tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post3966747452175632532..comments2024-03-22T22:08:41.016+11:00Comments on Making Time for Flying: How much does learning to fly really cost?Julienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981068637782241298noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post-19914929613655540752018-01-16T13:26:24.346+11:002018-01-16T13:26:24.346+11:00Wher did u do itWher did u do itAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post-76746652385557670672016-10-18T01:21:36.088+11:002016-10-18T01:21:36.088+11:00Awesome article. Thanks. My total came to $11,20...Awesome article. Thanks. My total came to $11,208 for my private pilot.Private Pilothttps://www.freewheelings.com/cost-private-pilots-license/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post-71194620613773838702013-09-14T16:43:42.373+10:002013-09-14T16:43:42.373+10:00nice post.
I am a pilot training student and i am...nice post<a href="http://www.bluebirdflightacademy.com" rel="nofollow">.</a><br /> I am a pilot training student and i am very happy to see this type of blogs. Thanks.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560014565611470691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post-57500671061815831952009-10-13T12:36:38.361+11:002009-10-13T12:36:38.361+11:00@Sean: thanks for your comment, I'm happy to s...@Sean: thanks for your comment, I'm happy to see that my figures are not too far off!<br /><br />Over the last few years the cost of aircraft hire played the yo-yo a bit because of the huge ups and downs in the price of fuel, so that may explain the difference in dual hiring costs.<br /><br />Different schools also charge different rates for instructors. Sometime the dual rate includes briefing and de-briefing time, while in my case it was always billed as a separate item.<br /><br />Earlier today I was reading an article about the fall of the US dollar with respect to the Aussie dollar. Down <a href="http://au.finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?from=USD&to=AUD&amt=1&t=1y" rel="nofollow">40% in one year</a>. If the trend continues this way, flying to the US for a few weeks of intensive flying training will soon start to make financial sense!Julienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00981068637782241298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post-17695625866889406822009-10-13T12:21:16.085+11:002009-10-13T12:21:16.085+11:00Great post Julian. With the spate of fair conditio...Great post Julian. With the spate of fair conditions and available aircraft <br />in the past months, my own flying costs have been mounting recently. <br />I still get a pang of guilt each time I open the 'Flying' account in <br />Quicken, but it's good at least to see that my costs are tracking <i>okay</i> against those of a self-described 'average' pilot. (Though the dual costs <br />of the 172's I've trained on run a bit higher).<br /><br />For what it's worth to date I've averaged $1150/month (ex fees & misc), and <br />while this figure is high I'd agree from first-hand experience that flying <br />less often than 3-4 times a month is counter-productive as relearning <br />the complex skills and coordination required wastes time and saps patience. <br />Recency is your best friend.<br /><br />Like you, this is something I wish I'd done many years ago. The lasting glow of having<br />a really good lesson is something difficult to convey, or to experience in other <br />hobbies. At the risk of rambling, I think a big part of the enjoyment of flying is that it's something <br />that has to be earned through the development of skills and the right attitude. <br /><br />Cheers, SeanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post-13316832333386728422009-10-12T16:54:23.446+11:002009-10-12T16:54:23.446+11:00@Vincent: Very good point, one is indeed a lot mor...@Vincent: Very good point, one is indeed a lot more in control of one's flying expenses with a PPL in hand. I'll post something about my costs post-PPL and the different trade-offs on offer soon.<br /><br />Totally agree with you too about the cost of other hobbies with smaller, more frequent expenses. DIY is also a good example: two trips to the DIY store over the course of one week-end at $50 or $100 each time quickly add up. And since no-one is keeping track of costs it all flies under the radar.Julienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00981068637782241298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431855988816394483.post-40940237111290651642009-10-12T03:04:34.777+11:002009-10-12T03:04:34.777+11:00Julien, thanks for sharing your own costs. My trai...Julien, thanks for sharing your own costs. My training is now too far away and I lost the evidences, but training in Switzerland resulted in similar costs. And then I doubled it to get my Instrument Rating.<br /><br />I want to make two remarks here however. Initial training is by far the most expensive phase of a pilot's life, because it has to be intensive. Keeping a license valid is much less, and it is possible to reduce the flying budget close to zero for some times and re-activate a license when the times get better. I'm exactly in such a phase right now. I'm looking forward to a next post from you about the costs of non-instructional flying.<br /><br />Secondly, depending to what you compare, flying is not that expensive. I have friends who maintain old, vintage cars. Others play golf or ski rather intensively. The costs of such activities are also not low. The difference is that we know exactly what we pay per hour. Make the sum of a ski week-end (chalet rental, fees, food, may be some fun at night, ...) and you'll be surprised where you land.<br /><br />Finally, it's also possible to find less expensive planes. For the <a href="http://www.flyingacrossamerica.com" rel="nofollow">Flying Across America</a> venture, I'll fly a trusty Cessna 150, costing less than US$100 per hour. Not as exciting as a Saratoga or a Diamond Twinstar, but flying is flying, isn't it ?Vincent, from PlasticPilot.nethttp://www.plasticpilot.netnoreply@blogger.com