Student Pilot Program

Become a Pilot,  Provided by AOPA

Learning to fly is a life-changing experience.  The day that you solo an airplane will remain in your memory for ever! 

We are very flexible and each student develops a personal timeframe with his or her own instructor.  Our on line booking system clearly shows when the plane is available, and usually there is plenty of free time so you can fit lessons into a busy schedule.

"How do I get started" is the question most often asked followed closely by "How much does it cost." 

Getting started

It only requires an airplane and an instructor and you have just found that at Windsock.  Email us.  Call us.  Just do it!  Also, you will eventually want to purchase your own set of headphones but for a beginning student, we can provide headphones for no additional cost.

The Estimated Cost to Solo

Many larger communities have formal training schools but in the Florence area all instruction is personal between you and your independent instructor.  The cost all depends on how fast you learn and how much personal time you allocate to study.  If you love flying you won't be able to put the instructional materials down for very long.  Our pricing section gives our rates but this simple scenario is an average cost to solo the aircraft remembering that your experience will be different.  Most students solo in 10 to 15 hours but we have given the longer time frame.  Instruction expense can vary a lot too because some people want or need much more ground instruction than others.  When you realize that YOU will be the only person in that plane on your solo flight you don't have to be encouraged to learn and study! 

The Estimated Cost to Achieve Full Private Pilot status.

The total cost to receive a private pilot license, good for life with current medical and proficiency, varies considerably based mostly on the hours necessary before your CFI will sign you off for your FAA supervised check ride.  The FAA requires 40 hours minimum with many sub-requirements concerning night flight, instrument, dual time, and cross country flights.  The more you fly the quicker you will become proficient as a pilot.  One recent pilot in our area in 2010 passed his check ride after 41 hours of training, but he flew 5 days a week and many hours a day.  That is very rare and the opposite is much more common.  If you spread it out over 2 years you will spend more money because your skills have to be refreshed every time you take off, but taking longer spreads the cost out as well.

 

Resource	40 Hr Est Cost	40 Hr Est Block Cost	60 Hr Est Full Cost	60 Hr Est Block Cost
Training Materials / Kit / Charts	$190	$190	$190	$190
Headphones	$250	$250	$250	$250
Flight Physical (before solo)	$95	$95	$95	$95
Aircraft. 40 hrs to 60 hours @ $110 / hr or $99 / hr block rate (see pricing)	$4,400	$3,960	$6,600	$5,940
Estimated Instructor Time Hrs	# 60	# 60	# 80	# 80
Instruction.  60/80 hrs @ $35.  Ground and air.   (varies based on student skills)	$2,100	$2,100	$2,800	$2,800
Estimated Expense:	$7,035	$6,595	$9,935	$9,275

After Your Solo

Your flight training is supervised by your instructor who tells you where you can fly and the maneuvers you should practice. Many hours are flown solo by you but your instructor will be back in the plane on regular intervals to judge your progress and move you to the next step.  While the FAA requires 40 hours of flight before being eligible for the private pilot check ride,  typical hours flown are 55 and more before being ready for "the ride."  If you can fly several times a week you will be ready for "the ride" much closer to the required minimum of 40 hours.

The Ultimate Resource

The best resource we've found to research "everything" there is to know about becoming a pilot is the AOPA "Learn to Fly" site.  AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) is a phenomenal resource and claims 70% of all pilots in the USA as members.  A quick look at just the free portions of their site will illustrate that support.  They even offer a FREE 6 month membership for students that includes full web access, all their interactive training, and their monthly magazine.  Students who join AOPA are 3 times more likely to successfully reach their goals.

We encourage you to visit their site. 

Call or email us today to talk about this life changing experience.

Send mail to windsock@sc.rr.com with any and all questions about Windsock or to provide comments about this web site.
Site Map   Last modified: 03/23/12