I just (June 2018) completed my PPL(A) in a school near London, UK.
The total cost came to
£13,188.20 (~ $17,317.20) for 70 hours of flying over about 18 months (weekends).
This breaks down as follows:
Code:
⋅Item⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Cost⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
--------------------------------------------
⋅Airplane hire (Cessna 152)⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£8,188.75⋅⋅⋅
⋅Instructor fees⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£3,420.83⋅⋅⋅
⋅Travel⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£528.60⋅⋅⋅
⋅PPL skills test⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£210.00⋅⋅⋅
⋅CAA license application⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£191.00⋅⋅⋅
⋅Club membership (annual)⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£150.00⋅⋅⋅
⋅Class 2 medical exam⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£135.00⋅⋅⋅
⋅Additional items⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£87.13⋅⋅⋅
⋅Ground exams⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£78.00⋅⋅⋅
⋅Landing fees⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£70.00⋅⋅⋅
⋅Radio Telephony exam⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£65.00⋅⋅⋅
⋅Tuition material (books etc)⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£63.89⋅⋅⋅
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⋅Total⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅£13,188.20⋅⋅⋅
Notes- Travel was almost exclusively by London public transport, with three taxi journeys.
- Additional items include things like a kneeboard, charts, flight computer.
- I tried to get what I could second hand (mostly tuition materials).
- I did not attend ground school (but have to say that the instructors at my school were extremely helpful in going over any questions I had regarding the theory on an ad hoc basis).
- the majority of this cost is bunched into the last quarter of the course, when flights get longer, and landing fees are creeping in (so don't pay upfront, better invest the money if you have it, and reap the returns).
- the cost of plane hire dwarfs everything else. Thus the least expensive option is likely the school with the lowest hire rate, disregarding any fees for exams etc. (the radio exam and medical certificate seem to vary considerably).
Of course, the number of hours needs to be taken into consideration as well; I didn't think I'd have a chance doing it in 45hrs, but likewise didn't anticipate 70hrs (no doubt caused in part by large periods of not being able to fly because of the weather conditions).
In his 1989 book 'Ready for take-off' (not essential reading in my opinion!), Patrick Quinn states the cost of gaining the PPL at around £2,000 in 1983 (I believe only 40 hours were mandatory then). The Bank of England's inflation calculator tells us that £2,000 in 1983 would have been worth £6,415 in 2017, suggesting the real cost of achieving the license has about
doubled in the last 30 years. Fuel tax? Aircraft maintenance? Electronic gadgets? Who knows...
For those considering it as a hobby, also take into account
recurring costs, e.g. renewal of the medical certificate, charts (yearly), club membership, association membership, dual checks (at periodic intervals, depending on club), and lessons after periods of not flying (often mandated by the club, quite rightly so). You may also want to buy your own headset.
Some clubs offer a "Saftey pilot" course, which just teaches you to land the plane in an emergency, and the basics of operating the radio. It's not a license or legal document by any means, but, if I were to do it again, I would probably start there. It's a good way to meet like-minded people to fly with, and thereby getting experience in procedure, handling the plane, and the radio without having to pay for lessons. I'm sure this would reduce the number of required hours.
Perhaps the last thing to say is that the PPL is likely not the end of it. Conversion courses to larger planes (so to take (more) passengers), the night rating, complex aircraft, twin engine aircraft, tailwheel, aerobatics, IMC (or even IR for the brave) are all beckoning.
Oh yes, and helicopters, well, they pretty much require a different license all together.
Hope this helps somebody!
PS: I know you can't compare apple with pears, but out of curiosity, I popped into the helicopter school at the same aerodrome as my fixed-wing school, and training in a Robinson R22 costs just under 80% more than training in a Cessna 152 per hour (including instructor fee, just hire is 55% more expensive for the R22). PPL(H) training for PPL(A) holders requires additional theory, and a minimum of 39 hours dual instruction.