How much will it cost?
The following figures are only examples.
Chester Charter has a fee of $95 per hour for rental of the J3 Cub (aircraft wet with full fuel) and $45 per hour for the instructor. Thus dual time is $140 per hour, which is considerably cheaper than learning in any other aircraft in this area of the country. Chester also is obligated to collect 6.35% sales tax on these transactions. Also note that if you pay by credit card there is a surcharge fee added on to offset the merchant fees.
Important note about Solo Rental: Due to liability concerns solo rental will only be permitted with students who are pursuing a Sport Pilot ticket and have done all of their training with us. Once their training is complete and their Sport Pilot certificate is earned, they will need to rent, buy, or borrower some other airplane.There is no solo rental permitted with anyone else..
To secure your sport pilot ticket from start to finish, the training costs will vary depending on the individual student’s level of commitment and skill. The largest variable that affects the final cost is the number of flight hours required to earn the Sport Pilot certificate. Some may reach the necessary competence level at the FAA minimum of 20 hours, while others may take longer. Unless you have previous flying time, or you’re a natural, then it may take a bit longer. Also note that statistically older students tend to take longer than their younger counterparts. The best way to minimize total flight hours is to stay focused and to fly frequently. Tackling the challenge over months will COST LESS than doing it over a year or more.
Many people stretch out their time simply by delaying the final test with the examiner. They continue to prepare, then take a break, then get back on the horse and drag it out. I’ve heard of students doubling their student flying time without any reason except that they wouldn’t go and take the test! Don’t make that mistake. Stay focused, fly frequently, and we’ll get you there quickly.
The following outlines the expected (minimum) costs:
| 20 hours airplane rental | $1,900 (20 hrs @ $95 p/hr) |
| Instructor fees | $1,125 (25 hrs @ $45 p/hr) (includes ground school and pre/post-flight lessons) |
| Training materials | $120 (books and charts) |
| Aviation headset | $185 (could be less or more) |
| Renters Insurance | $200 (roughly)** |
| FAA Written Exam | $120 |
| FAA Practical Exam | $350 |
| Total | $4,000 |
Sport
The sport pilot certificate was introduced in 2004. It’s perfect for people who want to get back to—or want to start with—the basics of flying. Sport pilots fly smaller, lighter, less-complex, one- or two-seat airplanes. Sport pilots can only fly a special limited class of aircraft known as light sport aircraft (LSA). LSAs are popular around the world and are now being manufactured and sold in the United States. Some older certificated airplanes are also certificated as LSA including J3 Cubs. Not every flight school will have light sport aircraft available. Sport pilots are not required to have medical certificates. With additional training and a medical certificate, you can easily upgrade to a higher level of certificate.
The minimum flight experience required by the FAA to obtain a Sport Pilot Certificate is 20 hours. For a person to obtain a Sport Pilot Certificate in the minimum 20 hours is possible but not very common. The national average is 35 hours, but that’s taking into account many people who drag their training out for years, or never even finish. The average person who is able to make it to the airport for 2-3 lessons per week is able to complete the training in under 25 hours.
Your actual cost may be more if you take longer to learn and require more instruction. To be “safe” budget for $4,500 or $5,000 and then get happily surprised when it costs less. That’s better than running out of cash!
**Renters insurance is not required by Chester Charter. However, as an insurance adjuster (my day job) I can assure you that we live in a country where you really should have insurance whenever possible. Your homeowner insurance will NOT cover any damages you do in an airplane on any level or in any situation. I highly recommend aircraft renters insurance. You can see actual quotes here from avemco. You can also get a good rate through the EAA or AOPA if you are a member of either.