Currently instructing at Nice Air
“Flight instruction the way it should be. Fun!” Let me show you the joy of flying.
Enjoy the
beautiful scenery of SF Bay area.
See Yosemite
and Lake Tahoe in all its spender unfold beneath you.
Fly yourself
and a friend to Vegas and have a blast.
I teach from the proven Jeppeson training syllabus with my own enhancements going beyond the minimum required to help you gain greater skill and knowledge efficiently. I endeavor to make the learning process as rewarding as possible at the same time as being sensitive to your budget. By keeping the training fun and exciting you will learn faster and be motivated from start to finish. You will not only pass your practical exam you will be really ready to go out on your own and enjoy all the possibilities of aviation.
What does it really cost to become a pilot?
Here is a conservative estimate of time and cost for each license that you will need. (Most quotes that schools give you do not include supplies or test fees and are based upon FAA minimums which are unrealistic for most pilots. This makes flight training look cheaper than it really is.)
If you just want to fly to have fun then just start with your private pilot and head for the skies!
Private Pilot 3-4 weeks (full time) <> 2-4 months (part time)
|
$3500 |
|
$975 |
|
$700 |
|
$600 |
|
$90 |
|
$450 |
| TOTAL | $6315 |
If you want to work for a living as a pilot then you will need everything below. Don’t give up! Flying is well worth all the required effort and cost.
Instrument Rating 2-3 weeks (full time) <> 1-3 months (part time)
|
$3450 |
|
$750 |
|
$700 |
|
$800 |
|
$350 |
|
$90 |
|
$450 |
| TOTAL | $6590 |
(If required cross country previously fulfilled subtract $700)
Time Building 1 month (full time) 2-3 months (part time)
(fly with safety pilot or friends )
|
$3500 |
*Commercial Multi-Engine 1-2 weeks (full time) <> 1-2 months (part time)
|
$4500 |
|
$800 |
|
$100 |
|
$90 |
|
$600 |
| TOTAL | $6090 |
*Commercial single-engine add-on 1 week (full time) 2-3 weeks (part time)
|
$1050 |
|
$325 |
|
$200 |
|
$450 |
| TOTAL | $2025 |
Grand Total: ~$25000 3 mo (full time) 6-12 mo (part time)
*single and Multi-engine can be done in either order. It may be cheaper to do single-engine first but you will end up with less multi-engine hours which is what you really need to advance your career.
All 3 Instructor Ratings (CFI, II, MEI) $7500 ~ $15000
If you have a school that you want to work for then you are probably better off getting your instructor ratings done there even though it will likely take longer and cost more than another place you could have them done. There are cheap total instructor courses out there to get all your ratings done but you will probably find that you need some extra training afterwards before you are really ready to teach new pilots.
In summary it will take at least $30,000 before you will be able to see your first paycheck as a pilot. (It is important to get one or more training partners to be able to split costs for time building otherwise you will need another $5000 if you have to pay for all you time building alone.) Even after that you will need to spend another $5000-$20000 for additional training such as type ratings, advanced airplane checkouts, recurrent training, additional multi-engine time &/or additional instructor ratings if needed.
Be willing to spend $50,000 and do whatever is necessary to build time and experience over the course of 1 - 2 years and you will be all set for your first job with the airlines, cargo or corporate. The first 4-6 months will be your training to CFI, then work as a CFI or other low paying piloting position for 12-18 months to build the flight time you need. Most major employers are looking for a minimum of 100 hours multi-engine time and 1200 total time.
Considering that it that cost more than twice the time and money to become a doctor, lawyer, or other professional career; becoming a pilot is not as expensive as it seems and it is a LOT more fun!