Questions about flying lessons. Becoming a Pilot?

there is alot more to this question then i think you realize. the cost for your license is kinda down on the list of issues. heres what i mean. you need to decide what you want to do with your license? do you just want to fly around for fun and the infamous 100.00 hamburger? if so you may want to look at getting your sport pilot license, which costs half of the private and half the time but you need to look at the rule making to see if that license fits your needs.. like do you want to fly with more then 1 passenger? do you want to go faster then 132knts?do you want to fly at night? do you want to be able to fly into class B airspace? you cant do any of that with a port pilot license if interested talk to a flight instructor that is apporved for the lsa license. if thats not what you want then maybe the private!! the private will allow you to fly in any airspace other then class A unless you have your instrument license, you can fly at night and go as fast as you want as long as its in a plane that ways less then 12500 lbs. this is limiting too because of weather concerns and will probably get stuck at airports far away from home without your instrument ticket well even with your instrument ticket due to weather. remember the private is a license to learn and can not depend on it for a source of scheduled transportation. who knows how much it will really cost you but you can have a good understanding by adding the cost of the plane say a older c172 for 125.00 per hour instructor will be close to 35 to 45.00 per hour, medical examiner, books ground school, faa test your own pilot supplies like head set, flashlite, so on and so forth. the faa minimum is 40 hours but it will take you more like 65 to 75 hours to actually complete according to the faa. it took me 63 hours because i would stop and then start again. once you get your license you will need to fly fly fly which will ost you too. i always find that older instructors at small flight schools are the best. most cessna instructors are good but little real world experiance and are building time. the older guys will teach you the tricks to the trade as well as the PTS. you have to be 16 to get your private and since i dont know how old you are. if your 15 then go ahead and start now and when your 16 you can take the test and be on your way. one last note. be careful giving a deposit for flight time. i did it and lost 800.00 and you can also check this site out to see what other pilots have gone through. http://www.jetuniversitysucks.com./ anyway a 10 hour block time isnt bad but just beware.

As you have read in the previous two answers it can be very differcult to answer your questions specifically.

So I'll try to keep it as simple as possible.

It starts with where you live and the cost of living in that area. Podunk, USA would probably cost a lot less than Hollywood, CA. Next a small airfield in out of the city which provides older planes and nothing else will have a low overhead cost allowing them to charge less for lessons.

When I learned to fly I took my lessons from just such an airfield. Dirt runways, small, differcult to get into and out of; and two great instructors with great reputations as instructors. Not far away another airfield offered pool tables , provided food, etc. and charged almost twice what I was paying.

My instructor reccomended one hour every two weeks, giving my a chance to think about what I did wrong or should have done during the last lesson. This was so I didn't make the same mistakes again adding to the time it would take to get my certificate. His philosophy was if it took more than 58 hours to pass your flight test, you had a learning problem or the instructor was taking advantage of you. I passed in 52 hours.

As for all other costs such as classes etc. I'm a book learner. I can learn simply by aquireing a good text on the subject. My ground school cost me $20.00. This cost will vary depending upon your ability or desire.

I wish you the best in what you seek as a solution. I've been flying since 1978.

I'm about to finish my private license. It is definitely worth it to me, because I absolutely love being at the controls of a plane- I love flying. You can learn to fly at any age. If you start, the faster you do your lessons, the less it will cost. You will retain more, and there's less to forget when it comes to your next lesson. Around here in California, you can expect to pay between $80-$120 per hour for the plane PLUS the instructor rates. Those may be between $20 and $40 per hour. You can find instructors at many small airfields and large airports. When it's all said and done, it could cost upwards of 5-8 thousand dollars. But when you get your license, it's yours forever, as long as you can pass your 3rd class medical exam every six years.

Best thing to do is go down to your local airport and talk to a flight school or local flight instructor. Prices vary by location.

check out http://beapilot.com/