Flight Training Cost in NY/NJ Area!

How much does it cost to earn a Private Pilot Certificate in the New York/New Jersey area?

How do you get charged for the airplane?

You normally book the airplane for a two-hour lesson. But you will only get charged based on the HOBBS meter. The HOBBS meter generally runs from when the engine starts until the engine stops. It is a meter, similar to what a taxi meter does; once the meter starts, you are paying.

In a two-hour lesson, you might only fly 1.2 hours or (1 hour and 12 minutes.)

There is another meter named TACH. Some flight clubs charged via TACH meter. The main difference between the HOBBS and TACH meter is that TACH does not count when the engine is in a low power setting. The TACH meter is mainly used for maintenance.

How do you get charged for Instructor time?

Generally, when you book a two-hour lesson, you should expect to pay the instructor for the full two-hour lesson.

In other words, if you book a lesson, expect to pay the instructor for the amount of time you booked.  Example: If you already know how to do the airplane pre-flight, and you showed up right on time for the lesson, and the instructor was waiting on you, it’s not uncommon for the flight school to charge you for the instructor time, as they are ready and waiting for you.  On the order hand, if the instructor is running late and lands 10 minutes late on a prior lesson, you should not pay for the 10 minutes the instructor is late.

Expect that you may only fly an hour and a couple of minutes on a flight lesson. The remainder of the 2-hour lesson is spent in ground training, briefing the goals and what you will accomplish on that flight, and a short post-flight briefing, assessment, question, and next lesson session.  DON’T SKIP THE BRIEF.  Brief the flight, fly the brief.  You need to have clear goals set before each flight.  It’s also important to get an assessment of your progress post-flight, even if it is an email or text, and should include items to prepare for the next lesson.

The exact amount of time spent on the Pre/Post flight brief will vary through your training.  In the beginning, it is about 1hour because the instructor has to teach you the skills for you to get the airplane on the way, but as you progress, the briefings can be abbreviated.

Expect something like - a two-hour lesson: 1.2hrs for the airplane, 2 hours of instructor time, including the 1.2 airplane time, and .8hours of PRE/POST flight brief.  As you progress in your flight training, it could look like 1.7hours in the airplane, and 1.7 for the instructor airplane time, and .3 for PRE/POST.

Does 141 vs. 61 make a big difference for a Private Pilot Certificate?

Short answer, NO. The main reason is that it is challenging to finish a private pilot at 35 hours (the reduced number of hours common in most 141 schools.)  The only way to finish a private pilot certificate in the NY/NJ Area is by flying 2-3 times a week and studying on the non-flying days.

If you find a Part 61 flight school with a syllabus, and the instructor uses it, it's pretty much the same as a 141.  Look for established schools with instructors that use a structured syllabus and preferably conduct “phase” checks - or opportunities to fly with senior instructors at critical junctures in your training, such as before solo.