The cost varies, since it includes aircraft rental, instructor time, training, supplies and exams. 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 requirements have also affected the overall costs. Currently, the recent average is about 70 hours flight time with about 15 hours ground time. Adding in books, accessories and outside testing requirements give an average cost of about $11,200. 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!

As of the end of 2013, our average costs and times were:

$11,190 – including books, most materials, aircraft rental, testing and instructor charges

Flight time average: 70.0 hours total, 47.4 Hours Dual with 22.6 Hours Solo.
Also:  14.4 hours Ground Training and 0.9 hours Simulator.

Average duration of traning: 462 days from start to finish, including lapse time for various real-life events like babies, job-changes, moves, new jobs, etc.

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!

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.

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.

A reasonable estimate range is $15,000 to $18,000, which includes aircraft, all training, supplies, exams and costs of building Cross Country PIC time in our aircraft. The minimum hours required is 40 hours of dual instrument training.  The FAA also requires an instrument candidate to have 50 hours of PIC cross country time. You mayl acquire most of that time during your instrument cross country training, but will probably 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.

As of the end of 2013, for an Instrument rating, our average is:

Cost: $17,990 – including books, materials, aircraft rental, instructor charges, testing, etc.  This also includes obtaining all the necessary Cross  Country flying as well.   If a pilot already has those hours, then it’ll cut out those costs.

Flight Time Average: 103.7 hours, with 58.6 hours Dual, 45.1 Hours Solo, 9.1 hours Ground Instruction and 12.0 hours Simulator time.

Average duration of traning: 213 days from Private Pilot to 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

Texas State Aviation does not offer direct financing for students. However, there are other options. You can go through either Pilot Finance or Sallie Mae (see our ‘Links’ page) to obtain loans for pilot training.

You’ll need to contact the FAA Flight Standards District Office for the area you’ll be in. That would be the San Antonio FSDO around here. There’s also a nice walk-through of the process at ProfPilot.co.uk here.