Congratulations on your new PPL/Microlight Certifate! ($ please)

[weloveseaplanes]

Gidday Gidday newly licenced 2012 pilots,

Welcome to the blue skies!

Can you please help those of us with silver hair and sunburnt crinkled faces who decades ago as teenagers skipping school could simply get our PPL in 6 short years years by picking strawberries, flipping hamburgers, sweeping factory floors, cutting lawns, washing cars, cleaning bricks, carrying roofing tiles up ladders, tutoring the learning challenged, repairing old bicycles, stocking shelves, foregoing movies, KFC, shopping etc and scraping and saving but are now always stumped when asked by people in those brief glances when their eyes flick above their smart phones "so how much does a licence cost?"

How much did you pay for to get your PPL or Microlight Pilot Certificate in 2012 thanks?

Like I guess I'd answer : GA PPL $7000 kiwi

I've looked at a half dozen school sites but it almost seems like they try hiding the likely total cost so would greatly appreciate an update to answer by the newly winged :)

Am very interested in the difference in cost between GA and Microlights for someone starting out from scratch these days to be able to carry passengers on cross country flights and explore this glorious world on the heavenly highway of the sky . . .

[baswell]

The simple answer is: it depends.

If you are a reasonably fast learner and go with a not-for-profit club, you could have your RA-Aus certificate with cross country endorsement from $5,000.

Go to a Class D-based GA school for your PPL and $15K is probably going to be closer to the mark.

And anything in between....

But I don't like to tell people the total cost. I'd rather say: "if you can spare $150 per week for a year, you'll have your certificate".

As with anything else, it's all about cash flow. You don't need $10K in the bank right now to get your license. All you need is to be able to pay for lessons as you go.

[weloveseaplanes]

Thanks Baswell.

So AUD$15,000 for a PPL or AUD$5000 for a Microlight Pilot Certificate is what the costs are in 2012 and with that the average punter could be taking pax on cross countries.

That makes sense and shows that the cost has tripled since the late 1980s when I got my PPL. (7k kiwi being about AUD$5000).

Of course lots of variables are in play but would be interesting if some new pilots could say, got my licence/certificate at ABC school and all up it cost me 123 dollars . . .

[baswell]

Well, I did say "anywhere in between". :)

You can get your ultralight (RA-Aus) certificate at a professional school and it may set you back 10 grand. Or your PPL at a small country outfit for the same...

[jas24zzk]

hmm them numbers look a little low to me.

The going rate for a warrior dual, seems to be around 280-320 per hour.
Minimums for a PPL are 40 hours.

Yes I understand no-one ever does it on minimums, so i calculated the cost based on 40 hours dual @ 280 per hour.
that alone equates to 11.2k.

So 15k might be close to the mark, until you add in the incedentals that go with it...
Medical
ASIC/AVID
Headset
Maps/charts
Documents
Exam Fee's
etc

suddenly 20k looks like a conservative truth.


Interesting tho...the original poster said Microlight/GA
Microlight is a different animal again.
For fair comparision it should be :-
Microlight vs Ultralight (RAA)

[solowflyer]

I can't understand how the prices of aircraft hirage have changed over the years. I started about 12 years ago learning to fly choppers the going rate for a H300 was around $400 an hr then coming over to the dark side later a 172 I was paying $80 an hr now you are looking at $300 for a 172 and still a bit over $400 for a H300 how does that happen?

[weloveseaplanes]

Some prices from the net . . .

PPL

$19,472 Minovation, WA
$24,045 Airborrne Aviation, NSW

[Modesetter]

Same here Solowflyer,

When I did my PPL a bit over 10 years ago, dual training in an Archer was $140/hr, same for a Tomahawk.

Worked out to about $6500 for the whole PPL over 3 months.

Now i'm looking at doing a CIR, and the estimates are twice that amount !

[weloveseaplanes]

Updated list

There is an excellent, but dated (2009), analysis by a new PPL showing how taking the realistic amount of 78 hours to get his PPL at Redcliff Aero Club cost him $19,382. At the current prices they charge that figure in 2012 dollars would be above $26,461 to get a PPL.

2012 Price List

$19,472 Minovation, Perth
$21,475 Redcliff Aero Club, Brisbane
$24,045 Airborrne Aviation, Sydney

Sources

http://makingtimeforflying.********.com/2009/10/how-much-does-learning-to-fly-really.html
Minovation - Quality Flight Training and Aircraft Hire (http://www.minovation.com/index.php?p=1_3)
http://redcliffeaeroclub.com.au/pdf%20files/courses/PPL.pdf
Airborne Aviation Licensing Costs - Sydney, Australia (http://www.airborne-aviation.com.au/learn-to-fly/licensing-costs.php)