The Cost

The most efficient training requires good continuity. That means if you could fly and have a lesson at least 2 to 3 times per week or more often if able, most people would get their private pilot license in 4 to 6 months. The best way to accomplish this is to have the necessary funds set aside just for this purpose. Family and work obligations would have to be considered to make time for this kind of a commitment. Large gaps in training continuity requires lessons just to get “caught up” to where you left off. This costs time and money. Obviously, somethings can’t be avoided but the better the planning on the part of the student, the better the training experience. By the same token it is nice to be flexible. For instance, if the weather is too bad for a flight lesson, we may do a ground school lesson instead. We will not waste a student’s timeslot at Chopper Aviation LLC.

There are flight schools that offer condensed training in a short period of time, usually for a large fee. One big problem with this is the student’s ability to retain and understand the knowledge without getting burned out. Flying three times a week and then maybe again on the weekends for 4 to 6 months is a lot of flying and is one thing. Flying and attending ground school for 8 to 10 hours a day, every day, for several months is something entirely different. The average person may have difficulty retaining the ground school and flying material once finished with the program. The average person needs a little “down time” to let the training “soak in”, so it’s retained properly and permanently, so to speak. Remember, in addition to the flight training, you’ll have to receive ground school. The PPL ground school at most university’s that offer this course, is a 3-credit hour semester course. You cannot just attend the lecture and pass the FAA written exam. Even the PPL knowledge test. You will have to take notes and study on your own time. This test is multiple choice and requires at least a 70% to pass. There aren’t any concepts or fundamentals that are difficult to master, but there are many of these concepts you will have to have a working knowledge of all of them to pass the knowledge and practical tests. Understanding and retention are key to success.

At Chopper Aviation, in 2024 dollars, a PPL will cost between $15,000 and $18,000 for most students.  Below is an average breakdown in costs.

PPL Ground school course (online)    $400

30 hours dual instruction                    $6,900

30 hours solo                                            $4,950    

Knowledge test                                           $500    

7 hours ground instruction                    $455

10 hours ground school                          $650

Examiner Fee                                               $600

Misc Equipment/Subscriptions           $400  

Medical Examination                               $225

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TOTAL                                                        $15,080