Interested in getting a Private Pilot license? I'm here to help! Please feel free to contact me at nlandman@gmail.com or at 321-693-2851 so we can discuss options and get started.
Private Pilot Requirements
Be at least 17 years of age, 16 to solo
Log at least 40 hours in the air
At least 20 hours with an instructor
At least 10 hours of solo flight
3 hours of cross-country flight
3 hours of night flight
3 hours of instrument time
At least 10 takeoffs and landings
100 NM + cross-country
5 hours of solo cross-country
150 NM + 3-leg solo cross-country
Control tower operations with 3 takeoffs and landings
Pass an FAA administered written airmen knowledge exam
Possess a Third Class FAA Medical Certificate, or better
Pass a Private Pilot Practical Test, flight and oral, with a pilot examiner
What's the cost?
There is no easy way to answer this as there is no fixed cost associated with getting a license, but let's break down some of the variable...
Aircraft Rental - The minimum number of hours required to get a private pilot license is 40, but lets be honest, most people take more. The average would be around 60 hours. Aircraft rental rates are approximately $130/hr. 60 hours x $130 totals approximately $7800. If using Orlando Aviators Flying Club there will also be a monthly member ship costs (currently $75/mo) and an initiation fee (currently $225)
Flight Instruction - The FAA requires a minimum of 20 hours of flight instruction, but most students will require more than this (plus pre-post flight instruction), 40 hours is a more realistic number. Most instructors charge between $50 and $70 per hour. If we say $60/hr x 40 hours this would total approximately $2400
Ground Instruction - You are required to pass a written exam which requires study and sign-off by an instructor, there are many options here (online courses, video courses and in person courses), prices start as low as $200 and go up from there. $400 would be a good estimate to use.
Check Ride - Once all requirements are complete, a test with a designated pilot examiner will be scheduled (known as a check ride). This will consist of an oral exam with the examiner (plan for a couple of hours) and a flight with the examiner (1-3 hours). The examiner requires an exam fee of approximately $600 and you will need to pay for aircraft rental, a good estimate would be 1.5 hours, so approximately $200.
Miscellaneous costs - Other costs to consider are books, charts, flight back, subscription to aviation apps (such as Foreflight), and a good headset (which runs around $800-$1000 for a good one). All in $1500 would be a good estimate but this can be minimized to a certain degree.
Adding each of these together, the approximate cost would be $13,000.