Checkride prices
Posted by bootfullofrudder@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 54 comments
Is $1,700 steep for an instrument check ride? I’m at a 141 school with an in house DPE and they claim that it’s much cheaper than regular check rides but I feel like that’s bs
Sunperson69@reddit
At my 141 in house checks were done by check instructors so we are just charged the check instructors hourly and the plane.
run264fun@reddit
“No, that’s really cheap” - pilots in 2036
“Very cheap” - pilots in 2046
Lexford@reddit
$1,000-$1,500 has become pretty standard for any checkride where I'm at in a midwest metro area. There's a couple examiners still in the $750 range, but most are $1,000+ unfortunately
Spare-Light-6136@reddit
$900 Instrument checkride in South Texas
ItsReallyLebron@reddit
141 school with an in house DPE and youre paying $1,700 for a checkride?? Are you including the airplane usage , etc or is the checkride straight up $1,700?
My ride was 141 in house and it was like $4-500 lol thats with the airplane and check airman
Biker1124@reddit
Every DPE and I mean every single one in my area charges $1000 for every checkride apart from CFI initial which is usually an extra $500 so $1700 is very steep.
Double-Reflection838@reddit
Mine was $1000 plus airplane rental.
MangledX@reddit
That's a stupid price for a IFR checkride. That would be a stupid price for a CFI checkride.
5m3ff@reddit
Where are you located? Mid west that’s a nutty price. Paid $1200 for my multi com. Instrument should be a max $1000 (still egregiously over priced, but more demand then supply)
bootfullofrudder@reddit (OP)
I fly out of leesburg va which is an expensive area but they charged me 5.5 hours of ground at $145 per hour and 2.6 dual at $380 per hour. It was really like 3 hours of ground too. I should probably change schools.
5m3ff@reddit
Yeah that’s more reasonable… includes everything not just the dpe fee which I assumed.
acfoltzer@reddit
I am admittedly unfamiliar with 141 but paying the examiner by the hour for a checkride sounds insane regardless of what the total comes to.
AuspiciousSnowflake@reddit
It ends up to the equivalent of around a $1000 “DPE” fee in a HCOL area. I’m familiar with what school OP is referring to. They should probably include in their post that it includes aircraft rental/fuel
acfoltzer@reddit
That makes the overall amount more reasonable, but it's hard for me to believe that doesn't create some weird incentives for the examiner. 5.5 ground and 2.6 flight for an instrument checkride seems pretty excessive.
Mountain-Captain-396@reddit
Two of my friends did their checkrides at the same school (Aviation Adventures). One friend's PPL checkride was 2.3 ground and a 1.6 flight, the other had a CSEL checkride that was 2.6 ground and 1.3 flight.
I have a feeling OP was probably really struggling during the oral...
Golfer_Joe@reddit
$145 an hour for getting out of KJYO is more expensive than at least two of the other schools in Leesburg...
AuspiciousSnowflake@reddit
Your price is including aircraft rental which puts the checkride price inline with what a DPE charges +rental. Most of the comments here are referring to standalone DPE fees without aircraft
Swvfd626@reddit
Yeah I'm Midwest and my instrument was $1000 about to take my CSEL and it's $1000
DMarrero@reddit
$1000 for PPL in Feb 2026
Mountain-Captain-396@reddit
You need to clarify that you're including the aircraft rate in that figure
Prestigious_Path_188@reddit
Paid $600 for IR checkride last year. Western Pa
riskyjbell@reddit
I just got mine in Feb of 2026 in TN.. $700.
Relative-Network5413@reddit
I just took my instrument checkride 2 days ago. Paid $1000 cash. $1700 def seems a bit steep that’s more like CFI ride territory
AlexJamesFitz@reddit
$500 for instrument two years ago, upstate NY.
designchick14@reddit
My instrument checkride was $800. (October 2025, in Michigan)
Equivalent-Web-1084@reddit
Mine was 259 is 2020
bermudianmango@reddit
I paid 500 in new york...
Vellian1@reddit
That's insane, both my checkrides were $1200 in AZ.
AGroAllDay@reddit
Who with?
Vellian1@reddit
Josh Donaldson and Mark Rebholz. Lowest price I found looking for a DPE for my instrument was $900.
AGroAllDay@reddit
That’s about right. Here at TUS it’s going for about a 1000
Fit_Homework532@reddit
Thats the going rate in the Valley too
AGroAllDay@reddit
Yeah, I had Pat a few years ago and I think he was $800 for a PPL? Which seems like a bargain now lol
ASSTORIA92@reddit
1200 is insane.
gt40x4@reddit
PPL $600, IRA $600, CSEL $1300 for me so far.
Icy-Bar-9712@reddit
1200 to 1500 in DFW area for any non CFI initial ride/ finish up.
KBC@reddit
Checkride prices go up every 6 months at this rate.
theonlyski@reddit
I just paid $1,000 for ATP multi and that's the max that I've paid for any rating Private-Instrument-Commercial-Comm Multi-CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP-ME
Taterdots@reddit
Wtf are these checkride fees. I only did my PPL 10 years ago for $400
austinl98k@reddit
I paid 1k in NJ for PPL and IR
jettajake00@reddit
My IR checkride was $800 in November 2024; Missouri.
weech@reddit
Checkride prices have gotten to be fucking insane
It’s one of the biggest rackets that government issued certifications are forced into a system that gouges the hell out of consumers this way
Red-Truck-Steam@reddit
$1500 for mine, July 2025, Alabama.
No-Foundation-8034@reddit
1100 for IR in AZ (that was overpriced)
Flyboy2020@reddit
That's crazy high. I paid $1500 each for CMEL and MEI. $1250 for my CFI-A. No way IRA should be over $1000.
Entire_Talk839@reddit
All my checkrides were $1,000 (Private through CFII), except Commercial single-engine was $900
Full_Flight_9135@reddit
September 2024, I paid $800. (Chicago area)
Chance_Box9742@reddit
My in-house instrument ride in Virginia was 500$. 1700 is absurd
TxAggieMike@reddit
A thread earlier today was asking about $2,000
A common price for Private and Instrument in the DFW area is $1,000
ASSTORIA92@reddit
I had my ifr on long island in 2015 for $500usd. Triple price is insane.
Plastic-Scar-5074@reddit
That’s crazy. $800 for mine. Cfi for me was 1600 a year ago, DPE price gouging is nuts
Psycher_@reddit
That’s all completely dependent on where you’re located and varies a lot from who your DPE is. I paid 1500 for my instrument, but only 1700 for my CFI initial which is unheard of (crazy low) in my area
theblowmaster@reddit
Best way to check the price is to talk to other DPEs in your area. The truth of the matter is that it varies wildly throughout the US and the better the weather is the higher the prices are as a general rule.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Is $1,700 steep for an instrument check ride? I’m at a 141 school with an in house DPE and they claim that it’s much cheaper than regular check rides but I feel like that’s bs
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