Student Costs for Dual Training RA-Aus

[DGL Fox]

I thought I would start a post for all the students out there like me, it is a follow on from a post that was put up on the forum about flying expenses in general and where all the money goes.

 

Well I got to thinking about that and I would like all the students that are taking duel lessons at the moment to tell us all what it is costing them for an hour of duel training from different flying school around Australia.

 

I know when I started training I never considered GA because it was just to expensive for me, I have a concerns after reading other peoples views about how much money they spend on flying for recreation, is it to now getting to expensive? are we all going down the path of GA training that seems to be only for the retired and well healed people.

 

Maybe we can all put our heads together and look where all the costs are and find ways to minimize these costs so that everyone can afford to be trained to fly, I fear that if we don't a lot flying schools will go the way of the dodo's in the not so distant future.

 

I think that disposable income is getting less and less for everyone with the costs for living ever increasing and I hope that there is some way of reducing or keeping the costs of training at a reasonable level for everyone.

 

Now Just to kick off this thread and just remember I am not wanting to get into the quality of the trainiing this all about the costs of duel training ...my costs for duel training is..$253 per hour in Tecnam..SE QLD

 

David

 

P.S Don't tell me which school it is maybe just the general area and or state.

 

 

[metalman]

I was chatting to a mate the other day(who is also a CFI) and he was saying that flying has never been cheaper , compared to when he was starting out I think he said the average wage( the real one, not the Gov crap) was about 2.5 time the cost of a duel lesson,,,,going by the cost your talking it would be probably around 3 times nowadays,,,some of the older pilots would have more accurate opinions I'd think, a big difference now is we spread our money over a huge amount of pursuits and gadgets

 

Met

 

 

[Thirsty]

When I learned GA in the late 80's I was paying around $70ph duel in a C152. The school where I teach now charges $175ph dual in an LSA55.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I was paying $159 per hr dual in the mid 90's for a C172 at Redcliffe in Qld

 

 

[Hongie]

the school I learned at is $190 hour dual. Brand new savannah s

 

 

[Gentreau]

Just for comparison, here in France typical hourly dual prices from a commercial instructor are:

 

Flexwing - 110 Euros (138$)

 

3-axis - 120 Euros (150$)

 

Autogyro - 160 Euros (200$)

 

I have to say that 238$ per hour seems very high to me, and I wonder if that's because the aircraft being used is at the top end of the price range.

 

That said, looking at the website for a certain flying school in NSW, I see that they will train you on a Jab 170 for 190$per hour dual.

 

Does nobody get trained on basic machines these days ?

 

 

[DGL Fox]

the school I learned at is $190 hour dual. Brand new savannah s

How long ago was that Hongie?

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

In the late 1990's when I started GA training it was $95 hour for a PA38 Tomahawk and $145 hour for PA28 Archer. I have had an 8 year hiatus from flying due to having a family etc and just started flying again a few weeks ago in Tamworth and RAA in a Sportstar is $210 an hour.

 

Scotty

 

 

[metalman]

the cost has to be relative to something though, $80 ph in the late eighties ,I was earning around $400-450 a week then ,compared to now,for me , flying cost less than then,,,although I had no teenagers sucking the account dry at that time either,

 

costs for me now

 

Eurofox $150 ph solo

 

DH82a $375 ph solo

 

C172 $185 solo $278 dual

 

Tecnam P92 $140

 

 

[Hongie]

How long ago was that Hongie?

I finished last march last year i think.

 

I still rent the aircraft for 150hr wet aswell

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Spare a thought for our American brothers, they can get fixed price "sport pilot licences*" for $2500-3000. That's a minimum of 20 hours of which 5 hours are solo plus all the ground school...

 

* equivalent of an RAA certificate including passenger and nav endorsements

 

 

[lark]

when i started training in 89, it was $100 an hour dual for a c172. Sure seemed a lot of money back then!(most people thought i was crazy)

 

 

[Compulsion]

ASC at Gawler in SA is around $115 dual in a brand new 170d Jabiru. You have to join the club at around $400 per year. If you have your own aircraft like me then there is no charge for Instructors. Great place to fly.

