Cost of JAA PPL in the UK
 

I completed my PPL yesterday and after suffering a terrible hangover all day I decided to count up how much the PPL has cost me :)

Well I think I have included everything, I started at Highland Flying School in Inverness before it went bust, then continued with Leading Edge at Cumbernauld. This is the reason I have two different costs. I came to these totals by counting up all my receipts. All costs are UK sterling.

Hours : 16 @ Inverness = 1760
38 @ Cumbernauld = 5245

Landing Fees = 580
TOTAL = £7585


Exam Fees = 140
Skills Test Examiner = 150
RT Practical = 80
Medical = 310
Books, charts, logbook, crp etc = 200 (approx)
Headset = 170
TOTAL = £1050


GRAND TOTAL = £8635.00

I think thats everything, if I think of any extras I will add it on, I hope some people on here will find this information useful if you are considering starting PPL training. :ok:


Forgot I still have to pay the CAA for the issue of my licence so thats another £168 (?)

I spent exactly the same total in 2000/01.

But you could not count the headset, unless you give up flying immediately after getting the PPL (as many actually do) :)

The books etc can go on Ebay.

I assume that is a Class 1 medical? You could have saved some cash going for a class 2.

He could have but actually a Class 1 medical is a good move, because once you get through the initial, you have locked the option of Demonstrated Ability in, for the rest of your life.

So long as you renew the C1 within the maximum time, which (depending on how you read the JAA regs) is 1 year or 4.99 years. If you leave it longer, they can strip off that privilege and make you do a fresh initial C1.

I would recommend every pilot to get a C1 and keep renewing it, just often enough.

Well, perhaps.

On the other hand it might maybe just be possible that you haven't completely memorised everything in them or, even if you have, it's just about conceivable that you might start forgetting some of this stuff one day. In either case you might want the books handy to look stuff up in.

class one
 

good point. depends also on whether age 40 or not. class one carries class 2 priviledges etc.. blood tests and audiogram costs also come into the equation.

As an AME and FE i admit to having a foot in both camps!

Old time prices
 

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the replies, I'm fully aware I could have shaved some pounds off the total I spent. However It was not my intention to do it on a budget, and I have posted this information with the sole intention of giving newbies some solid up to date information.

Cheers :ok:

Thanks, a good summary to anyone considering going for their PPL. In fact, I am getting bored of people talking about a ppl in regards to an atpl, something along the lines of "yeah, so £5000 for the ppl, then hour build......"

Mine is going to come to £9000 ish based on taking the test at the 50 hour mark (pa-28).

:}:}:}:}:}

Those cost in the original post are about what I've been told to expect today to get through the course by the 3 schools I went to see, 1 hour done now so lots more to do to see if the estimates are close!

I occasionally work ground ops at Leading Edge (the Cumbernauld club mentioned above). Well done Virgin350!

We have always had a policy of erring on the side of caution when speaking to potential new students. A couple of years ago before the fuel jumped up in price we were estimating about 7-8k dependant on how the course panned out. But anyone who walks in now is told straight up that it's going to be around the 9-10k mark.

There is no point in stringing people along with the notion of a 6k PPL, it just leads to unhappy customers who are likely drift away when they inevitably do a running check of their costs. This might get a few more hours on a clubs bottom line, but I'd like to hope that most outfits see this isn't a good thing for the industry long term. We need to get new pilots coming through, getting their PPL and staying flying after they pass maybe even going further in aviation.

One thing I'd like to see, possibly from the CAA or maybe a self regulated body? Would be a charter mark sort of deal for flight training with standards regularly monitored (customer service and training standards). Alot of people starting out on their training jump in blindly with the first organisation they encounter. Everyone here in hindsight knows all the potential gotchas like not paying up front. But even those who do research the topic before taking the plunge might not get the full picture, even google isn't infallible. I realise this could never be a perfect solution but how hard could it be to have a website which has all the faq's and guidance and rough costs explained. A one stop shop for anyone looking to learn to go and find the right training provider to suit them.

Sorry for the longer than planned post!

Paul.

Info on funding?
 

Hi everyone

I'm new to joining but been actively searching on the web about getting ppl and if help funding at all. I'm 26years old and ever since young I've wanted to be a fighter pilot in the RAF. Some home events took place that affected me the opportunity to go to uni to join as an officer. This year had been my 1st. Chance to apply for the RAF to find out I missed the entry by 6months. I've been finding it hard to accept and want to be a pilot so bad. Commercial pilot one day. The problem I'm having is funding even the beginning of training for ppl to then get the opportunity to be a full commercial license. The RAF would have funded my training. I work full time to survive and pay bills and want a better life.

Everyone on here is giving advice on the process but can I ask how you all funded your training please. I don't come from a comfortable background enough to allow me to just. Change what I'm doing and front all the money to become a pilot. Is there any way I can get the opportunity and what age do most you guys start or doesn't it matter?

Hope someone can help

Thanks

I'll stick my neck out and say its perfectly possible to do a 45 hour PPL in an Cessna 150 for 6 grand all in - FACT

And I'm thinking about at an organisation that insists that all lesson are two hours long and include one hour of pre and post flight briefings as well as one hour airbourne time.

They also refuse upfront payments.

Just make sure you do your homework.

So does that "6 Grand all in" include landing fees (away as well as home), exam fees (incl flight test), medical, cost of license, books and charts? Club membership?

Amazing value if so.

YorkPhil

PM sent

Basically yes

So is this uk based and where abouts?

And if you don't mind me asking how did you fund yours, loan, savings, well paid job?

GLP I kept a cost of mine too, everything including fuel to and from the airfield. I started on March 12th last year and including the night and IMC rating spent £9320. I'm not including a spare headset that I bought in there or the GPS as they aren't strictly neccessary (I can use a club headset as a spare). The PPL itself cost just over £5800.

If you include the 10 hours that technically you need P1 before you can do the IMC then add on another £1000.

Paul I was 55 before I took the plunge into powered. I'm a glider pilot, have been for decades and was quite happy with that. I could afford but could never justify the amount of money needed to fund not only the PPL but to continue flying afterwards. I'm not a career pilot, it'sjust a hobby. No it's not, it's a way of life but you get my meaning.
Then you get to the point where the kids have fled the nest, no mortgage, the odd pension fund kicking in here and there and from having enough money you go to having more than enough so that's basically how I funded it. It's just what would otherwise be beer chits.

I would suggest if you're constrained financially that you look into gliding, or live in a bedsit and live on beans. If the desire is strong enough you'll find a way.

I've not seen this thread before so I'm glad P4UL B has reawakened it.

My biggest mistake was costing out the PPL and thinking I needed that amount of cash saved up before I could start the training. I had that belief because I thought I'd get the whole thing done in a couple of months. How wrong I was! When I discovered I was averaging about an hour a week I realised I could have started training much earlier and paid for it on a pay-as-you-go basis from earnings rather than from savings. Also, the cost of flying is only going to get more expensive so the sooner you start, the better.

On a practical level, find somewhere you can train that is cost effective for you and make sure you consider all the hidden costs like travel to and from the airfield, landing fees etc. Buy the training materials (books, whizzwheel etc) second hand from other people at your flying club or ebay. If you go out socialising and drinking then STOP! It's amazing how much you can save by staying in :) Consider getting a second job if money is really tight. Lastly, consider different forms of flying as others have mentioned - microlights, gliders etc.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!