The other side of the coin
I'm sure most flying school owners are well meaning decent people who do not set out to shaft their instructors or any other employee. It would be interesting to do a few sums to see exactly what it should cost here in the UK for PPL training (say) in a bog standard 172 or PA28, and pay the instructors a decent wage to boot, say national average earnings around £18,000 a year and perhaps cover their necessary fees like medicals etc.
Assume the school is reasonably well equipped with a rented office and hangar on an airfield somewhere and has 6 to 12 a/c. Assuming these a/c are in reasonable nick that's an investment for someone of thick end of £250,000 in kit. Say 6 or 8 instructors part and full time at £18,000 pa (or pro rata). Usual £1 a litre type fuel costs, maitanance ground staff etc. Then add in a reasonable return on investment and a premium for the risk level being taken by the investor (Venture capitalists work on about 50%IRR), and then a sensible utilisation rate, taking account of tech a/c and weather etc.
Anyone care to give me an hourly flying rate and then speculate as to its obtainability here when just about any instructor can then set up next door with no staff and an a/c they rent of some struggling private owner who cannot really afford it, and under cut prices?