How can I make learning to fly more affordable?

Question

I just started taking flying lessons. I was misinformed about the price of each lesson. I was told that it was $104 an hour but that was just the cost for the plane rental. It actually $183. I can't afford that much money for each lesson unless they're a month or two apart. I heard about financing programs but you're actually paying more. Is there anywhere I can make flying more affordable? Is there anywhere on Long Island,NY that offers cheap flying lessons around $100? I really want to learn to fly and get my private pilots license before I go to college.

Answer 1

Some extra tips

it looks like you're still young-is there a program in the USA similar to the Air Cadets we have in Canada? I was a cadets, and got 'scholarships' that essentially sent me to summer camp to learn to fly. I got both my gliding and private pilot licenses free through them.

On the Flight Club note-some will 'hire' you to work around the hangar (move planes, clean and organize, etc.) and they'll credit your wages against your training/rentals.

Be sure to look into all your future options, because if you're not planning on a career it's a very expensive hobby and requires you to fly so often to maintain your license.

Answer 2

I would ask to see if there is a flying club around, they can be much cheaper depending on how they are set up and what type of planes they fly. Secondly, if you can find a small airport within driving distance, that is away from the larger airports, you may find a better deal on the rental. Also what kind of plane are you renting? You might do very well to get some "basic stick and rudder" time in even an old taildragger, which should be cheaper to rent. If you can find a small rural airport, that may be your best bet. Once you are comfortable flying, upgrade to a plane with better avionics(radios). I learned to fly in a cessna 152, got my ticket(license), then graduated to the 172 and finally a piper archer II.

good luck

Answer 3

First all, thank goodness it is $183/hour 104 plane, 79 instructor.  We instructors have not had a pay increase since the 1970s.  Most still were charging $25/hr in the mid-ninties (I charged $30/hr for flight and ground instruction back in 1995).

If you want to reduce the cost, buy your own airplane (about $25,000 and do owner assisted maintenance, only good if you want to go all the way to flight instructor).  If just a private license, join a non-profit flying club or buy block time or a share in an airplane.

Do not comprimise on your instructor's pay.  This guy is trying to save your life.  If you get the cheapest instructor you'll end up like John Kennedy Jr, dead from an airplane accident, he caused, taking his wife and sister-in-law with him and his instructor could've taught him to avoid.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/kennedybi...

Interview your potential instructors.  Do not be afraid to change or choose your own.  Instructors are usually assigned by "couch time", whoever is on the couch when you walk in the door is assigned to you.  They are not the safest or most competent.  Choose a former military pilot who is a low time instructor from an established school, Comair (FL), Sierra (SF, CA), Embry Riddle (AZ or FL), Flight Safety (FL) (even though John John went there to train).  Also make sure your instructor has a four year college degree, required by the major airlines.  

If unavailable, do not choose an older or younger, high time instructor with over 1500 hours instruction given and over 2000 hours total time.  They are lousy pilots passed over by the regional airlines and have no aviation future but instructing until the pay gets so bad at the regional airlines they finally get a chance.  See:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...

Be cautious, flying is inherently unsafe and, rich or poor, the easiest way to die.