How I hit my flight training budget within $50

Me on checkride day with my instructor, Kurtis.

Learning to fly was a challenging journey, but that’s part of the intrigue. I’m no longer a student – hello PIC time. Of course, all pilots are still “students,” because a good pilot is always learning; however, in the eyes of the FAA, I’m a Recreational pilot and that feels good to say.

Following the checkride, I totaled all the money I spent on training to discover it was $50 less than what the flight school manager had estimated at the beginning. When pilots talk about hitting the numbers, it usually refers to spot landings, but this was equally impressive.

How did I do it?

The secret is that I didn’t wait until my training was complete to total up my bills. I monitored my expenses and progress and used that information to gauge my pace. When my instructor turned to me and said, “You’re just about ready to take your test, we could sharpen up a few maneuvers, but I think you’ll be ready,” I had no doubt that I could afford the additional refinement because I knew my training was tracking under budget.

I didn’t view this “pre-checkride” as the time to pinch pennies. Instead, I found that possessing the added confidence before my checkride was worth triple the cost of one more lesson. Trust me, when you’re face to face with your examiner (DPE), you’ll be thankful for every second spent on training. When you set aside time and/or money for your flight training, my advice is to use every bit!

This is the part of my chronicle that’s going to sound like a commercial but honestly, we test every product Sporty’s sells. That’s why I was confident in using the online Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course for my ground school, flight prep and knowledge test preparation.

I was confident in using the online Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course for my ground school, flight prep and knowledge test preparation.

Personal study at home was where I mastered the majority of the material. When I met with my instructor, I brought specific questions and topics that required further explanation. It made our time together much more valuable and efficient. Without the material in the Learn To Fly Course, I predict I would have easily spent 40-50% more on my training.

It’s not my intention to make this sound like biased marketing material since, as previously disclosed, I work at Sporty’s. But I am making a sincere effort to speak to my fellow pilots as one who has been through the process and perhaps has some insightful tips for other students working toward their goal of becoming a pilot.         

Here’s my list of most useful tools to reach my goal on budget.

1. 

   I spent my down time talking with other students, instructors and pilots about their experiences and just making friends.

   Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course. The training videos easily and clearly communicate the topics for each lesson. The interactive ACS with links to the video content is a lifesaver; I mean time-saver. My favorite feature of Course was the written test prep module with learning, flashcard, and practice test modes. These tools make it easy to prepare for your written exam. 

2. Pilot Community. I spent my down time talking with other students, instructors and pilots about their experiences and just making friends. If you are not around other pilots frequently, you are at a disadvantage. Ask for help and you will receive it.
3. Safe, affordable airplane. I made use of an older model Cessna 172 Skyhawk – a re-manufactured version of the 172M/N model. The airplane I flew rented for about 20% less than the newer Skyhawk models. There was no fancy GPS and no extra instruments and I didn’t need that. It was a training platform designed to get students familiar with the basics and not overwhelm them with unnecessary information. I highly recommend using the least expensive airplane you can access. A Garmin G1000 is nice, but I’m saving hundreds of dollars by training without one and can make a transition at some point in the future.
4. Home study. Put down the gaming system and cancel Netflix (temporarily). You have to use your time at home diligently to hit your goals. You must commit your spare time to flight training so that you spend less time and money relearning the material with your instructor.

I’m happy to finally be able to write this for other student pilots that are starting, in the middle or restarting their training. I know how long of a journey it can be but it is well worth the time to become a licensed pilot. So from one pilot to another, blue skies ahead and keep flying.

If you have any comments or questions for me about my training please write them below and I’ll be happy to reply!