Instruction Costs

I have two approaches to charging for my services.

Flat Rate

Let’s say that your goal is to achieve a private pilot certificate.  If you’ve read my post on the costs of flight training, you’ve got a pretty good idea of the breakdown.

$4,000 – includes all flight instruction and ground instruction that you need to successfully receive an FAA Private Pilot certificate with Airplane Single Engine Land rating.

$3,500 – includes all flight instruction and ground instruction that you need to successfully add an Instrument rating to your Airplane Single Engine Land pilot certificate.

I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I believe that charging a guaranteed flat rate is the fairest approach to use with flight training.  By setting a flat fee, I’m incentivized to help you achieve your certificate in the fewest amount of training hours;  I’m not watching a Hobbs meter or the clock, knowing that I get paid by the minute.  I am now motivated to ensure that each minute of instruction is chuck full of learning for you, so that I can help you achieve your goal in the least amount of time.

Now, the only variable in your flight training budget is the number of aircraft rental hours you will need to pay for.  As I’m incentivized to help you use the least amount of time possible, you will learn everything possible first through self-study, ground instruction and in the simulator before we use the valuable airplane time for a classroom.

For clients that sign up for the flat rate,  I do require you are complete all required lesson preparation prior to each lesson, complete at least two lessons on average per week, and to achieve your certificate in less than six months.  If one of these conditions is not met, I’ll charge you an extra fee.  Now you are also incentivized to finish as soon and as inexpensively as possible.

By the hour

For recurrent training (flight review, instrument proficiency check), transition training courses and most all other scenarios, my rate is $50 and hour.