 

 

[flyerme]

training in thruster currently = dual $150 per hr benalla VIC

 

 

[JabSP6]

Back in 2009 i was paying $170/h dual and $130/h solo in a J160 & J170 in Bundaberg QLD.

 

I think it has gone up to about $190 - $200/h dual now.

 

 

[metalman]

Best deal I ever got ,,,,C185 ,,,just pay for the fuel,,,,,I should've been living in the thing! Although that's still about $110 an hour !

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Cost of duel training? I have no idea...en guarde!

 

 

[Guernsey]

Dual training $9.00 per hour in a Cessna 150 or an Auster. That was a quarter of a week's wages in Guernsey. .

 

Alan.

 

 

[Guest Bigfella]

GA $349/hr dual, modern warrior with glass cockpits @moorabbin

 

Cheers,

 

Bigfella

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

...my costs for duel training is..$253 per hour in Tecnam..SE QLD

OK, that's over the top for RA-Aus training but I presume you raised this issue as you already realised? I suggest overseas training starts to become viable about here.

 

Just as important is the average total number of hours to certificate, I hear plenty of schools want to milk you for as long as they can.

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

GA $349/hr dual, modern warrior with glass cockpits @moorabbinCheers,

 

Bigfella

Yikes!

 

 

[motzartmerv]

You have to be very careful. false economy can play a big part here. Some schools can charge more than others but get you to cert standard in far less time. That being said, I have been hearing lately of some pretty over the top prices. $280 Dual for a Jab (230) was one i just heard today actually. On the other end are schools where the instructor wont charge you much at all. This is fine but remember, sometimes you get what you pay for..:)

 

All schools/clubs/aircraft owners have different financial 'setups' on the aeroplanes. So its not uncommon for one owner to need $75 bucks for every hour, while another guy with the same aircraft needs $100 per hour to cover cost's. Its all relative and no two situations are the same. The the school usually has to add fuel, consumables and landing/ movement fees. Parking/ hangerage etc. So when the aeroplane already costs the operator $100 per hour before it starts its engine, its easy to see where the price comes from. As a guide i can give a price breakdown on one of my school planes.

 

J160

 

Dry hire rate (to the owner) $75/ hour.

 

Fuel $33.50/ hour

 

Club fee (utilization fee's) $15 per hour

 

Total .......... $123.50 per hour. Thats $123 it costs me to run the aircraft for an hour. I charge $145 per hour solo and $190 per hour Dual. I pay the instructor between $20-35 depending on seniority.

 

So theres a bout 20 bucks an hour there (on the solo rate) but remember, there are overheads like insurance (public liability and professional indemnity), workers comp, and tax..So at the end of the day, its usually better to stay home..:)

 

Hope this give you an idea, but like I said. Everyone is different. No two situations are alike.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I found a school in Arizona offering the c120 for $50 an hour. Probably done a million hours but its better than catching the bus.

 

 

[jwn57030]

Spare a thought for our American brothers, they can get fixed price "sport pilot licences*" for $2500-3000. That's a minimum of 20 hours of which 5 hours are solo plus all the ground school...

I ended up paying closer to $5000 for my sport license. 20 hours is the minimum requirement not the average. The average is somewhere between 30-40 hours to be proficient enough to pass the practical tests. For comparison of hourly rates though it still sounds like I am still paying much less. I paid $40/hr(US) for the instructor plus $115/hr(US) wet for plane rental. The instructor costs do go up more when your getting a private license, multiengine, instrument.

 

I also didn't see anyone mention the extra costs like books $100, charts and supplies $150, ground school $300, a headset $300, written test $150, and practical test $450.

 

 

[jwn57030]

Also forgot $35/month club fees. $40 per year insurance pool fee, plus the $200-$300 registration to be part of the club.