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Learn to Fly
Earning Your Private Pilot Certificate
So you want to learn to fly. The fact that
you are reading this now means you have taken
the first step.
Here are 5 key points in successfully
obtaining your Private Pilot License.
- Each student is unique. Everyone has a
different background prior to their first
lesson, yet people from all walks of life
have become certificated Private Pilots. A
key to success is "getting up in the air" as
often as possible.
- Get organized. Obtain your training
syllabus and course manuals early. Your
instructor will lay out the training
objectives tailored to your needs. Penn Yan
Flying Club uses Jeppesen training
materials, regarded as some of the best in
the industry.
- Support. Make sure your family and
friends understand the time this will take;
emotional, mental, and physical. Join
industry organizations like AOPA which will
provide a wealth of resources from magazines
and online videos to interactive safety
courses. You can receive a free six month
subscription to
AOPA Flight Training Magazine.
- Find a flight
instructor you "click" with. PYFC has
four professional flight instructors with a
cumulative of over 20,000 flight hours. None
of the PYFC CFIs are "time builders", they
are all seasoned veterans with a passion for
aviation.
- Understanding the total cost of flight
training. It has been demonstrated that
students who are able to fly consistently
received their Private Pilot License closer
to the FAA minimum of 40 hours.
Training Costs
Lets assume it will take you 50 hours
(but plan on more) and you have a choice between
a traditional training aircraft like either a
Cessna 150 (2-seats),
Cessna 172 (4-seats) or a
Cirrus SR20-G2 (glass-paneled cockpit).
As you can see this can have a BIG impact on
your budget. So be careful about choosing too
much plane if it means you will need to fly less
to afford it. For best results,
select the plane you
can afford and stick with it. Save the plane
switching for later after you have earned your pilots license
so that you don't waste time getting acquainted
with a new aircraft during training.
|
Item |
Cessna 150 |
Cessna 172 |
Cirrus SR20 |
|
One Time PYFC Membership Initiation Fee |
$600 |
$600 |
$600 |
|
50 flight hours at either $66, $85 or $162 per hour |
$3300 |
$4250 |
$8100 |
|
30 flight hours with a Flight Instructor
at $28 an hour |
$840 |
$840 |
$840 |
|
20 ground hours with Instructor at $28 an hour |
$560 |
$560 |
$560 |
|
12 month Flying Club Dues at $41 a month |
$492 |
$492 |
$492 |
|
Books and Materials |
$200 |
$200 |
$200 |
|
FAA Written Exam |
$80 |
$80 |
$80 |
|
Flight Test (Checkride) |
$350 |
$350 |
$350 |
|
Misc and extras (Flight Bag, Headset, Logbook etc.) |
$500 |
$500 |
$500 |
|
Total Estimated Cost |
$6,922 |
$7,872 |
$11,722 |
Pricing Updated: 1/1/2012 -
Subject to change without notice.
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