Price question for PPL training.
 

I am a junior in high school. This year I have made it my commitment to start flight lessons. For the first time I feel dedicated towards spending my money on something that matters. Anyways, I hope to eventually finish all classes/flights necessary to obtain my PPL by the time I graduate.

I have been researching into flight schools and something clearly stands out ... its expensive. I have been working on a commercial farm, so I will be going home at the end of this summer with a good amount of cash. I doubt I will have the so say 8,000 needed to pay for the classes which is why I have come to ask a question.

Do most flight schools let you pay in "chunks"? I will not be able to pay up front quite yet for the full course, so instead I want to pay for what I can do for now. Or do schools make you pay for everything?

Most flight schools are "pay as you go" so after you finish a lesson you will go and pay for it. You wont have to pay the 8-10k up front

To save money, you should start and finish the program at once. Save the money until you have enough to pay from start to finish. In the mean time, talk to a banker about the best way to earn interest on the money you have in a safe manner but that is more profitable than a savings account.

Although it requires a higher level of involvement than "just flying" take a look to see if there is a Civil Air Patrol squadron with an aircraft nearby. After you become a member, you can do flight training for significantly less through CAP (provided that there is a plane and instructor nearby).

Find a school that has an LSA or an old champ / cub you can start training in. It will be a lot cheaper doing the first 15-20 hours in that type of plane.

My PPL was pay-as-go. You definitely save if you can fly often and finish the program relatively fast. Gaps in training requires more refreshers, which means more money

I recommend paying as you go, but not starting training until you know you can finish your training without any gaps due to not having enough money to fly.

You'll end up spending more money if you have long pauses in your training for money. Also, the lessons towards the end of the Private Pilot courses tend to be more expensive.

You want to know how your flight training can get really expensive (above and beyond what you think is expensive already)? Don't study. I can't tell you how many people drag out their flight training because they simply don't put the effort into studying the materials and come to flight lessons unprepared.

If you're going to use a local flight school, you can do it on the ultra cheap by studying the hell out of the FAA handbooks (FREE from FAA: Home) first before you even step into a flight school asking questions. That is, unless you need to pay someone to read to you. ;)

Nothing in flight training is difficult. There is just a lot of information to absorb. Thus, if you're not going to focus on studying and staying on a regular flight training schedule (2-3 flight events per week minimum), then you'll discover like many have before you that it is a LOT more expensive than what the sales guy is trying to sell you right now.

Good luck!

You could consider a Sport Pilot Certificate instead of a full Private Pilot Certificate if you just want to get a taste for flying. I don't know much about it but someone on here likely will. It is more restrictive than a full Private Pilot Certificate but cheaper to obtain, too.