Proper Planning and all that . . .
Do your homework before signing up with any school. These are just a few of the questions you should be asking:
- Is groundschool / briefing time included in their rates or is it charged separately?
- Do they offer written statements detailing costs against hours flown? Are these statements provided on demand?
- Are rates fixed for the duration of training, or subject to change? If subject to change, by how much?
- What are their payment terms? Do they require your account to be in positive balance prior to flying, and if so, by how much? (NEVER pay for an entire course upfront, and be VERY, VERY suspicious of any FTO that demands large upfront payments).
- Is there a surcharge for credit card payments? Note that in the UK at least, paying by credit card offers more protection than cash or debit card.
- Is charging based on block time, block + taxy allowance or hobbs meter?
- Is there an additional charge for 170A flights or are they charged at normal dual rates?
- What is the rate for aircraft hire during tests (it should be examiner fee + solo rate - not dual).
- What is the average number of hours taken by their students to pass the PPL/CPL/IR compared to the legal minimum? If they 'don't have this information', then they should - again, be suspicious.
Thorough planning and research will reduce the chance of nasty surprises at the end of your training. And whatever you do, budget on at least 10-20% extra on top of the quoted price to allow for additional training and exam resits - very few students manage to pass everything in minimum hours.