Costs And Requirements Of Becoming A Pilot

If you're seriously considering becoming a pilot

, whether for recreation or as a full time job, congratulations on your ambition! But before you go getting yourself in too deep, you need to consider if you are up to the task or not, both physically and financially.

Are you Eligible?

The first thing you will need to do is make sure you are actually eligible to start earning your pilot's license. While it's going to be a crushing disappointment if you discover you're not, it's much better to find out now, rather than later on when you have spent money for nothing.

The first requirement is that you must be at least 17 years old to be a private pilot. While you are allowed to begin lessons at an earlier age, it's probably not cost-effective to start until around six months or so before you turn 17.

Next, you will need to have an FAA Medical Evaluation test done. This evaluation is a requirement for anyone wanting to attempt their first solo flight. If for whatever reason you fail the evaluation, just remember it is better to know sooner rather than later on, which would only exacerbate your disappointment.

Can You Afford It?

One of the key aspects of pilot training is the financial one. It simply isn't cheap to learn to fly, and so you will need to plan your finances carefully, working out a realistic budget. This will assist you in deciding if it's really attainable or not, and it can also help with keeping track of the expenses you incur as your training progresses.

There are many expenses that you will need to consider. Some of the more obvious ones include such things as the flight instructor's fees, rental fees for the plane, fuel costs (if these aren't included with the plane rental), electronic reference manuals and books, testing fees, medical evaluation fees, pilot supplies and medical insurance (your premiums are likely to increase if you are a pilot!).

The total cost of pilot training from start to finish will vary significantly according to many different factors, such as where you take your lessons, and how long it takes you to get your license. Estimates of the total cost range, but the majority of them seem to place the average amount of money spent towards earning a pilot license at around $8,000. Bear in mind that so long as the cost of fuel rises, this cost is also likely to rise too.

Also, you will need to keep in mind that even though the legal minimum number of flight hours before you cant take the final FAA test is set at 40, many students take much longer than this before their instructor will let them take this final test. The current average is around 55 hours.

To take into account this and any other factors, it is not unreasonable to say that a budget of $10,000 is needed to ensure that all the costs are covered. It might be possible to find a program or company that specializes in flight school loans if you need help to finance your dreams, so don't despair if this figure seems out of reach.

by: Andrew Berrey

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