How long did it take to get your PPL?

40 hours, I did the first 20 hours in 5 months. I got sick of it taking so long due to my job, a truck driver, so I took 2 weeks off and flew the other 20 hours and did my check ride. 2009
 
96 hours and two years finished in 2014. High school and Injuries got in the way a few times.

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68 hours, 2 years, spread pretty much evenly at about 3 hours(two flights) per month. Finished 2016

Probably would have been shorter if not for a medical delay. (we didn't work landings too much till I had the medical)
 
Started July 2016- September 2016 with 11.4 hours.

Re-started in August 2017 and took my Checkride on May 9, 2018 with 45.4 hours.
 
2 1/2 hours, 8 days, couldn't get a checkride any quicker.....


Actually my log book is 100 miles away, I'll post the truth in a few days.
 
82 hours
9 months
2004

Can we expect to see some nice plots of this data once you've collected it?
 
60 hours
1 1/2 years, 3 states and 7 flight instructors
1995; $3500 total, maybe $4000 can't remember..:rolleyes:
 
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Thank you all for sharing. Trying to compare different eras of training here. At first it seems older pilots or those who trained in the 90s or earlier had shorter hours but looks like we have other pilots who trained in recent years also finished in less than 60 hours. Interesting!
 
I had about 60 hours in the log when I took the check ride.
Took about 9 months. Weather in western Washington in the fall/winter/spring can put a damper on VFR flight.
Took the ride in April, 2001

Edit - 58.9 hours at the completion of the check ride.
Just over 9 months
Soloed after 11.9 hours of dual
 
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I was in the 63 hour range back in 2012 over the course of about 8 months.
 
easik said:
Thank you all for sharing. Trying to compare different eras of training here. At first it seems older pilots or those who trained in the 90s or earlier had shorter hours but looks like we have other pilots who trained in recent years also finished in less than 60 hours. Interesting!
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The problem in comparing raw times is the number of variables in flight training which makes drawing simple conclusions somewhat problematic. For starters, you have the student’s age, frequency of lessons, CFI’s teaching ability, aircraft availablilty, weather, avionics, DPE scheduling, funds availability, student availability, CFI availability, and program type (61 vs 141).
 
57 hours over 38 years. Started in 1970, stopped in 1972 at 17 hours. Began again in 2008 and finished in December of 2008.
 
Total 43 hours, 9 hours to solo, all over a 4 month time frame in 1986

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43 hours over 4 months in 2014
 
My logbook is not with me, but as I recall it was just over 60 hours and about 8 months back in 1988. There was a three month period where weather prevented me from flying very often and I definitely lost some proficiency that I had to get back.

Abram Finkelstein
N48KY
 
43 Hours, 13 days from start to finish (had already experience with weightshift ultralight), 2010
 
The short version:
Trained at Tracy CA (KTCY)
42 hours over 4.5 months to solo (Sept 2013 to Feb 2014)
211 hours to checkride over 12.5 months (Oct 2014)

Long version:
My Discovery flight was on Sept 24 2013. My medical got deferred (Past Kidney stone and deficit in left eye) just as the government shutdown for a month. I didn't get my medical until beginning of Feb 2014. When I started, I know there was a chance I wouldn't get my medical. I didn't care. I would have been happy just learning to fly, even if I never got a license. (I didn't know about Sport Pilot at the time.) So I just kept on training, and racked up 42 hours of dual by the time I soloed on Feb 3. (The day after I got my medical) I was all set to just do my solo cross country stuff and then go for my checkride, but then there was a series of cancellations due to squawks (on the only low-wing they had) and of course weather. Then, I bought a plane in April and flew the snot out of it. Since the FBO carried the loan for me, I agreed to lease the plane back to him for 6 weeks in June/July of 2014 for a pair of Swedish pilots who were already expecting to come over and rent it to build hours. Got it back (after a fresh 100 hr) in August, but couldn't get my SI for my eye until I did a medical checkride with an FAA inspector, which took another 6 weeks to get on the schedule. By the time I managed to get my checkride done on Oct 9, 2014, I had 211 hours, 120 of which were solo. (Again, I flew the snot out of my plane while waiting.) The entire time I was training, I was flying at least 3 days a week, sometimes as much as five. Once I had my own plane, I was also basing it at the airport closest to my home, and flying (15 mins) to my training airport. On the way back, I always took the long route.

