It would be a shame to work hard and gain a licence but never fly again, and in most countries it is not possible to be paid for flying without a Commercial Pilot’s Licence.

Whatever one does, flying training will not be cheap. But it is well worth the outlay, and if the student is careful, costs can be reduced.

Se also the author's Blog, which has an on-going diary of her Private Pilot's Licence training.

The copyright of the article Saving Money When Learning to Fly Light Aircraft in Aviation is owned by Helen Krasner. Permission to republish Saving Money When Learning to Fly Light Aircraft in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.