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.
- Flight Hours: $14,080
I logged around 70 hours to earn my PPL (which was a bit more than I initially planned since I could only do weekends).
- Ground School: $500
The necessary evil – those who know will relate.
- Books and Supplies: $685
Maps, books, miscellaneous materials I needed to make it through school.
- Gear & Others: $1,200
ForeFlight subscription, logbooks, headphones, glasses, and others.
- Exams: $1,200
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!
mambapowa@reddit
Mine was roughly 10K in NewCal
Flying_4fun@reddit
I just punched my PPL ticket and it came to $19.6k at exactly 80hrs. This includes a higher end headset ($900), ipad mini 6 (with gps, $350) and sentry box ($350). The aircraft rental was ~$12k and cfi instruction ~$3.6k. Check out my post history for a more detailed breakdown.
smokn-n-jokn@reddit
Mine costs about 10K
Ornery-Face8977@reddit
Light sport is a little cheaper and the aircraft could be a little cheaper to rent as well due to lower fuel consumption. If he really wants to fly I would advise on just applying the 14k towards purchasing an airplane instead of renting someone else's. You can find flight instructors for anywhere from $50/hr to $75/hr so your training would be in the realm of $1000 to $1500 and you wouldn't need a medical so you save around 200 there. Unless of course he wants a private cert vs a sport pilot certificate. But either way I would still invest the 14k into something of my own rather than someone else's plane.
Themmendezzx@reddit
With today’s economy, not bad honestly
sioux24@reddit
Where do you live? Where vary greatly depending on location. Are you in NorCal/Socal/NY or are you in a small town in the Midwest?
lex-v@reddit
Yo what’s this app called?
Forsaken_Cost4608@reddit
Piere, so it seems.
Forsaken_Cost4608@reddit
What app did you use to gather the cost info?
beachsand83@reddit
The flight training cost is about right along with medical and checkride. Where you in my opinion overspent is on the gear and others thing. For me I spend $120 a year on foreflight, I bought a used basic headset for like $40, logbook was cheap and so were the actual maps I needed for my checkride let’s say $20~. E6B is like $80 and Gleim ppl written prep is like $25~. So $265~
Alexwinner15@reddit
Gonna be about the same for me. 175 for written and 1200 for PPL tho
airspeednotalive@reddit
My average 1.5 hr flight costs around $470.
Active_Ad_771@reddit
Yup. Same as what we paid
Zealousideal_Cry_949@reddit
Come to Europe, can get full training for half the price and since they’re both ICAO states it’s applicable to both. Check out mentored Modular, they sourced my flight schools for it and did it in 2 months.
iamflyipilot@reddit
Rule of thumb is 15k +/- 5k depending on specific circumstances.
zseblodongo@reddit
Huh, and I was thinking it was expensive here in Eastern Europe.
$8200 on a two seater or $10K on a C172
ackermann@reddit
Damn, wish I had done it 15 years ago. I thought about it, almost did, and at that time they were quoting around $8k
Odd-Repair-729@reddit (OP)
Good rule of thumb, thanks for the insight!
juneballoon@reddit
I spent 25k for my 70 hrs :/
PrimadonnaInCommand@reddit
that’s honestly pretty good
NoCupcake5932@reddit
what's the app?
InGeorgeWeTrust_@reddit
Mine was 11 a few years ago. Doesn’t seem that crazy with the increase in cost
Odd-Repair-729@reddit (OP)
Appreciate it, the rising costs make sense now.
BrianBash@reddit
Yeah, it blows. It went up so fast. You used to be able to get a rebuilt Carburetor for a 172 for about $800, pre Covid. Now they are $1200, a 50% increase in 4 years. 😔
CharlieMBTA@reddit
You used to be able to get a decent 150 for \~20k before covid...
BrianBash@reddit
Yup. Well aware…just rolling with it!
ToastAndJuice555@reddit
$3500 for mine in 2001 😂
ValuableJumpy8208@reddit
$5,300 for mine in 2008!
Field_Sweeper@reddit
200 an hour isn't far off.
Gold_Aardvark5151@reddit
Just be happy you didn’t sign up for ATP… I’d be thrilled if that’s all I paid for mine! “Fly safe and study hard” fuggincoquesookers you’re doing great!
AD_VICTORIAM_MOFO@reddit
In $CAD that's exactly average and about what I paid.
Skydance98@reddit
Mine was in 1998 when I was 20. It cost a total of $3,235 after I'd paid for my checkride, sitting at 43hrs in a Piper Archer II. I paid the $75/mo "Club" dues for the two months during which I did training, and this lowered my per hour rate a bit, I flew 3x/week minimum, and read all of the books a few times before starting. I'm sure a life long obsession with flying and flight simulators and RC flying helped me feel like it was just going through the motions every day I could get the CFI to meet me!
GrandpaKnuckles@reddit
Out of pocket, what app is this?
the_silent_one1984@reddit
Your flight hours come out to about $200 per hour, which is doable maybe in a 6-pack C152 with a CFI, but barely. I trained in the C172 which was a bit more expensive, and if you went for the G1000 it would be even more than that. These days I'd probably budget for $275 per hour for a rental + CFI.
didsomebodysaywander@reddit
I live in the SF Bay Area so I assume my prices are more expensive than average. My flying club rates for a 172S with G1000 are about $200-250 an hour, and instructors are about 100 to $120 an hour. I have personally budgeted $40,000 for my PPL, but suspect I'll do it closer to $30k
noghri87@reddit
Seems about right. It’s about what I quote to interested students.
walleyednj@reddit
Mine was around 7K 2 years ago, but I had a Musketeer at my disposal that was only $100 an hour to fly and my brother was my CFI. Hardly the normal setup. This included books, ground school, lightspeed Zulu 3 headset and DPE fees.
