Private Pilots Licence - Is It Really That Expensive?!

..Brian.. · 07-03-2014 04:04PM #1

So I've been looking into getting a private pilots license recently as it's something I've always thought I would enjoy. I plan to do an introductory flying lesson soon to see if it's something I actually enjoy but I have a feeling it will be.

Following a bit of research, I've hit my first stumbling block, the cost! Holy moly, is it really that expensive to get your PPL?! My local club (Waterford Aero Club) quotes their cheapest plane to cost €130 per hour and instructor fees being €50 per hour. My research indicates a requirement of a minimum 45 hours flight time logged, with at least 10 hours solo. Does this really mean, based on the above costs, a grand total of €7,600!

Surely my maths are wrong somewhere and someone is going to point out a glaring error and make all right?!

How do people afford this? Is it just rich people that get PPLs? How do ordinary joe soaps get a look in? Do I get lesson a month and spend 3 or 4 years at it? Again everything I have read indicates this is not the ideal as I will spend more time going over stuff I have forgotten from the previous lesson!

Or do people get a loan and pay that off over 3 or 4 years and try get all the lessons and exams done in 6 or 8 months or whatever?

EI-DOR · 07-03-2014 04:22PM

Welcome to the club Brian. My Helicopter PPL cost £12K Sterling in Florida. I had money saved and took a small loan out to cover the rest. Paid it off and done some flying here and there whenever the wallet allowed. Haven't done jack all in a while though.

€7K is actually cheap for a Fixed Wing PPL. Doing an hour a month will actually cost you more money. It could run over €10K if you drag it out. If I was you I would try and save up the money instead of being stuck with a loan. Nothing cheap in this game!

ronnie3585 · 07-03-2014 04:33PM

It will cost you a lot more than €7,600. Firstly, not a lot of SPLs are ready for a flight test at 45 hours - your own skill level will determine this. There are some SPLs who haven't soloed at 45 hours. You also need to budget for books, equipment, ground school, PPL exams and on the day of your flight test you'll spend the guts of a grand on the test itself and the aircraft hire. You should budget at least €10k minimum.

Flying is an expensive hobby. I spent a little over two years working towards mine so that made it more manageable, but the time immeditely preceeding your flight test will bleed you financially. It's a fantastic hobby and I've no regrets getting the PPL, but you need to be very aware of the costs, it's the determinig factor for most folk.

Preset No.3 · 07-03-2014 04:41PM

Ive never seen anyone finish everything with the minimum hours!

..Brian.. · 07-03-2014 05:21PM

Budget €10k? Dang ... that's ... prohibitive! Better start saving!

Are the PPL requirements the same all over the world? I may end up living in Slovakia in coming years (although that could be so far off that saving is a viable alternative!), I wonder if it would be as expensive there and would I come out as qualified?

ronnie3585 · 07-03-2014 05:35PM

Slovakia is an EASA Member State so I assume the PPL requirement are the same as here. The fuel may well be cheaper there, so that would reduce you spend.

Stella Virgo · 07-03-2014 05:36PM

..Brian.. wrote: »

Budget €10k? Dang ... that's ... prohibitive! Better start saving!

Are the PPL requirements the same all over the world? I may end up living in Slovakia in coming years (although that could be so far off that saving is a viable alternative!), I wonder if it would be as expensive there and would I come out as qualified?

everything is relative......some idiots like to blow 20-30 grand on a car, which will be a worthless pile of scrap in ten years. your licence may seem expensive but you will have it for life so dont rule it out. it may turn out to be the best 10 grand you ever spent....

Preset No.3 · 07-03-2014 06:00PM

..Brian.. wrote: »

Following a bit of research, I've hit my first stumbling block, the cost!

Had to re read that again. What were you expecting? Training to fly a complex machine in itself costs a lot of money. IF, you want to go all the way to commercial, then the costs would be around €125,000 with no guarantee of a job or a starting salary of around €26k a year!

..Brian.. · 07-03-2014 06:09PM

I don't know what I was expecting, hence beginning to research it. While I had anticipated it not being cheap, I was thinking more 2 or 3k. I certainly didn't expect €10k just to get the license!

