Cost of Getting a Pilot License in Arizona
If you have dreamed of becoming a pilot in Arizona, you may have wondered about the cost of getting a pilot license. Sierra Charlie Aviation can help you accomplish your goals at an affordable price.
Sierra Charlie Aviation is a certified Cessna Pilot Center (CPC) located at Scottsdale Airport (SDL). We currently provide flight training under the authority of FAR Part 61. If you have limited time available, our program enables you to complete your training in an accelerated timeframe compared to a FAR Part 141 school with its more rigid training structure.
Honored by AOPA as one of the top flight schools in the country, Sierra Charlie Aviation’s owner and Senior Flight Instructor, Scott Campbell (CFI, MEI), was named as AOPA’s Best Flight Instructor in the Southwest Region, and Senior Flight Instructor Tom DeYoung (CFI, CFII) was one of three instructors in the region to be recognized as a Distinguished Flight Instructor.
Cost of Flight Training
The average cost of flight school is typically between $8,000 and $15,000, depending on the type of school, the type of aircraft, experience of the instructors, the training location, and the time you have to spend on training.
The FAA requires a minimum of 40 flight hours to obtain your private pilot license under Part 61, but the average student actually flies closer to 55 to 70 hours. The cost will vary for each individual, but how often you fly and how hard you study will have an impact.
Your training hours will consist of solo and instructor flights. These require renting a plane and paying for the fuel and the instructor’s time, costs that will vary from flight school to flight school.
If your available training time is sporadic or inconsistent, you will most likely waste some time reviewing what was done in your previous lessons. To save money, fly as regularly as possible so that you can focus more on adding new skills in each lesson.
There will also be ground school, where you will learn about weather, aerodynamics, aircraft systems, flight planning, and federal regulations, and be required to buy books and learning materials. Ground instruction provides the basic aviation knowledge your flight training will build upon. For each hour you spend flying, expect to spend a few hours on the reading material.
Sierra Charlie Aviation provides group ground school quarterly to help you save on the cost of training. It is an 8-week program with classes on weekday evenings.
You are also required to take written tests that costs money, ranging from $160 to $175 per test. Other costs include a flight headset, costing $200 to $1,000 (depending on model), and flight insurance (about $500).
At Sierra Charlie Aviation, financing is available to qualified customers, and there are a number of companies and organizations that offer aviation loans and flight training scholarships.
The cost of getting a pilot license in Arizona is worth every penny! Get in touch with Sierra Charlie Aviation today at (480) 474-4115 to learn more about our exceptional, and affordable, flight training program.