Infamous-Finish755@reddit
I spent about the same for about 80 hours on my PPL back in 2020. Granted my school shut down for 2 months cuz of Covid and it being a non essential business but this seems accurate
Legitimate_Cry3615@reddit
$13k with 55 hours is what my school advertises (small Part 61 school in the Midwest).
MBSuperDad@reddit
We quote our customers between $12,000 and $18,000 for our basic aircraft, and about $1,000 more for our glass cockpit aircraft. We do not include amounts paid to others such as the knowledge test and the check ride.
General aviation is more expensive than ever. Operating costs have increased somewhat but fixed costs have increased tremendously. Training aircraft prices have more than doubled over the last few years, and the high cost of acquisition drives up fixed monthly costs. Insurance, the rates for which have risen independently of, and in addition to the value of the aircraft themselves, and interest on bank notes are great examples. Those bills come due every month whether the airplane flies one hour or 100 hours. Margins are already low, so unless you want to pick your CFIs’ pockets by illegally misclassifying them as contractors and/or paying them shitty wages, the only way to make a profit and put dinner on the table is to charge higher rates on aircraft.
imlooking4agirl@reddit
28k for me. 95 hours and one failed checkride. Waiting on a new checkride date.
sassinator13@reddit
“More years ago than I care to mention…”
Talks about ForeFlight costs. Call me a dinosaur I guess.
mhammaker@reddit
For 70 hours, that's probably about right. $200/hr rental be a smidge high, depending on how nice the plane was and where you live.
There's a few spots you could probably have trimmed some fat. $1200 for gear seems high. I'm assuming a big chunk of that was an ANR headset that you probably could have done without, or iPad you could've gotten used/older and saved some money. And almost $700 for books seems high too, I think I might have spent $100 for a paper FAR/AIM and PHAK.
PooPooPointBoiz@reddit
how old of an ipad can you get away with these days? I'm not an apple guy.
mhammaker@reddit
My 6th gen is working well, I got it about 2 years ago. Not sure if there's a newer one out there or not.
PooPooPointBoiz@reddit
What kind of ipad? Mini? Regular? Air? Pro?
mhammaker@reddit
Mini. Anything bigger would be way too cumbersome imo
chasepsu@reddit
I'm using an iPad Air and agree that it's pretty cumbersome in a 172. I'm just already $15k into my flight training (I live in NYC so it's just expensive) and am just dealing with it until probably I start IR and really have to start using it for more than just a scratchpad and radio frequency lookup tool
theoneupthere@reddit
Agreed here. Mini is the way. I started with one and then “upgraded” to a full size … immediately regretted it and now back to a mini. Larger is not better.
WhiteoutDota@reddit
I think 5th gen is the oldest one supporter. I'd go 6th myself.
Odd-Repair-729@reddit (OP)
Great tips, I’ll keep those in mind for future purchases
SaltBaeUrMom@reddit
Mine cost 18K in 2018 with 80 hours of flight time… you did good
Conscious-Cancel-558@reddit
Took me 80 hours to with a discontinue cause of high winds. Spent an extra 10 hours waiting a month for the next available date. Same amount 18k
Odd-Repair-729@reddit (OP)
Thanks, makes me feel better about my expenses.
Fresh-Side9587@reddit
Seems like that’s about average ‘s nowadays:(
Buckwild_1142@reddit
Currently in training, when I first started my instructor told me it would probably be 25-30k for my ppl. I am progressing faster than she expected so it will not end up being that much. Between fuel, plane and instructor it’s a little over 300 an hour.
ilias80@reddit
What?!?!? 25K for a PPL?
Dampglobe16626@reddit
It’s a little high but it comes down to the hours. For 70 hours, that is about right. I did my ride at 42 hours so mine didn’t cost so much.
NovaPrime94@reddit
Wait that’s it??
Late-Tackle3176@reddit
No, I spent like 21k for 75ish hours. Everyone’s experience varies.
I felt like I got a quality PPL. I’m in SoCal as well so it’s a bit more expensive/denser airspace.
tparikka@reddit
My all-in cost around 2021-2022 was about that. I took my time, didn't rush to my checkride, got myself good equipment (A20 right out of the gate for example). Flying out of 3CK near ORD. No regrets.
TheRegularBro@reddit
Do you mind if I DM you about your medical?
Virian@reddit
Around $18,000 all in is what I paid for mine in 2023. I had about 90 hours total.
ap2patrick@reddit
Damn I’m glad I got mines during COVID. Paid 135 wet for a 152 and 30/hr for my instructor.
I-LOVE-TURTLES666@reddit
Sounds about right, especially if you’re in a metro area
JerryWagz@reddit
$8k in 2019
iLOVEr3dit@reddit
That's about what I paid
Odd-Repair-729@reddit (OP)
Reassuring to hear, thanks!
UnderdoneSalad@reddit
Dine my PPL(a) in europe 4 years ago, think my total sum was approx 13k euros, 47 or 48 flight hours + ground school + exams, outta gear ive only gotten chart-10eur, E6B 10-15eur and a kneepad 10eur
Odd-Repair-729@reddit (OP)
Interesting comparison, thanks for sharing your experience!
odinsen251a@reddit
That's pretty much what I paid for mine. Roughly same hours, too.
Odd-Repair-729@reddit (OP)
Thanks, good to know my costs were in line with others.
Purgent@reddit
Sounds about right for the average person.
_toodamnparanoid_@reddit
Watching the price of PPL go up over time makes me feel old.
sigmapilot@reddit
Is this adjusted for inflation? What years did you train?
ltcterry@reddit
This makes you sound incredibly average $18k/70 hours and look like a total data geek. Well done.
But you know you can't be average if you are pilot; you are a one-percenter.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
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!
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