Can I afford aviation school?

Posted by Beneficial_Cause3226@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 24 comments

I am 19 years old I work at a bar, I have had my first discovery flight and absolutely enjoyed it. I loved it so much. I attended university for a year but thinking about going back isn’t in much of my interest. I bring home about $1070 a week but after car payment and insurance it’s about $950. At Illinois aviation academy the ppl is $19,346. Instrumental is $15,763. Commercial certificate is $34,049. Flight instructor is $18,203. Multi engine rating is $10,448. My end goal is to be a commercial pilot. I don’t want to pull a huge loan with a high interest rate although my credit is an over a 700. I just don’t want to risk it. or just don’t know what it could come out to be. Will I be able to afford it? A current students or pilots advice would help.

Reply to Post

24 Comments

[-]

GrassCute383@reddit

If you have to ask...

[-]

vanhawk28@reddit

If your end goal is airlines you are gunna need to finish a college degree at some point. Not saying it needs to be first but if you do a degree in something that pays decent you could then use the paycheck to pay for flight school. Because even after you get to instructor you are still gunna be broke

[-]

SadnessOutOfContext@reddit

With all due respect… a degree in something that pays decent is a waste, full stop. A degree is a barrier to entry, not a qualification that actually earns more money in most fields as of the last decade or so. Since (outside certain professional licensure requirements) absolutely no one cares what the degree is in, and OP ain’t making bad money for 19 (50k take home, back of napkin, as described)…. WGU or Northern Arizona flat rate AYCE programs will do just fine. Not debating the utility of a degree in a vacuum. But wasting time and energy seems pointless at best for what OP describes. Just tick the damn box, and move on with life. By the same token, OP seems like an exactly who Part 61 schools were made for. Bang out the ratings, CFI and time build while working what sounds like a tolerable day job, etc. Hell, I wish I’d had OP’s motivation, foresight, and job at 19. Get the ratings, get some degree somewhere along the line just because a jerk with an MBA in a corp office decided it was a necessity, and live the dream.

[-]

vanhawk28@reddit

If you are going to pay for the degree, you might as well get one that can be potentially used. Accidents happen. People lose their medical all the time. If it happens anytime before you are actually in the airlines. You could be screwed. Always worth it to have a backup plan

[-]

OkWorking3566@reddit

Depending on how much you earn, if you go to part 141 university with aviation programs you will be able to get fafsa that gives you money that you don’t need to pay back. Fafsa every semester plus your income will leave you with a little to pay, then you can get federal student loans which tend to have a little interest rates compared to private loans. You will graduate with your bachelor’s in professional flight and your rating. But you can always do whatever works for you!!!

[-]

ThrustFlightAcademy@reddit

[-]

ltcterry@reddit

Flight instructor is way overpriced. About 3x overpriced. And speaking of 3x, there’s been about a 3x overpriced production of new pilots the last few years. So, no rush. Plenty of time to make financially smart decisions. Think of all those people with $100k loans who will never get a flying job! Good decision making is the hallmark of a good pilot. Good on you for saying “no loans.” Not sure how your car payment and insurance is only $120/week, but I guess that’s $480/month. Makes sense. Private is $18-20k. There is no value in starting before you have the money. You can’t finish. There’s an 80% dropout rate. “I wanna be a ‘commercial pilot’” doesn’t mean people even finish the first step. Good luck. Read the FAQ. Don’t just look at one place.

[-]

Beneficial_Cause3226@reddit (OP)

“No value in starting before you have the money” so ultimately save up until I have the funds to pay it in full?

[-]

ltcterry@reddit

Yes. And this won’t delay completion.

[-]

Still_Treat_5316@reddit

I’m in a VERY EXPENSIVE 141 program right now for my PPL. it adds up super fast

[-]

Beneficial_Cause3226@reddit (OP)

What’s “VERY EXPENSIVE” if you don’t mind me asking how much it is?

[-]

mirassou3416@reddit

Suggest keeping the job and improving the income either by school or by trade. Pay as you go for flight training

[-]

AlexJamesFitz@reddit

What's your car situation? Insurance for a 19-year-old is gonna be relatively high no matter what, but over $1k/month on car + coverage is nuts. If you can get into something cheaper, that'll free up a lot of money for flight school. Agree with the others here that part 61 is the way to go.

[-]

Beneficial_Cause3226@reddit (OP)

Well I’m putting 120 a week (120x4=480) both insurance combined and payment is $480. Not 1k😅 but will for sure look into a part 61 school.

[-]

Ok_Improvement_8324@reddit

It’s 120 a month king, they said after paying insurance they have 950 take home

[-]

N40189@reddit

Go part 61 keep working at the bar, go to community college and take classes that would transfer to a four year college in business. Fly once or twice a week. Read books like "Fate is the Hunter" or besides reading the FAA handbooks. in 4 years you will have 200 hours or more and be close to CPL and CFI. Not easy but if you want it possible.

[-]

TxAggieMike@reddit

Please read what u/RaisetheDed has to say about [Paying for Flight Training With Loans/Debt](https://raisetheded.blogspot.com/2026/04/on-topic-of-unsecured-flight-training.html)

[-]

N40189@reddit

Sell your car and get a used Honda Civic Your car payment is at worth 3-4 hours of flight time may be more.

[-]

320sim@reddit

I would look at mom and pop type Part 61 schools. Large "academy" type schools are not usually the most economical. But it will still be expensive no matter what. Whether or not you can afford it is up to you and your finances. But I bet you can afford to fly small amounts, paying as you go

[-]

Blacklisted777@reddit

This exactly

[-]

DefundTheHOA_@reddit

[-]

theanswriz42@reddit

You should look at a part 61 program. $20k for a private is pretty steep.

[-]

CustomerUseful9781@reddit

Yup. I went part 141 for my private because the school I was recommended to only did part 141, spent nearly 20k on a private. PNW weather and aircraft maintenance didn't help but I would have easily saved 5k+ if I didn't have to follow a syllabus. Would have been quicker too!

[-]

rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity: --- I am 19 years old I work at a bar, I have had my first discovery flight and absolutely enjoyed it. I loved it so much. I attended university for a year but thinking about going back isn’t in much of my interest. I bring home about $1070 a week but after car payment and insurance it’s about $950. At Illinois aviation academy the ppl is $19,346. Instrumental is $15,763. Commercial certificate is $34,049. Flight instructor is $18,203. Multi engine rating is $10,448. My end goal is to be a commercial pilot. I don’t want to pull a huge loan with a high interest rate although my credit is an over a 700. I just don’t want to risk it. or just don’t know what it could come out to be. Will I be able to afford it? A current students or pilots advice would help. --- Please downvote this comment until it collapses. Questions about this comment? [Please see this wiki post before contacting the mods](https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/wiki/index/rflyingtower/). --- I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. If you have any questions, please [contact the mods of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/flying).