And €125k plus to take it all the way to commercial? How does anyone afford it? If you can afford it, surely you don't need a CPL to make a living!

lomb · 07-03-2014 08:35PM

Stella Virgo wrote: »

everything is relative......some idiots like to blow 20-30 grand on a car, which will be a worthless pile of scrap in ten years. your licence may seem expensive but you will have it for life so dont rule it out. it may turn out to be the best 10 grand you ever spent....

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

At the end of the day how can car manufactures sell cars for 20-50k easily?How do houses which are basically just a pile of bricks sell for 150k+? The American Indians laughed at the white man paying for land saying that it was something that was given freely.
That's just the way it is. Its all basically worthless but its horses for courses. It would probably be the best 10k you could spend if you have an interest in it.
You could start a small home business of some sort and make the money for it that way possibly if you don't earn enough to afford it.

lomb · 07-03-2014 08:48PM

..Brian.. wrote: »

While I had anticipated it not being cheap, I was thinking more 2 or 3k.

And €125k plus to take it all the way to commercial? How does anyone afford it? If you can afford it, surely you don't need a CPL to make a living!

Forget it for 2 or 3k... Anywhere humans sell something that's non standard like food you are going to pay. There are a lot of people on the take, for starters an aircraft costs a minimum of 100k. So that's 15k a year lost in depreciation and finance. Probably around 40 an hour for that. Then theres the fuel burn a minimum of 35 euros an hour. The instructor is 50e an hour as they need to eat and he/she going to be sitting around a lot drinking coffee as the weather is crap and there aren't too many people who want to pay to fly. Essentially you are paying them for that.
Then there is the insurer who wants to get paid so in the unlikely event the worst happens he might have to pay out a million or two when the wives show up of the deceased. If something really bad happened and a light aircraft took out a fully loaded 747 the payout would be around 1 million per passenger and 200 million for the hull so around 750 million dollars.
Then there are the aircraft maintainance and parts . That's a whole other area but you wont get much change out of 5 k a year. Then the engines need to be replaced every 2000 hours or so that's 20k for that.
Sorry for the tongue in cheek but that's why it is what it is.

Preset No.3 · 07-03-2014 09:49PM

My PPL(H) cost me €15k! That was cheap as I did it in the UK in a Robbie 44.

The sad part, I haven't been able to afford to keep my minimum hours needed to maintain my license.

Very expensive hobby.

EI-DOR · 07-03-2014 11:41PM

Sorry to hear that Preset. The 44 is a lovely machine to fly. I done mine on the 22 in Florida. Started flying the S300 after though and don't think I could step foot in the 22 again. Haven't done nothing in over a year though and going to Canada now shortly hopefully.

I was gonna say why don't you get a rating on the 22 or 300 and fly it? I don't see much call for the 44 unless you plan on taking 3 pax up with you on every flight. Though once you do the license on the 44 it would be very hard to go down to the smaller and less powerful machine!

owenc · 08-03-2014 12:13AM

..Brian.. wrote: »

So I've been looking into getting a private pilots license recently as it's something I've always thought I would enjoy. I plan to do an introductory flying lesson soon to see if it's something I actually enjoy but I have a feeling it will be.

Following a bit of research, I've hit my first stumbling block, the cost! Holy moly, is it really that expensive to get your PPL?! My local club (Waterford Aero Club) quotes their cheapest plane to cost €130 per hour and instructor fees being €50 per hour. My research indicates a requirement of a minimum 45 hours flight time logged, with at least 10 hours solo. Does this really mean, based on the above costs, a grand total of €7,600!

Surely my maths are wrong somewhere and someone is going to point out a glaring error and make all right?!

How do people afford this? Is it just rich people that get PPLs? How do ordinary joe soaps get a look in? Do I get lesson a month and spend 3 or 4 years at it? Again everything I have read indicates this is not the ideal as I will spend more time going over stuff I have forgotten from the previous lesson!

Or do people get a loan and pay that off over 3 or 4 years and try get all the lessons and exams done in 6 or 8 months or whatever?

Thats very cheap and actually not a lot of money to be honest.

owenc · 08-03-2014 12:15AM

Stella Virgo wrote: »

everything is relative......some idiots like to blow 20-30 grand on a car, which will be a worthless pile of scrap in ten years. your licence may seem expensive but you will have it for life so dont rule it out. it may turn out to be the best 10 grand you ever spent....

I'm saving up and i'm doing mines next year. I am not going to pay money for a car.

