Is it hard to get a pilot's license? How about the cost?

Question

I want to fly small planes. Maybe six passengers.

Answer 1

A private pilot certificate would fit your needs. It is basic flying. The cost is fairly steep, usually less than $10K. The cost can be lower if you study and fly often. By you studying you lower the cost of ground instruction provided by your instructor. By flying often you keep your skills current, less of your lesson will be a refresher from a previous lesson.
The hours required are 40 hours flight time. 20 of those hours are dual time with an instructor. 10 hours is solo flight time. The remainder of the time is dual or solo. These times are only minimums as required by regulations. The average time to earn a certificate is 65 hours.
Here is some advice for you.
1. Don't use a home flight simulator to practice for a private pilot certificate. Of the students I taught, I could always pick the ones who used their computer. They were the ones who stared at their instrument panel instead of looking outside the plane. It is essential that you keep your eyes outside. Your CFI will show you how to use the horizon to fly.
2. Buy a DVD course for your ground school. Sporty's offers a great course. This will save you lots of money.
3. Be sure you like your CFI. You'll spend a lot of time in close proximity to each other. If you clash with your CFI, get a new CFI to continue your training. Every CFI has been dropped at least once because of a personality conflict.

Good luck to your flying

Answer 2

To get a pilot's license find a flying club at a local airport and sign up for lessons. It's a little more intense than learning to drive but if you are good at memorizing stuff and staying alert in the cockpit you should do fine. Estimates for a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) license, the entry level license, range from $5,000 to $8,000, but YMMV.

However, to get up to six passengers you may have to go as far as a commercial or multi-engine license. Cessna 172's only hold four -- uncomfortably. A Piper Saratoga and a Cessna 205/206/207 can hold six people and they have one engine. A Cessna 310 and a Piper Saratoga can also hold six, but they have two engines. Renting a six passenger plane will be more expensive from a flying club than a four passenger plane, and you'd have to be more experienced that just freshly getting your VFR license.

Answer 3

It is not necissarily hard to get a pilots license, but it does take determination to get done. As with any learning experience, there will always be times when your training becomes difficult, but it always pays off in the end. When you learn to fly, you can separate yourself from everday living. You get a huge view of the world and a much better sense of total freedom.

As for the cost, that depends on where you do your training, what airplane you decide to fly, and how well you progress through the course. Im a CFII/MEI at ERAU and have seen many students with many different skill levels. A friend of mine has just completed her training with a private instructor and it cost her $12,000. Some of my past students have completed their private certificate with only $9,000.

If you decide to pursure this, GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

Well 1st of all it depends on where you live as to what the costs would be. For example, here in Asheville, NC over at the private jetport, it costs aproximately around $6,000 to learn to fly. If I'm not badly mistaken, you need 75hrs of flying time to get your pilots license. Now if you're interested in flying a helicopter, then tack on another three-to-four thousand dollars to the cost. As I said, it just depends on where you live. Hope this helps :-)

Answer 5

As far as how hard it is to get your private pilot rating it all depends on what you are willing to put into it, meaning time, dedication, studying, etc... As far as the cost for just your private pilot rating it usually averages between $5800 and $7000. To get more information on getting your rating check out my yahoo 360 blog I wrote all about it!

Hope this helps and remember the sky's the limit!

Answer 6

actually it depends on many things like where do u plan to work and for whom which kind of license do they accept(well u can convert it with more money) for euro i think u will have to get a jaa or caa license in in Africa also the same here in Egypt i have my FAA for about 30,000 dollar the caa and jaa by the way are more expensive and harder then u have 3 types first to get private ,instrument rating (to be qualified for the ifr condition , and then the commercial for u commercial is good u will learn on the beech craft for example and then u can be qualified for multi engine a/c and takin a littile courses on another general aviation a/c .............good luck ;)

Answer 7

It's cheap and easy, but not many people stick with flying for long. It's boring. You just sit there in the middle of a bunch of air.

Airline pilots have it worst of all. They just take off and land and the computer flies the plane the rest of the time.

Pilots consider those pretty stewardesses a bunch of airheads for some reason, and anyhow they stay at different hotels.

Answer 8

# FAA medical/student pilot license ---- $80
# Ground school materials ----------------- $250
# FAA Written Test------------------------------ $90
# Aircraft rental (40 hours min, C-172)---$4,080
(55 hours average) -------------------------- $5,610
# Instructor (40 hours) ----------------------- $1,400
# FAA Practical Test --------------------------- $300
# Total Cost (Approx minimum) ---------- $6,180 - $8,060

Answer 9

easy. $2500 - 5,000 or less.