When I was a sophomore in college, I recall a comment made by my Airport Planning and Design professor which went something along the lines of, “aviation is an upper-class community, so if you want to get into the industry, act upper-class.” Taken at face value, this comment comes across as exclusionary. He meant this more as a motivational tool for his students to act professionally. I recently thought about this comment after reading on social media how a pilot mentioned he was over $100,000 in debt from loans he took to attend the Part 141 school he trained at.
It’s true: aviation is expensive. Fuel is expensive. Landing fees are expensive. Maintenance can be REALLY expensive. Aviation is an upper-class industry, but the barriers to being a part of this industry are shorter than they may seem, especially if you play your cards right. I was taken aback upon reading how much this gentleman had spent on his ratings. It seems the common culprits of these exorbitant student loan debt amounts are colleges with aviation programs, and other Part 141 programs. To be transparent, I am a product of an aviation college. I enjoyed my time at my school, and I am proud of the degree I earned. Although my debt did not reach six figures, it still soars beyond most of what my Part 61 peers owe. I can’t help but wonder what my finances would look like now if I knew of the opportunities available to me at Part 61 schools.
Is this article a shameless plug for the school I work at? Not at all. My purpose is simply to inform those interested in flight training of the less expensive opportunities that might await them in their own communities. I have gathered data from two local aviation colleges about their fees for tuition, room and board, and flight costs, which we shall compare below.
First, “University One” offers a Bachelor of Science in Professional Piloting. Their costs are as follows (according to their website):
- Private Pilot Certificate: $13,900
- Instrument Airplane Rating: $14,000
- Commercial Airplane Single Engine: $31,000
- Commercial Multi-Engine Add-on: $6,800
- Initial Certified Flight Instructor: $7,000
- Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument: $4,100
- Additional time for any rating per hour: Cirrus SR-20 – $310, Piper PA-44 Seminole – $500
- Yearly Tuition x4: $37,560 (in-state) or $88,288 (out-of-state)
Total Cost for In-State Resident (not including room & board): $114,360
Second, “University Two” offers a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management. Their costs are as follows (according to their website):
- Private Pilot Certificate: $15,313
- Instrument Airplane Rating: $15,491
- Commercial Airplane Single Engine: $32,249
This university does not list curriculum for commercial multi-engine, initial instructor, or instrument instructor, but they do list the rental costs per hour for each airplane.
- Cessna C172 (analog gauges): $175/hr
- Cessna C172 (Garmin G1000): $200/hr
- Piper PA-23 Aztec: $400/hr
- Instructor rate: $60/hr
Let’s assume the prospective student is interested in these certificates. I will use the number of hours it took me to earn these ratings for reference.
- Commercial Multi-Engine Addon ($460/hr + check ride fee): $4,220
- Initial Certified Flight Instructor ($235/hr + check ride fee): $3,600
- Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument ($235/hr + check ride fee): $2,055
- Yearly Tuition x4: $34,832 (in-state) $52,256 (out-of-state)
Total Cost for In-State Resident (not including room and board): $107,760
Well then, no wonder people go $100,000+ in debt. Now, let’s discuss the expected cost for the same ratings at River Town Aviation.
River Town Aviation offers instruction and rental at the following rates:
- Cessna C172: $165/hr
- Gleim BATD Simulator: $40/hr
- Instruction: $55/hr
Let’s take someone with zero hours up through their instructor ratings. Starting with the private pilot certificate, an applicant must accrue 40 hours of flight time, of which 10 hours must be solo time, and up to 2.5 hours may be in the simulator.
- $220 x 27.5 hours = $6,050
- $95 x 2.5 hours = $237.50
- $165 x 10 hours = $1,650
The written test costs $175, the check ride $800, and the check ride typically lasts about 2 hours in the plane, which would cost $330. Ground instruction is also required for the certificate. Assuming 10 hours of ground instruction, it costs $550.
Total for private pilot certificate: $9,792.50
The instrument rating requires 50 hours cross country Pilot-In-Command (PIC) time, 40 hours of simulated or actual instrument time, and 15 hours of instruction from a CFI-I. The applicant will carry over 5 hours of cross-country PIC time from their private pilot training, as well as 3 hours of simulated instrument time. Up to 10 hours in the simulator may be used for the instrument rating. Here’s the best part: the hours outside of 15 with an instructor may be with another instrument student that can act as a safety pilot and split costs with the applicant. Let’s break it down.
- Simulator Instruction Received: $95 x 10 hours= $950
- Airplane Instruction Received : $220 x 5 hours= $1,100
- Remaining Instrument + Cross Country Time w/ Safety Pilot Splitting Cost: $82.50 x 40 hours= $3,300
- Written Test: $175
- Ground Instruction (10 hrs): $550
- Check Ride: $800
Total for Instrument: $6,875
The commercial certificate requires 250 hours of total time, of which 80 hours will carry over from the previous ratings, so 170 additional hours. The hours include a minimum of 27 hours of instruction, and 10 hours of solo time. The other hours may be split with another pilot.
- Airplane Instruction Received: $220 x 27 = $5940
- Airplane Solo Time: $165 x 10 = $1,650
- Airplane Split Time: $82.50 x 133 = $10,972.50
- Ground Instruction: $55 x 10 = $550
- Written Test: $175
- Check Ride: $800
Total for Commercial Single Engine: $20,087.50
When it comes to flight instruction certificates, there are no hourly requirements, but simply demonstrated proficiency under the endorsement of an instructor with two years of instruction experience. This, including the check ride and written tests, cost me $3,500. Additionally, the CFI-I certificate cost me $1,310.
River Town Aviation does not offer multi-engine instruction at the moment. However, I obtained my multi-engine add-on from a Part 61 program in Missouri for $3,800.
For the moment we have all been waiting for, these ratings from River Town Aviation, plus what I paid for my multi-engine add-on create a grand total of: $45,365
Full disclosure: this amount assumes the minimum time required for each certificate. Many pilots require more instruction to master the skills required to earn each certificate. Even with this in mind, a student can expect to pay half of what they would at a Part 141 school or university for the exact same certificates.
I want to reiterate that I do not believe college is a bad thing, as I am a product of an aviation college. Colleges and Part 141 schools may be a great option for those who appreciate the pace and environment of such places, but I sure wish I had read an article like this one before I made my decision.
Financial aid is available for Part 61 and Part 141 schools, and since I am an advocate for spending as little of my own money as possible, below are a list of organizations that offer financial aid for flight training:
