How Much Does it Cost to Get a Pilot License?

The feat of flying has long been a dream of many, young and old, and thanks to modern technology, anyone can become a pilot. Whether pursuing a career as a pilot or simply trying a new hobby, a pilot license is a large financial and time investment. On average, a pilot license takes around 60 hours to complete. The costs associated with earning a pilot license vary depending on the type of pilot license, number of training hours and other factors.


Types of Licenses

When earning a basic pilot license, students can choose from three different types of licenses: private, recreational and sport. A pilot with a private license may fly any single engine aircraft with no distance, passenger or weather restrictions. Recreational pilot licenses allow the pilot to fly only within 50 miles of his home airport and with no more than one passenger. A sport pilot license permits a pilot to fly only light sport aircraft during the day and in good weather. According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's cost calculator, the cost for a private license runs on average $9,900, a recreational runs $7,700 and a sport license about $4,400.


Training Hours

Each of the types of pilot licenses requires a different minimum amount of training flight hours, affecting the total cost of earning each of the licenses because many flight schools charge by the flight hour. A private license requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight time, a recreational license 30 hours and a sport license 20 hours. In reality, a pilot pursuing a private license will spend on average 70 hours, recreational pilots 44 hours and a sport pilot 33 hours.



Rental Costs

A pilot's training hours consist of solo and instructor flights, which require renting a plane, paying for gas and for the instructor's time. Rental costs vary from flight school to flight school, with most offering a la carte pricing. Wright Aero Inc. in Minnesota charges $42 an hour for an instructor, plus $45 for aircraft rental. The per hour rental costs also depend on the type of plane a pilot trains on. San Jose Flight Instruction students going for private or recreational licenses use the newest Cessna 172, which costs $150 per hour. Older aircraft typically cost less to rent. The rental costs for a sport license range from $120 to $180, including aircraft rental, gas and instructor time.


Other Factors

Other factors to consider when looking at the overall costs of earning a pilot license include the cost of books and other learning materials for ground school, as well as any testing fees. Books and learning materials can cost anywhere from $200 for at-home programs to upwards of $500 for the materials offered by flight schools. Additionally, taking the written test also costs money, ranging from $200 to $400 per test depending on the area of the country. Other costs include flight headset, costing $200 to $300, and flight insurance, which costs around $100.


Considerations

Because earning a pilot license is such a large investment, students can find a number of scholarships to help defray the costs. The AOPA offers its members an extensive list of scholarships and loans to help pay for flight school and also advises students on the best way to win those scholarships. Industry associations, flight schools and private organizations also offer scholarships to help students earn a pilot's license.