No one wants to pay too much for a product or service, and it’s certainly no different with learning to fly. Learning to fly involves some expense, but it’s important to examine this expense as an investment that will provide a lifetime of return. The extent and depth of the training you will receive for your money makes learning to fly one of the all-time great bargains compared to many other recreational or business pursuits. For your investment, you will acquire the basic skills needed to safely enjoy an extraordinary and unique activity for years to come—a pilot’s license never expires!

Cost varies by flight school and license, and geographic location, but it is usually about the price of a family vacation for a week (anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000). And, you can pay as you go, so there’s no large payment due up front. And the good news is that you can control much of what you spend and take steps to make your training more efficient (read our Five Ways to Save Money During Training). Frequency of training has the greatest impact on your total investment. Sporty’s recommends a frequency of 2-3 lessons per week for the best efficiency. A lesson costs about $250 – $300 which translates to $2,000 – $3,000 per month over the course of your training (about 4-5 months).

As with many things, in the long run value turns out to be more important than the bottom-line cost of your flight training. You should be concerned with what you are getting for your money, not just how much you’ll spend. Value is measured by the quality of the training, and the relationship that develops between you and your instructor or flight school. The cheapest usually isn’t the best.

When researching cost, be sure to ask about all the expenses associated with training: instructor time, including preflight and post-flight briefings, aircraft rental, ground school, the written test, the oral exam and check ride, and the necessary supplies.

Some schools, and most ab initio career-training academies, charge an all-inclusive price covering flight and ground training for all certificates and ratings in the program. Look carefully at these deals. A seemingly low package price may cover only the minimum instructional flight hours required in the regulations. Since most people take longer, you could end up spending considerably more. Also check on the school’s financial stability and refund policy in the event you must withdraw for whatever reason and always be cautious of paying large sums of money up front.

If cost is a critical concern, make it a priority on your school shopping list, but don’t lose sight of the importance of value.

When you start flying, you may be presented the choice of pursuing your Sport Pilot, Recreational Pilot or Private Pilot certificate. Understanding the differences between them will help you to choose the path that is best for you.

Sport Pilot – The Sport Pilot certificate allows you to earn your pilot’s license in as little as 20 hours of training, and does not require a medical certificate (see above); however, a sport pilot must hold at least a current driver’s license. In practice, most students will require more than the minimum flight training experience. You are, however, limited to flying Light Sport Aircraft (LSAs), defined as a maximum of 1320 lbs. maximum weight and 120 knots maximum speed (a Cessna Skycatcher, for example). You’ll need to check on the availability of light sport aircraft at your local flight school as the aircraft are not as readily available as other category aircraft.

Recreational Pilot – Another great option for new pilots to get in the air quickly is the Recreational Pilot Certificate, which requires a minimum of 30 hours of flying. While 30 hours in the minimum, similar to Sport training, in practice, pilot will typically take closer to 40 hours of training to obtain the required level of safety and proficiency.

The Recreational certificate allows you to carry a passenger during the day in good weather, and in aircraft with up to four seats and up to a 180 horsepower engine (a Cessna Skyhawk or Piper Cherokee, for example). This is perfect for local flights with family or friends, and will get you into the air quickly. You can also add additional privileges or transition to the Private Pilot certificate when you’re ready–you’ll just do some additional training with an instructor on cross country, night flying and/or in airspace requiring communication with Air Traffic Control.

Private Pilot – The Private Pilot certificate has been around the longest, and is often what people mean when they say they “got their license.” There are fewer restrictions on the type of airplane you can fly and the places you can fly to, and there are plenty of options for add-on privileges, like Instrument and Multi-Engine ratings. The minimum training time is 40 hours–at least 20 with an instructor and 10 solo–but most students take 60-80 hours. This training time may also very depending on the rules under which the flight school operates. You may here terms such as training under Part 61 vs. Part 141 – read about the differences here.

For all three of these certificates, you’ll be required to complete ground training (which can be largely accomplished online), a written exam and a flight test. Only the Recreational and Private certificates will require that you earn a medical certificate, but read why that’s not a big deal.

Also remember that you can change your mind as you train. For example, Sport Pilot training time will count towards a Recreational or Private license. It’s also worth noting, that every pilot has to solo (fly the airplane by himself) as a first step so there is no need to make a decision quickly. The most important first step, take an introductory or discovery flight at your local airport!