I’m currently taking flying lessons towards my Private Pilot License. I decided to keep a meticulous record of all my expenses. In this post, I’ll detail the estimated costs for getting a pilot’s license in the DC/MD/VA metropolitan area in 2017. I’ll also itemize what I’ve spent so far, 11 flying hours into my journey. 

Online quotes and estimates for getting a PPL:

• $11,000 exact (https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-to-get-a-private-pilots-license)
• $9,900 average (http://work.chron.com/much-cost-pilot-license-11624.html)
• $4,000 – $15,000 (https://www.thebalance.com/how-much-does-a-private-pilot-license-cost-282867)
• $8,035 average (http://www.touch-n-goes.com/private/privatepilotpricing.html)

In estimating my own costs, I used the following assumptions and criteria for items to include in the total cost:

• Flying and training in Washington, D.C. area. Airport <1 hr no-traffic drive from D.C.
• 55 Hobbs hours of Cessna 172 or Piper PA-28 plane rental time
  • 40 hours is the legal minimum; 60 hours is the national average
  • While Cessna 152s are cheaper to rent, almost everyone recommended flying a larger airplane
  • 1 hour Hobbs –> 0.8 hours Tach
• 55 hours-equivalent of aviation fuel, at ~8 gal/hr and ~$4/gal
• 35 hours of dual instruction with an experienced instructor (i.e. flying alongside an instructor)
• 20 hours of solo flying. Since instructor is only needed to de/brief, 20 solo hours –> 10 instructor hours
• ~$1000 for equipment and materials (e.g. books, headset, etc.)
• Gasoline and transportation costs to/from the airport for flying-related activities
• 100% self-study for Ground School and Written Exam preparation
• (If a flying club) Initial, annual, and monthly membership fees for permanently joining a flying club
  • Since I want to keep flying after I get my license, paying for a long-term membership is OK
• (If necessary) Accident and liability insurance
• Complete my license in 5 months, by aiming to fly 10 lessons/month
• Excellent airplane availability
• Written Exam proctoring
• Final certification checkout ride with Designated Pilot Examiner
• I DID NOT count the following:
  • Meals, since I often eat out anyway
  • Automobile costs due to additional wear-and-tear from driving to/from the airport
  • Opportunity costs, like the TIME spent studying, flying, etc. It is highly unlikely I would be driving for Uber or otherwise working a second job if I had not been flying.

How do those requirements translate into training costs in the D.C. area? After applying all relevant incentives and upfront-payment discounts, here are my estimates, grouped by airport and flight school or club:

• Potomac Airfield (KVKX, 20mi, 31min drive)
  • GT Aviation: $10225 ($105/hr dry Hobbs + $55/hr instructor + fuel – fuel club – block discount)
  • HJ Aviation: $8400 ($120/hr wet Hobbs + $40/hr instructor – block discount)
• Montgomery County Airpark (KGAI, 27mi, 36min drive)
  • Washington Int’l Flight Academy (WIFA): $9175 + fuel ($135/hr dry Hobbs + $50/hr instructor)
  • Inn Flying Club: $9325 ($135/hr wet Tach + $1500 membership + $125/mo dues + $40/hr instructor)
  • Congressional Flying Club: $6779 ($106/hr wet Tach + $700 membership + $63/mo dues + $40/hr instructor)
  • Octopus Flying Club: $7526 ($104/hr wet Tach + $1200 membership + $95/mo dues + $50/hr instructor)
  • TSS Flying Club: $9075 ($125/hr wet Tach + $1200 membership + $125/mo dues + $50/hr instructor)
• Freeway Airport (W00, 24mi, 37min drive)
  • Freeway Aviation Training Center: $8635 ($122/hr wet Hobbs + $55/hr instructor)
• Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO, 34mi, 39min drive)
  • Aviation Adventures: $8510 + fuel ($135/hr Hobbs + $58/hr instructor – discount)
  • AV-ED: $10085 ($149/hr wet Hobbs + $54/hr instructor)
• Manassas Regional Airport (KHEF, 39mi, 47min drive)
  • Aviation Adventures: $8510 + fuel ($135/hr Hobbs + $58/hr instructor – discount)
  • Dulles Aviation: $8010 (their quote, including block discounts)
  • American Aviation: $8390 (their Private Pilot Package)

Some observations after two weeks of in-person visits, research, and lots and lots of driving to different airports:

• Obviously, don’t choose a flight school solely on price! The difference between the cheapest option and the most expensive option is $3000, with most falling within the $7500 – $9000 range. That’s not a huge world of difference.
• There are five principal variables in the Total Price equation, and everyone uses different coefficients for those variables: rental price, fuel, instructor cost, memberships, and discounts.
• Tach hours, which are measured via the rotations of the engine, offer huge discounts over Hobbs hours, which are measured via pure elapsed time. Assuming a rate of 0.8 Tach/Hobbs, 55 hours of flying translates to only 44 Tach hours!
• Professional flying schools are more expensive, both in terms of plane rental and instructor rate. But they have better facilities and full-time instructors.
• Airports are an important variable to consider, as well.
  • Manassas is a big, towered airport with lots of traffic; more than one person warned me I’d be sitting on taxiways (and thus burning fuel) waiting for a turn to depart. And it’s a really far drive away.
  • Potomac is the closest airport, but due to its location within the FRZ, I’d have to fly to another airport for traffic-pattern work.
• Flying clubs are great! They offer an opportunity to continue flying after getting a certification, a social community of other pilots, and discounted rates on plane rental (they’re all priced by Tach, and with fuel included!)

After all is said and done, I joined the Congressional Flying Club at Montgomery County Airpark. They have been friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable, and have four fantastic and well-maintained airplanes with great availability.

So far, I’ve completed just under 11 hours of flying over 7 flights. I hope to solo within the next 10 hours of instruction. Here are my cumulative costs so far:

1. Driving to Potomac Airfield and Manassas Regional: $7.81 (118 miles at 34 miles/gal at $2.25/gal)
2. Driving to Montgomery County Airpark: $53.74 (14.5 trips = 812 miles at 34 miles/gal at $2.25/gal)
3. Plane rental for 7 lessons: $683.80 (6.4 Tach hours at $106 or $110/Tach hour)
4. Instruction for 5 lessons: $300 (10.5 Hobbs hours at $40/hour)
5. Class III flight physical: $125
6. FAR/AIM+ 3 other books + logbook + E6B flight computer: $75
7. ASA HS-1a headset + bag + David Clark gel seals: $153
8. Bifold kneeboard: $28
9. Congressional Flying Club initiation fee: $700
10. CFC monthly dues: $189

Total so far: $1088.81 (setup costs) + $983.80 (flying costs) + $53.74 (driving) + $189 (monthly dues) = $2315.35

Projecting forward, I expect the following costs:

• $3816 plane rental, assuming an additional 45 Hobbs hours at 0.8 Tach/Hobbs at $106/Tach hour
• $1400 instruction, assuming an additional 25 hours dual, 20 hours solo at $40/hour
• $241.83 gas, assuming an additional 63 trips to Gaithersburg
• $252 dues, assuming an additional 4 months of training
• $800 one-time costs, assuming the purchase of a nicer headset, Written Exam fee, and certification flight
• Total: $6509.83

Total estimated to get my license, beginning-to-end: $8,825.18

As they say:

Q: What makes an airplane fly?

A: Lift generated via the Bernoulli Principle

A: Air flowing over the wings

A: Magic and witchcraft

A: MONEY!!!