SkySchool
Of East Texas
PRICING PAGE
DISCOVERY FLIGHT $100.00
During the 30-minute discovery flight experience you take the controls under the guidance of an FAA Certified Flight Instructor. You'll learn the basics of how to maneuver the airplane while admiring the world from a new vantage point. This "introductory lesson" is meant to give you an opportunity to evaluate your level of interest in learning to fly!
PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE $9,000 - $13,000
The Federal Aviation Administration requires the applicant for a Private Pilot Certificate to have at least 40 hours total flight time, 20 hours of which must be with an FAA Certified Flight Instructor. Because each individual student learns a specific skillset at a different pace and may master one concept with ease while requiring a greater degree of focus in other areas, it is rare for a student to obtain a certificate right at the established minimum criteria, and, as a result is quite difficult to establish the exact cost of obtaining a certificate. You should expect a price somewhere in between FAA minimum and national average. Frequency of flights, quality study habits, and a sharp focus on goals will greatly reduce both the time and expense required. Ask about our reduced rate for flight account holders!
(Pricing shown ranges from the FAA minimum to the average.)
TIME BUILDING $8,500
Want to go further with your aviation goals? In order to qualify for an Instrument Rating and subsequently a Commercial Pilot Certificate you’ll need to fill that logbook with a bit of flight experience first. During your time building period, you will fly the aircraft to the destination of your choice at least 50 nautical miles away from our home base here at Athens Municipal Airport. During this time you will gain valuable experience as an aviator while you log coveted “Pilot in Command” flight time. To qualify for the Instrument Rating, you will need to log at least 50 hours of cross-country PIC flight time. You can make for a romantic getaway with your significant other, a day trip for a round of golf with some friends, or even head down to the Gulf Coast for some sea food on a sunny afternoon. You earned that Private Pilot Certificate… go enjoy it!
(Pricing shown is based on 50 hours flight time)
INSTRUMENT RATING $5,500 - $8,000
The Instrument Rating allows you to climb through the misty, foggy overcast, cruise in the clear skies above the dreariness below, skillfully fly an instrument approach through the drizzle and land your aircraft at your destination while non-instrument rated pilots are stuck on the ground yet again, telling stories around the coffee machine in the pilot’s lounge. The FAA requires you to log 40 hours of instrument flight time, 15 of which must be with an authorized Instrument Flight Instructor. Conducting your training with an instructor, and practicing your skills with a private pilot rated "safety pilot" or completing much of the required training in an FAA approved flight simulator are ways to reduce the expense of earning an instrument rating.
(The pricing shown is a low to high average.)
COMMERCIAL PILOT, SINGLE ENGINE $7,000 - $16,000
The Commercial Pilot Certificate provides you with the ability to be compensated for your services as a pilot under specific circumstances, or to gain employment as a pilot. Without the Commercial Pilot Certificate, pilots may not conduct operations for hire, as a result, this level of certification is a must have for career minded pilots. The FAA requires a minimum of 250 hours total flight experience to qualify for a Commercial Pilot’s Certificate. Upon beginning your commercial pilot training, you will have already logged approximately 150 - 200 hours of total flight time as part of your previous training operations. If you do not have the required total time, some degree of additional time building will be required. Assuming you already meet the minimum total time required however, the training for the commercial certificate consists of approximately 20 hours with an instructor and 10 hours of solo flight time while meeting specific training criteria.
(The pricing shown ranges from the low end for pilots who meet the total time needed, to the high end for those who do not meet the minimums and must build additional experience.)
WHAT OTHER EXPENSES ARE THERE?
Aviation headsets range from $300-$1,500 should you choose to purchase your own, we do have headsets you can borrow during a lesson however.
FAA Examiner's fees range from $700 to $1,500 and we do not control this cost. Each certificate and rating requires a "check ride" with an Examiner and should be considered when budgeting for a specific certificate or rating.
The average cost for a third class medical certificate runs approximately $100-200
The cost for an FAA written examination is $175 and a separate test must be taken for the Private, Instrument and Commercial Pilot Certificates.
Be sure to factor in the cost of an iPad and any apps you wish to use in connection with your flight training, such devices are optional but extremely helpful. Price varies considerably.