First, let's get past some common misconceptions about becoming a pilot:
Learning to fly doesn't require superhuman coordination, great feats of strength, or superior intellect. Nor does it require perfect eyesight, a college degree, deep technical knowledge, a huge $2,000 wristwatch or years of training by hard-nosed instructors looking to berate you for the slightest mistake.
I have none of the above characteristics (except for a college degree, in Journalism of all things) and I don't know many pilots who do.
What I do have is the desire to learn, a willingness to work and enjoy having fun, all of which you have too.
In short, if you think you would like to learn to fly you almost certainly can.
Airplanes are beautiful in that they don't know or care who you are, what your background is, if you're male or female, young or old. All an airplane does is go where the pilot points it, and that skill can be mastered by virtually anyone.
Enough about what it doesn't take, let's talk about what it does take to learn to fly.
Simply put: Time, money, an airplane, effort on your part, a few tests, a physical and an instructor.
Before you start your flight training, take a look inside and ask yourself one critical question: Why do I want to become a pilot?
The reason this question is so important is that the answer may wind up saving you money in the long road.
If your goal is to fly for the airlines your training plan may be quite different than if your goal is to fly on occasional Sunday morning sightseeing flights. Likewise, if you anticipate flying to support your business you'll probably want to earn your instrument rating as quickly as possible.
Knowing your goals as a pilot can help an instructor tailor your training so you can meet that goal as efficiently as possible.
If your answer to the "why do I want to fly" question is "because I just have to", good for you. That's why I started flying. The burning desire to fly is enough for most people to get started.
Having a goal in mind can also help get you through the inevitable rough spots that occur when you're first learning. It is not uncommon for students to start flight training and never finish, which is a shame.
I suspect that in many cases those students started flight training on a whim or because they thought it would help them get dates (it won't, trust me) and got frustrated.
The other big factors for most people are finances and time, both of which are commonly in short supply.
The most common questions I get asked about learning to fly are "how long" and "how much?"
Since "how much" depends on "how long," let's take the question of time first.
The requirements for a private pilot's certificate include a minimum of 40 hours of flight time, which includes at least 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo flight.
The reality is a bit different. On average, it takes between 60 and 80 hours in the air to earn your private pilot's license. It might take you more or it might take less, but if you plan on about 70 hours of flying you should be in the ballpark.
So, if you fly an average of three hours per week you can earn your license in five to six months. If you fly more frequently you'll finish with fewer pages turned on the calendar.
I'd recommend flying at least twice a week, and more if your schedule can handle it. The reason is simple: You'll forget less between lessons, which means it ultimately will wind up taking you less time to earn your license. Less time equals less cost, but it also means you'll be out enjoying your new license sooner, which is really what learning to fly is all about.
Which leads into the next question: "How much?"
Again, it depends, but somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000 is going to be typical.
Here's an example of how the costs break down:
| 40-50 hours of instruction at $40/hr | $1,600 to $2,000 |
| 60-80 hours of airplane rental at $100/hr | $6,000-$8,000 |
| Third class medical certificate | $135 |
| FAA written exam fee | $90 |
| Check ride with an FAA designated pilot examiner | $275 |
| Study materials | $100-$300 |
| Quality headset | $300 |
| Miscellaneous charts | $50 |
| TOTAL | $8,550-$11,150 |
I have no idea if that amount looks like a little or a lot of money to you. It depends on your finances. What I do know is you don't need to pay the entire amount up front. If you're flying about two hours per week, for example, you'll wind up spending about $100 for instruction and $200 for airplane rental each week. If you have the cash on hand, by all means, fly as often as you can. If you don't, you can still get started by flying when your budget permits.
You may have seen ads quoting significantly lower costs for earning your private pilot's license. In most cases, the costs in those ads are based on the basic minimum number of hours required by the FAA and probably don't account for the rising cost of aircraft fuel, which has nearly doubled over the past few years.
In other words, the above is a conservative estimate that hopefully accounts for real-world conditions. If you earn your license in the minimum 40 hours, that's outstanding and your cost will be significantly less. But I'd rather prepare you for a typical scenario then try to hook you with a minimum cost estimate only to have you wind up paying more in the long run.
You'll notice that the largest part of that total is the cost of the airplane itself. Thankfully, it's also one of the most variable costs. Depending on how much the airplane you fly costs to rent per hour the total cost of earning your license could vary significantly.
For example, in my flying club our lowest priced airplane rents for $80 per hour. It's neither new nor fancy fancy but it's a fine airplane, especially for training and one of my favorites to fly. So, getting your pilot's license in that or a similarly priced airplane is going to be anywhere from $1,200 to $1,600 cheaper than the example above.
On the other hand, some people want to fly new or almost-new equipment and are willing to pay a premium for that. It's not uncommon for a late-model training airplane to rent for $120 an hour or more. If that's the case, getting your license would cost about $1,200 to $1,600 more than in the above example.
One way isn't necessarily better than the other. It's really just a matter of preference and finances.
One thing is virtually guaranteed: It will almost certainly never be cheaper to get your pilot's license than it is right now.
When I earned my private license in 1993, it took me 64 hours, including 53 hours of instruction. My instructor charged $25/hr and was easily worth twice that. I don't recall what I paid to rent the airplane, but it was probably around $30/hr. So, all told, I probably spent about $3,500. Adjusted for inflation, that's about $4,500 in 2006 dollars.
So why would it cost nearly double that today?
One of the biggest variables in the hourly cost of renting an airplane is the price of fuel and aviation fuel prices have been rising steadily.
Aviation fuel is a relatively low-volume business, especially when compared to automotive gasoline. Add to that the fact that virtually all aviation fuel is moved by truck, not by pipeline, and there's a double-whammy placed on aviation fuel by rising oil prices.
Airplanes aren't getting any cheaper to build or buy either. In fact, it's not uncommon for an older airplane to sell for more (in absolute dollars) than it did when new.
When I earned my private pilot's license in 1993 a decent 20-year-old Cessna 172 could be purchased for around $20,000. That same airplane, now 33-years old, in good condition would probably sell for $40,000 to $50,000.
Adjusted for inflation, $20,000 in 1993 works out to about $28,000 in 2006 dollars, so the value of the airplane itself has actually increased, which makes me wish I'd bought that pretty green and white 1973 Cessna 172 I had my eye on back in 1993 when I had the chance.
Which brings us to a key question: Since they're such a large part of learning to fly, what are my options for choosing an airplane in which to learn to fly?