Why is flight training still so expensive?
11-12-2008, 08:16 PM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2007
Position: To the right of Mickey
Posts: 129
The school where at which I work recently dropped our prices due to reduction in fuel cost. Depending on the plane, it was anywhere from $4-$12/hour. Rates may drop a little more if fuel prices continue to drop.
Our cheapest plane still rents for a little over $100/hour, however. As others have said, there's a lot more cost to operating an airplane than filling the tank. Insurance, scheduled maintenance, unscheduled maintenance, payments on some aircraft--these things add up.
Learning to fly is expensive. I suppose there are some gradations of expensive, say, Somewhat Expensive to Very Expensive to Crazy Expensive (seriously, people, stop getting your PPL in an SR-22), but Cheap it will never be.
And be careful the seductiveness of dry rates. Sometimes they're a good deal, other times not and, regardless, be sure to budget for your fuel costs.
Our cheapest plane still rents for a little over $100/hour, however. As others have said, there's a lot more cost to operating an airplane than filling the tank. Insurance, scheduled maintenance, unscheduled maintenance, payments on some aircraft--these things add up.
Learning to fly is expensive. I suppose there are some gradations of expensive, say, Somewhat Expensive to Very Expensive to Crazy Expensive (seriously, people, stop getting your PPL in an SR-22), but Cheap it will never be.
And be careful the seductiveness of dry rates. Sometimes they're a good deal, other times not and, regardless, be sure to budget for your fuel costs.
11-13-2008, 07:29 AM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,109
Another thought is that at the very least, a good chunk of PPL flying can be done in light sport planes... They're a LOT cheaper than even the beat-up old-school 150 at most places... Plus, they're new...ish... At the place I used to teach, using the Evektor in place of a 172 for everything you could on your private took the cost down by about half.
11-13-2008, 12:55 PM
#23
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: DHC-8 SIC
Posts: 634
Originally Posted by ryan1234
Also... you don't always get what you pay for.. I can think of several schools of the top of my head that are really expensive and the planes/instruction isn't anything to write home about. Personally old planes (to a degree) are probably better for primary training anyways....if something does happen, at least you'll know the signs and how to deal with it.
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