Is $18K for my PPL a lot of money?

Posted by Odd-Repair-729@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 77 comments

More years ago than I care to mention, I got my PPL after college. My neighbor texted me yesterday that he’s looking to get his PPL as well and wanted to understand the costs. Attached is a summary report of what I spent on my own, and am hoping for feedback on whether or not this is still accurate.

I logged around 70 hours to earn my PPL (which was a bit more than I initially planned since I could only do weekends).

The necessary evil – those who know will relate.

Maps, books, miscellaneous materials I needed to make it through school.

ForeFlight subscription, logbooks, headphones, glasses, and others.

Costs included for checkride and medical exams. That FAA doc was a good sport about my anxiety, though.

My All-in Total: $17,997

I expected it to be expensive, and it definitely was—but every penny felt well spent. The cost of flight hours really added up, especially since I ended up needing more time than I’d planned.  

Did I end up paying more than most people? Maybe, since I logged extra hours beyond the standard for a PPL. I’m curious how it stacks up against what others spent.

Thanks in advance!