The Cost of Getting a Private Pilot's Licence

How to Work Out the Total Price of a PPL - Flying, Exams & Equipment

Apr 12, 2009 Helen Krasner

The total cost of a Private Pilot's License is more than the hourly rate for the flying lessons. You need to include ground exams, navigation equipment, exam costs etc.

How much will a Private Pilot’s Licence or PPL actually cost? It is an expensive undertaking, and most students try to work out the total price in advance. What needs to be included? A flying instructor explains it all.

The Cost of PPL Flying Lessons

The cost of each flying lesson varies, depending on many factors, such as the size of the airfield and the type of plane the student will learn on. It is a good idea to compare different flying schools, but the student should not necessarily choose the cheapest one. It is more important to find an establishment which has a good reputation and where he or she will fit in. See How to Choose a Flying School and Choosing a Flying Instructor for more details.

If the student is very large he or she may find it a good idea to learn in a four-seater aircraft. A very short person should make sure that he or she can reach all the controls. Otherwise, it really doesn’t matter what type of plane is used for learning, and it is fine to pick the cheapest one.

The Length of the PPL Course

Many flying schools will quote for the cost of the legal minimum number of flying hours required to get a Private Pilot’s Licence – the UK currently 45 hours. The student should bear in mind that most people take longer than this, and budget accordingly – the UK national average is around 60 – 70 hours.

Some flying schools will give the student pilot a reduced rate if he or she pays for the full course up front. This may not be a good idea. Flying schools have been known to go out of business, particularly in a recession! If the student does pay in advance, he should make sure that he uses a credit card so that he can get his money back if things go wrong.

The ‘Hidden’ Costs of Gaining a Private Pilot’s License

The student pilot will need to have money for more than just the cost of the flying. Here is a list of the other things which he or she should budget for:-

• Landing fees are payable in some countries. These may or may not apply at the student’s home airfield, but he should ask. In countries where they apply, he will need to pay for them during navigation exercises when he goes to another airfield.
• There are several written or ‘ground’ exams. The student pilot will need to buy the books for these. Some people study for them alone, but the student may wish to attend a course, so should budget for this if it is the way he prefers to learn.
• Other required items are aviation charts for navigation, basic navigation equipment, and a flight bag of some type. Optional items include a stopwatch, kneeboard, and GPS.

After the Private Pilot’s License

It is important to realize that flying requires practice. The student should make sure that he or she will be able to fund what is a fairly expensive hobby after obtaining that coveted PPL. It would be a shame to pass the final test, get the Private Pilot’s License, and then not be able to afford to fly.

Studying for a PPL is a time-consuming and expensive business. It is worth doing some research in advance to make sure one gets everything right. There are a number of articles by the same author on this topic, or read the author’s blog for some details about her own Private Pilot’s Licence course. And…happy flying!

The copyright of the article The Cost of Getting a Private Pilot's Licence in Aviation is owned by Helen Krasner. Permission to republish The Cost of Getting a Private Pilot's Licence in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Cost of Learning to Fly