"Hello Mrglass,
thank You very much for Your reply and information.
I already know that the formal minimum is just a legal minimum number, but not the real number most people need to complete their PPL.
Do You have any estimates whats the average number of flight lessons an average pilot student needs at PE to complete the PPL? Are Your 60 lessons within the average number most people need?
How was instructor and plane availability at PE?
Thanks and many greetings,
Asrian"
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I can give you the exact amount as it's all laid out on the course schedule:
Actual flight lessons: 26 flights
Stage check flights: 3
End of course flight: 1
Ground sessions (orals 1-1 with instructor): 17
Stage check orals: 3
Bear in mind the flights vary from th standard 2 hour block (which ends up being about 1.4-1.8 actual flight hours) to a 3 hour cross country block (approx 2.5-2.8 hours)
So the above are the minimums. You will most likely repeat a few flight lessons whilst trying to master the art of landing - everybody I know has had to do this.
Orals are 1 hr each @ $45/hr
The 60 hours I took to do everything concerning the PPL is above average i'd say. Most of the friends I made during the PPL are still working on it. Only a handful are now onto the IRC rating. This is due to many things - weather, availability of student, repeating lessons, how busy the instructor it etc etc.
I'd budget a range of 50hrs minimum to 75hrs absolute maximum for the PPL. 50hrs would be impressive indeed. All down to the individual.
Hope this helps.
The $14,088.00 I spent averages out to: $234.00 per flight hour (factoring in ground school, orals, FAA written exam, fuel surcharge, initial TSA security processing, books (for all of the courses, not just PPL), flight bags, headset, various other equipment, etc etc).
So 75hrs X $234 would come to: $17,550.00 absolute maximum.
In my experience, there have always been planes available (they get reserved when your lesson is "posted" onto the system) and my instructor basically got me flying at least 5 times per week once we got rolling.
Weather and learning to perfect landings were the only things that slowed me down.
Me.