www.meridenaviation.com is my local airport and I notice that the aircraft rental fees per hour is quite high. Is it me or is this the average price for rental?

So if I were to start lessons it would be
$250 for ground school
$250 for materials for ground school

$110 for aircraft rental and $48 per hour for instructions
So if I was being taught by my intructor, it would be $158 per hour.

Good? Average? High?

 

I'd look around a little more. Find a 150/152 to train in. You don't need a 4 seat airplane for your PPL.

 

These days that seems pretty close to what I've seen out there. If anything, $110 for a wet rate newer model 4 seat Cessna/Piper might even be pretty good.

But then again, I'm in podunk and haven't flown a light aircraft in a long while.

I'd suggest calling around to other area schools and asking what they charge for rentals/instructors.

 

One can do better, but there may be reasons you can't get a better price. For a well maintained 172 of older than 1985 vintage, that is a little on the high side. For 172R it's about average. There is a man that rents me his airplane which is a 172K that I am willing to pay that much per hour but it is the most immaculate plane you have ever seen with Garmin suite, leather seats, new avionics and autopilot. I paid no more than $70 an hour for a 172-November a few years ago, and have recently seen the same thing for around that price. One trainer is as good as another for private pilot. The only reason to pay more for one is if it has a glass cockpit, but one doesn't need a glass cockpit to do stalls and touch n goes. As for the instructor that's too high... $30/hour should do it. As for the comment that you can do it in a 152, that is true as well. I paid $48/ hr for a 152 and $20 /hr for instruction through a flying club a few years ago.

Hey you guys beat me to this one by two minutes.

 

I looked at the website. I agree that $110/hr is high unless it's for one of the newer 172's with the fancy avionics. This school looks pretty basic, so I doubt that's the case.

I'd shop around a bit more. It could be that this is the only game in town so they charge whatever they want. It might be worth it driving a ways to find a better deal.

 

I pay 91.00 per hour wet for a 172sp and 35.00 per hr. for the instructor at KAPA however I am now looking for a new instructor .... My instructor tragically (sp) died in a plane crash in Erie.co on 09-15-07.

Shawn

 

Yeah 110/hr wet for an SP here. If you go up the road about 20 minutes you can get a 150 for 62? I think /hr wet...and the instructor price is much cheaper. They also offer the older 172, trinidad and twin commanche. Trinidad and twin are dual only though.

 

172K - $94 wet
172sp ( garmin 1000 ) - $138 ( or $131 of you put 1000 on account to start )
$40 per hour for master CFI
$35 for the other guys

 

The school I work for charges 108 per hour for a 27 year old 172N plus 50 an hour for dual with an instructor. If you want to know expensive, look into American Flyers. They charge like 210 an hour for a 172 and 110 an hour for dual given.

 

There are flight schools that market to the rich and there are those that cater to the middle class. A rating is a rating for all intents and purposes. Get the cheapest Cessna, save your money for other things. When you finally have your ticket and need to show Sally and Cousin Bob what you can do, you can rent the SP with glass panel and autopilot for a couple of hours.