This is better. My dad has his own plane nearly finished so I will fly in that and he reckons it will be under £5,000.

owenc · 08-03-2014 12:16AM

Preset No.3 wrote: »

My PPL(H) cost me €15k! That was cheap as I did it in the UK in a Robbie 44.

The sad part, I haven't been able to afford to keep my minimum hours needed to maintain my license.

Very expensive hobby.

I think I will have a nervous breakdown if I have to pay that by myself.

I can't see it ever coming to that.

Cessna_Pilot · 08-03-2014 01:30AM

I would think 12k would be closer to the mark cost wise doing a PPL in Ireland.

shedweller · 08-03-2014 01:38AM

Can i just say....
That you dont know expenses till you've had kids. This talk of 10k here and 20k there is laughable. I have spent about 40k in the past 3 years on childcare alone. Stew on that for a moment. My eyes are watering at the thought of it.
Given how much i love aviation and how little (zero) flight im doing, well, you can imagine the bitterness.
So quit the crying.
Get on with it.

EI-DOR · 08-03-2014 01:43AM

I think I will have a nervous breakdown if I have to pay that by myself.

I can't see it ever coming to that.

Different ball game there Owen with Helicopters. Far more expensive than Fixed wing.

A PPL (H) over at Enniskillen with Unique Helicopters on the R22 will cost £13,528 at a 45 Hour block.

With the R44 it will cost £23,000 at 45 hour block. Preset actually got lucky getting his done for 15K on the 44!

shedweller · 08-03-2014 01:45AM

EI-DOR wrote: »

Different ball game there Owen with Helicopters. Far more expensive than Fixed wing.

A PPL (H) over at Enniskillen with Unique Helicopters on the R22 will cost £13,528 at a 45 Hour block.

With the R44 it will cost £23,000 at 45 hour block. Preset actually got lucky getting his done for 15K on the 44!

Read my post. Thats peanuts.

EI-DOR · 08-03-2014 01:50AM

Shed, I was replying to Owens post, not you. What you spend on childcare is your own business!

owenc · 08-03-2014 01:54AM

shedweller wrote: »

Can i just say....
That you dont know expenses till you've had kids. This talk of 10k here and 20k there is laughable. I have spent about 40k in the past 3 years on childcare alone. Stew on that for a moment. My eyes are watering at the thought of it.
Given how much i love aviation and how little (zero) flight im doing, well, you can imagine the bitterness.
So quit the crying.
Get on with it.

Oh I will.

owenc · 08-03-2014 01:55AM

EI-DOR wrote: »

Different ball game there Owen with Helicopters. Far more expensive than Fixed wing.

A PPL (H) over at Enniskillen with Unique Helicopters on the R22 will cost £13,528 at a 45 Hour block.

With the R44 it will cost £23,000 at 45 hour block. Preset actually got lucky getting his done for 15K on the 44!

Yes I know my dad did it in Florida and dropped out because they were ripping him off.

EI-DOR · 08-03-2014 01:56AM

Yes I know my dad did it in Florida and dropped out because they were ripping him off.

Did he get it finished elsewhere?

owenc · 08-03-2014 02:01AM

No he just decided to do his ppl.

Now hes building a vans plane

Side Show Bob · 08-03-2014 02:08AM

Did my PPL (H) in 1999 - 2000 finished out being tested in a H300
42.3 hrs

30.3 hrs @ €275 (H269)
15hrs @ $210 (H269)
Plus ground school €400
Type specific course €100
Plus - IAA Exames (x2), IAA Test flight test,

EI-DOR · 08-03-2014 02:11AM

Nice. You still flying the 300 Side show?

Side Show Bob · 08-03-2014 02:18AM

EI-DOR wrote: »

Nice. You still flying the 300 Side show?

Lost that rating long ago

206, 206L, 407, now but won't be able to maintain ratings much longer!!

Did a 109 rating in 2009 but only got 5 hours on it

EI-DOR · 08-03-2014 02:22AM

Ah very nice. You're in with a Company at the min then I presume!

Side Show Bob · 08-03-2014 02:24AM

EI-DOR wrote: »

Ah very nice. You're in with a Company at the min then I presume!

unfortunately not just now, but hope to be back soon!!

EI-DOR · 08-03-2014 02:27AM

Hope you get back in them Bells soon then. I would be ecstatic flying the 206 never mind the power of a 407 :eek:!

Private Pilots Licence - Is It Really That Expensive?!

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