Just out of curiocity. At the present time what would you say would be the price range for an individual to get their private lisence, and then possibly add an instrument rating?

I would supect that 20K should be enough to do a Private Pilot Certificate in a single engine airple and an Instrument rating. You can do it together now. In the old days it was not the case. You needed to have some time in the logbook before you could do an instrument rating. They changed it in order to cut down on weather related accidents. Still have the weather related accidents, just a bunch of new pilots that don't look out side of the airplane.

http://www.thornapple-flying.com/ click on the pdf.

Figure about $6000 for the private. Probably the same figure to add the instrument rating.

If you went to a school that instructed in a smaller 2 seat aircraft the private may come down 10-15% but most places are renting four place aircraft right around the $100/hr rate and instruction $25-35/hr.


The school in the link above is what you should look for. The instructors do this because they enjoy instructing and are not merely building hours to get into an airline. They have a lot of hours teaching people how to fly airplanes and are very good at it.

In the early 80's, I did my ground school for $80 at angelo state university...then traded my labor building t-hangars for flight time in a 172 and a Cherokee 140... The plane rented for $40/hr wet...instructor was $20/hr...I solo'd after 18 hrs dual... Then flew out the rest of my time... Got my multi and instrument at 1 of the "guaranteed" flight schools in Florida on a month-long vacation... It cost $ 2995... And I furnished my own 310n...