Cost of PPL training.

edessa

edessa

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Highland Heights, OH
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edessa
$127/Hr Wet For a C172N
$50/Hr for instructor
$40/Hr for ground school
$1100 for security deposit (one time fee)
Location is NE Ohio.

Do these prices seem a bit high? Currently I am paying $90/Hr wet with free instructor and 20/month for club dues. My problem is that my instructor has a new position and will be MIA till March. Instead of waiting for him to come back and have a few months of down time I was thinking of transferring to the local flight school and continuing my training.
 
let me be the first to say........$1100 security deposit?!?!?!??!!??!?!?!?!?!??!! WTF.

also, yes, $50/hr for instructor does in fact sound higher than free.
 
Does the 1100 cover the insurance deductible? Other prices seem to be fair,of course nothing is better than free.
 
eman1200 said:
let me be the first to say........$1100 security deposit?!?!?!??!!??!?!?!?!?!??!! WTF.

also, yes, $50/hr for instructor does in fact sound higher than free.
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Security deposit is so no one steals the aircraft according to the owner. Also my current instructor is a friend of mine that's why its free. Just trying to find out what the going rate is before I sign up. I have no problem paying for instructor as long as its reasonable.
 
Have you asked your current instructor for recommendations about a private CFI flying the club plane?
 
edessa said:
Security deposit is so no one steals the aircraft according to the owner. Also my current instructor is a friend of mine that's why its free. Just trying to find out what the going rate is before I sign up. I have no problem paying for instructor as long as its reasonable.
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I have never heard of any kind of security deposit
 
I've never heard of a security deposit (are students stealing planes common??). I paid about the same as you: $135/hr wet, $45 for the CFI (air or ground).
 
SO the $1100 has something to do with buying into the club?
 
I went through an entire part 61 without ever paying a deposit. That seems totally bizarre to me.
 
I paid
$110 wet C172
$40 for CFI (flying)
$25 CFI Ground


And let me be the second to say........$1100 security deposit?!?!?!??!!??!?!?!?!?!??!! WTF.
 
That "security deposit" is malarkey. Everything else looks about right in the normal world.
 
So someone won't steal the $150,000 airplane because they have $1,100 on deposit??

Do you get it back eventually since its a deposit?
 
Captain said:
So someone won't steal the $150,000 airplane because they have $1,100 on deposit??

Do you get it back eventually since its a deposit?
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My thought exactly. Unless there is something in writing regarding the deposit (ie; conditions for return of said deposit), I'd be very reluctant.

I've never heard of any school requiring a security deposit.

And even with a written agreement on the deposit...you can do a search on "pay in advance training". This is much the same. They're asking for up-front money. And if they go belly up and lock the doors...you're SOL on getting your money back.

Be careful.

Mike
 
The thing is I am an A&P for the FBO that does all the MX on the schools aircraft. Maybe I can ask him to wave the $1100 as a professional courtesy. Just a thought.
 
First get a detailed explanation of exactly what it is for...
 
The instructor price is a little bit higher than here, but I don't think it is unreasonable. I would guess since a security deposit is required, it must be because the school will let you run a tab instead of paying for each lesson when the lesson ends?
 
Is the deposit guaranteed refundable?
 
$99 Piper Warrior III
$45 instructor, up or down.
I take my checkride Monday and I'll have @ 8 amu's in my training.
 
My school has students pay for blocks of time. I instruct there and I have a hard time with asking for the money. Either pay as you go or pay for a few flights back pay IMO. Make the relationship as one way as possible, not something where the school owes you.
 
Given all the prices you stated. If it were me...I would take a two month break, knock out the written, study the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Airplane Flying Handbook, or build up enough coin so you can hit it hard and knock it out when he comes back. But then again...that is just me.
 
172M $110 Wet
$38 instructor

No deposit I don't get that at all.
 
edessa said:
The club wont go for it.
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I have to assume there are no other CFIs in the club, or you'd use them. So if there aren't, then when this CFI is out of town (or whatever) for a few months, who are club members going to use for Flight Reviews and such? Seems like they would WANT/need to have someone authorized as a fill-in instructor.

Similarly, I am associated with a club where I am not a member, but am authorized to provide instruction to club members. They needed some help, I was available, it works out just fine.
 
RussR said:
I have to assume there are no other CFIs in the club, or you'd use them. So if there aren't, then when this CFI is out of town (or whatever) for a few months, who are club members going to use for Flight Reviews and such? Seems like they would WANT/need to have someone authorized as a fill-in instructor.

Similarly, I am associated with a club where I am not a member, but am authorized to provide instruction to club members. They needed some help, I was available, it works out just fine.
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My instructor is a friend of mine and is training me only. He does not provide any other training or flight reviews to any one. The pilots in the club have other means of getting current.
 
I finally got around to getting the info on the $1100. The owner says its for those that become delinquent with payments for training. I told him that I never have heard of such a fee in a flight school. When asked if you get the money back after training the subject was changed. I am taking Gucci Pilots advice and started ground school with Golden Seal. Going thru the free part of it and so far I like it. More than likely I will pay the fee and take the entire course.
 
Gucci Pilot said:
Given all the prices you stated. If it were me...I would take a two month break, knock out the written, study the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Airplane Flying Handbook, or build up enough coin so you can hit it hard and knock it out when he comes back. But then again...that is just me.
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These books. You can download them for free from the faa website or you can buy them in paperback. I used these books and Stick & Rudder.
 
edessa said:
I finally got around to getting the info on the $1100. The owner says its for those that become delinquent with payments for training. I told him that I never have heard of such a fee in a flight school. When asked if you get the money back after training the subject was changed. I am taking Gucci Pilots advice and started ground school with Golden Seal. Going thru the free part of it and so far I like it. More than likely I will pay the fee and take the entire course.
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sounds fishy to me...stinky.

I've used 3 different flight schools and NONE have asked for any kind of a deposit. Now, I used a debit card to pay for all mine and asked them on a few occasions to pull out more than what I owed right then so I could have a credit on my account to cover lessons that I would have to pay for in the next couple days...so instead of going through all the paying 3 times they could just take it out of my 'account'.

I don't even think my school extended any kind of credit to students. Perhaps to the the ones going through a program perhaps...but no one ever mentioned it to me.
 
The school I presently teach at requires renters to have a minimum $100 on account so that landing fee bills and gas bills that come into the school can be efficiently cleared and charged. That's a far cry from $1100, though. We've been in business for 30 years, so chances are small that we'd pack up and run away at this point.
 
Asking for a $1000 deposit is shady.

The school I use gives people the option of keeping an "account" and if you keep money in that account they give you a $10 per hour discount on the plane rental. This also makes it easier to have lessons out of their normal business hours (eg a night flight) since they just charge your account the next day. The money in the account is returned if you want... it's not a "deposit."

This is all totally optional though and people can pay each time if they so choose.
 
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