My checkride was unusually short, and that was with a DPE that was known to put you through hell if he noticed a single deficit in any area.

By the time I started my IR training in mid July of 2016, I had 406 hours, 98 of which were cross-country. It took about 70hrs of training and practice flights to get my IR on Nov 10 of 2016, by which time I had over 550 hrs. (Had more cross-country flights during that time.)

I actually don't regret all the extra hours I put in during training, because I know myself. I can be over-confident at times. (And it didn't help that my daughter, who usually sat right seat with me on cross-country flights, is the type to say "go for it, papa!") Because of all the extra training, I felt a lot more comfortable flying all over CA.

I sold that plane recently, and plan on buying a twin in the next couple years. I plan to over train in that as well.
 
Soloed Aeronca 7AC in four hours. Went to Japan for a year. Took remaining instruction in Cessna 120 & Cessna 150. Three states, Mississippi, California & Massachusetts, 2 years, 70 hours.
 
The short answer: About 35 years too long. The longer answer:

1. 57.8 hours, plus a 1.3 hour check ride.
2. Five months, to the day... if you don't count the two flights in the 13 years prior.
3. 2012
 
45 hrs, 3 months, 2005.
Flew everyday I could except weekends. Paid in advance for discount. Flying everyday reduces the time it take to get your license.
 
It took 2 years, but that's because I was underage.
By the time I was old enough to take my check ride I had over 250 hrs in 9 different seaplane types, including 51 hrs in twin engine complex, and about 75 hrs in 4 different land types.
Working at the seaplane base gave me a lot of opportunities most people never had.
It was a different world back then, and you could do things and no one cared, unless you screwed the pooch.
 
1. 105 hrs, including the checkride
2. 3yrs, 1mo, 22days (Was a bit distracted during High School)
3. 1984

It worked out, though. I've been a professional pilot since 1986.
 
It took 1 1/2 years for me as I had to come back to the states for the checkride for PPL. The fastest I've ever seen someone get their PPL was a student of mine in the late 70's. 43 hours, 38 days from start to finish.
 
12 months 72 hours and 4 cfi’s. Cfi’s kept leaving for better jobs and finally school owner took me to check ride. 16hrs to solo done in 1998. Cost around $5,500. Thank goodness I did it back then because it’s was so much cheaper
 
tawood said:
I did do it like you did...and unlike you I highly recommend it. Why don’t you?
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There's a story behind it. Let's just say that paying in advance and hearing the school is bankrupt makes you fly a ton during the 2 weeks the school stayed in business.
 
30 years, life, family etc. Started in the 1980’s, bought a plane with a friend and decided to finally finish, about 80 hours.
 
41 hours
3 months
2003
2 CFIs

Worked as an A&P at the FBO for a summer, flew at least 2 and often 4 days a week after work. 8-9 hours of work at $10/hr would about pay for 1 hour of dual in a 172.
 
45 hours
2 1/2 months
Summer of 2001

Was still flying on a temporary paper ticket when all GA was shut down after Sep 11th.
 
For the OP... People like to brag they did it at or close to the minimum required time, and they are the next Chuck Yeager or Maverick & Goose.

It's when YOU are ready that matters. My CFI said I was ready before I thought I was ready, and few more with him to learn. Beyond the basics we flew through Class B several times and landed a few times in Class C airports, and performed some high density altitude work as examples. The extra training helped a lot with my checkride which went smoothly.

There's high & low time students who are a nightmare, and high & low time students who are brilliant flyers. Take the time you need to be safe and proficient. Budget for 75 hours now a days. The requirements have gotten more stringent with the new ACS protocol.
 
Skates97 said:
Really? I did mine here in Southern California in 2016. Started May 28th, solo flight at 14.3 hours, check ride on October 15th (4 1/2 months) at 46.7 hours on the first try.
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Testing has become more rigid in the past 18 months. San Jose & Fresno FSDO's for example have fired all DPE's except for 2 in each district, and they are on the new regiment. A student at my airport failed his Checkride because his log book said he finished his X-countries BEFORE he finished his instrument work. He was made to go back and redo his X-countries before retest.

They are trying to hire more DPE's.
 
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