With the right kind of software and an instructor paying attention there needn't be hours of checking. A bit of a mark up is fair enough, some charge more than others, each to their own. Overheads at the former GAAP airports are much more than they used to be and ever increasing. We are all getting squeezed by property developers who want to bleed us dry then boot us out. Unfortunately that has to be passed on to the customers one way or another.
No such thing as cheap flying.
I do wonder how much of the $120 an hour(ground and flight time) the RACWA instructors get? (Hypothetical, please don't answer here!)