Cost of PPL

[DoWeHaveLiftOff?]

I have looked at the cost of PPL training all around, and have found UK to be very expensive compared to the US. In the US you can train for a PPL licence for around £3000 while here we are paying around £4000+ (or I am).

Can someone please enlighten as to what the average cost is in the UK, obviously depending upon location and timescales and not forgetting time. My brief backgorund is I'm living around the Midlands but will be doing on a part-time basis (at no extra cost to the intensive) and on a regular basis (over the weekends especially).

Anyone care to share their thoughts.

Thanking in advance.

DWHLO?

[fw190dora]

Dowehave,

3K GBP in the US would be scraping in, it's realistically a little more when you add in living costs , accom, and travel espenses. That said however you can do it in one sharp shock and get it over with.

The downside here is obviously the weather, and you may find that as you get nearer your flight tests that time indeed becomes money here in the UK. 4K sounds about right if you are flying 152's or pa-28's.

Oh and pay as you go!!! never pay up front.

cheers

fw

[skyeye]

This may not be strictly in answer to your post since you asked about UK costs, but having just yesterday sent off all the relevant paperwork for my shiny new PPL, I can tell you that in Cape Town, South Africa, it will set you back in the region of R24000. At today's exchange rate of 1GBP=11.48ZAR, that's about 2090 pounds. Not including accommodation of course, but that can be quite reasonable if you are willing to look around. The weather also tends be a bit friendlier than in your part of the world, and the "occasional" (more like "perpetual") 15-20 knot wind makes you quite proficient at cross-wind landings.

However, remember that the longer it takes, the cheaper it feels.

[Delta Wun-Wun]

In the UK you are talking of at least £100 per hour or there abouts for PPL training.45 hours is the bear minimum to qualify.Most people are in the 55 to 65 hour bracket by the time they get their licence.So could be as much as £6500 in the UK.You then have your exams and books to pay for.I would suggest you try and fly as often as possible whilst learning irrespective of whether you try in the UK or abroad,that way you should hopefully retain the info better.

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GET THE BLOODY NOSE DOWN!

[SpeedBird22]

Fw,

I disagree about paying upfront - I've found that by paying all the money in one go I've got a BIG discount and get loads of stuff included like landing fees exam fees etc etc etc.

Going back to the original question, I paid about 4200 for the full course on a PA28-161.At the three-quaters stage it looks like I'm scheduled to finish on about 55hrs so total cost for the whole thing including about £300 for extras...ummmm...around £6000. It ain't a cheap business to be in.

Happy flying,

SB22

[BEagle]

I keep reading about people being charged for 'exams'. Are you referring to the Skill Test, or do some places really charge for applicants sitting JAR-FCL PPL exams? Because I don't charge anything for that; I did think of making the second attempt £10 per exam and the third £25 in order to concentrate the mind, but all the folks I've examined seem to have no difficulty passing first time

[Downwind_Left]

DoWeHaveLiftOff; Totally agree with SpeedBird22,
Pay up front if you can afford to - I paid for 45 hours upfront and they threw in a full set of Trevor Thom books, Logbook, Map, Checklists, Ruler, Protractor, CRP and a CAP413. Saved about £150.

Paying up front also gives a bit of flexibility, you don't have to worry if you can afford to fly on a particular day, where you may have had to scrape together a hundred squid or cancel - You can fly as often as you can without having to budget for it.

Make sure you allow a bit of extra time if doing your PPL in the UK, the weather will mess things up sometimes, and I was forced to make a decision in December while waiting to do my QXC;
Wait for the weather to improve to fly solo, or carry on flying dual and repeat stuff you've already done to stay current. I chose the second one - I'm much happier flying than not, and flying as often as possible makes things a lot easier. Not always easy to fly that often in winter, as I've found out http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

Hope you enjoy your PPL as much as I did!

[DoWeHaveLiftOff?]

Thank you for your detailed replies, folks.

I'll be starting my PPL (if the weather permits) sometime this month. The total amount will be approx £4300 including all costs (minus rent, food, travelling expenses). This also includes my flight bag, fees , ground school and exams.

I'll be flying on a part-time basis, every few days as my job is flexible.

But I was in the mind that the PPL would only cost around £3k plus all personal expenses, but it has turned out to be expensive than I thought, and then to build up hours it will be again another few £k on top. But if it's something you LOVE, you will do anything to ACHIEVE that GOAL.

I have already started reading up on my manuals enclosed in my flight bag, so good luck to me (and all).

I'll keep you posted as to how everything goes.

DWHLO?