Private Pilot Costs

The first question on everyone's mind seems to be "how much does it cost?" This page will provide specific aircraft costs and some general estimates for course costs.

AIRCRAFT RENTAL RATES

Aircraft rental costs have been fluctuating recently with the variable (and lately increasing) cost of aviation fuel. Be sure when you compare costs that you inquire about fuel surcharges. At Shannon School of Aeronautics, we choose to provide aircraft costs inclusive of all charges. 

PRIVATE PILOT COURSE COSTS

If you are investigating the cost of a private pilot's license, there are two important factors you must consider.

• You should be aware that there are no set costs for the license. The cost of the course is based on how long (flight time and ground instruction) it takes you to learn the material and become proficient in the maneuvers required to pass the flight test, also known as a Practical Test. Time to completion varies. The FAA minimum is 40 hours of flight time. The national average is about 70 hours.
• You can have an impact on the amount of time it takes you to finish. The major considerations are the number of times per week that you fly, how well you prepare for each lesson, and the quality of your flight instruction. A good benchmark is to initially fly as often as you can adequately prepare for a lesson. Three times a week until solo flight usually sufficient, then twice a week after that.

The table below sums the general costs for a license based a student who requires 40, 55 or 70 hours to become proficient enough to pass the practical (flight) test. These costs include all the items for which you would normally expect incur a cost. Note that the below costs are indicative of a C-172M or C-172N model.