Centerline Flight

Frequently Asked Questions

Please note: The following answers are intended to be factual, but contain large amounts of opinion. Please keep this in mind when using this information to make personal decisions.

How much does it cost to learn to fly? (Always a popular question!)

Are there any "hidden" costs involved with learning to fly?

What kind of headset should I buy and how much will it cost?

As a new student, how long will it take for me to get my private pilot certificate?

I understand that there is a written exam. How do I prepare for that?

When can I start flight training? Do I need to complete the knowledge test first?

What are your current instructor rates and how are you usually paid?

How do I schedule the airplane and instructor for flight lessons?

As a new student pilot, when will I do my first solo?

Some of these airplanes seem old to me, are they dependable?

What weather conditions do we need for a typical flight?

Q: (Let's start with everyone's favorite question...) How much does it cost to learn to fly?

A: The best answer to this question is "it depends." It depends on where you go, what aircraft you fly and how long it takes you. Many FBO's or flight schools regularly offer flight training programs that will meet the minimum requirements. Depending on how quickly you learn, it's possible that you might need additional training over this original estimate. If that’s the case, costs will increase in relation to how many additional hours of training or solo flight you need or want. From my experience, it's very rare that someone would wrap-up their training in the minimum time, especially when flying out of an airport in more complex, controlled airspace. I am currently suggesting to people that they plan for around $7,000 plus or minus a few dollars. It’s a mistake to enter into flight training with an unrealistic idea of what it will cost.

Q: Are there any "hidden" costs involved with learning to fly?

A: When planning your flight training

budget, the airplane, fuel and instructor time are your main expenses, but remember, there are additional expenses that should be considered. Regarding pilot supplies, at a minimum, you will need some basic supplies such as a kneeboard/lapboard, a tablet, aviation charts, etc. Then you will certainly want to purchase your own headset (see question below.) Most aircraft have intercom systems, so a headset is a must for communicating with your instructor, passengers and air traffic controllers. There will also be a cost for your checkride. In addition to the aircraft time (approximately two hours), there is a fee for the designated examiner. Most local examiners charge around $250 for a checkride. Another area of additional cost may be extra/optional solo flight time. Some student pilots just love to fly solo and practice, practice, practice. While I absolutely encourage this, it will increase your overall cost, but for many, they wouldn't have it any other way.

Q: What kind of headset should I buy and how much will it cost?

A: Headsets are a personal thing. People seem to have their preferences. When I started flying, I bought a particular brand of headset because it's what my instructor used. I figured if it was good enough for him it would certainly be good for me. I was right, but the fact is, almost any decent aviation headset will probably work just fine. There are so many good headsets to choose from these days, I suggest that you search the internet for the latest information (and the best deals.) You can find headsets for as little as $100 or as much as $1,000. The biggest question is whether or not to get a noise canceling or ANR (Automatic/Active Noise Reduction) headset. ANR will usually cost you a couple hundred dollars more on any given headset. Here are my headset suggestions:

1. If possible, borrow a headset for a few flights to see how they work and feel. This will help you make a better decision.

2. Don’t buy the very best headset in the beginning. Buy a good quality headset that will serve you well through your training. After you get your pilot certificate, you will surely need at least one additional headset. At that time, you may choose to purchase a much better set for yourself and then keep your original set for passengers. By then, you’ll have a better idea of what you really want.

3. Check e-bay for headsets. Good used headsets are frequently available at reasonable prices. I know several pilots who have been very happy with their

e-bay purchases.

4. If money is no object, by all means order up a Bose Aviation Headset "X". After years of flying with other brands/styles, I finally got the Bose. My only regret is that I didn't do it earlier!

Q: As a new student, how long will it take for me to get my private pilot certificate?

A: Again, it depends. If you have a job and a family, you may expect to fly once or twice per week. Between your schedule, your instructor’s schedule and airplane schedules, it’s possible that there will be weeks when you won’t fly at all. Then there’s the weather. If you are training during the winter, low ceilings, visibility and sometimes the cold will keep you on the ground. It also depends on how quickly you learn. Everyone is different in this area. Overall, I suggest that most people plan on 10 – 12 months to complete their training. Less if things move along and there are minimal interruptions. More if there are delays.

Q: I understand that there is a written exam. How do I prepare for that?

A: There are several ways to prepare for the FAA Private Pilot knowledge exam. The exam itself is 50 questions taken from a pool of approximately 700 questions. The more typical ways to prepare are to attend a formal ground school, use one of the popular video/CD/DVD programs or simply self study with text and question and answer books. I believe that self study is difficult and while it may prepare you to pass the knowledge exam, you will come up short in many areas because much of your knowledge will be out of context. I have personal experience with video materials from King Schools and find them to work well. Other suppliers offer similar programs. Again, the internet is a great place to investigate these programs. (Tip: check out e-bay for used video programs, but make sure they are current. If not, consider purchasing new.)

Q: When can I start flight training? Do I need to complete the knowledge test first?

A: You can start flight training at any time. There are no prerequisites, so you can fly at the same time you prepare for the knowledge exam. In fact, this is often referred to as integrated flight training and is a preferred method. I usually suggest that students make completing the written exam a priority. Putting it off is not good and will usually put more pressure on you as you near the end of your flight training. As a general rule, I like my primary (Private Pilot) students to have the written exam done by the time they start their solo cross country flying.

Q: What are your current instructor rates and how are you usually paid?

A: I am currently charging $50 per hour for basic flight and ground training. More advanced or specialized training, such as Cirrus standardized training, will be higher depending on the complexity and the amount of training required. This rate is charged on what is often called "face time." I charge for all the time I am with you working on things relating to your flying. This includes flight time, ground training time and may often include some time for airplane handling, fueling, etc.

Occasionally, I am asked to accompany people on flights involving one or more full days. In these situations, I charge a daily rate plus expenses. Please contact me directly for my current daily rate.

For planning purposes, a typical "lesson" will involve approximately 2 1/2 hours total time. This will vary depending on what we are working on, but will rarely exceed this amount. Certain phases of training involve more time for flights. For example a long dual (with instructor) cross-country flight may take five hours from start to finish, but these are very specific flights and you will know about them in advance.

Regarding how I am typically paid, most of my customers pay by check in one of two ways...either at the end of each flight or they will often pay in advance in blocks of 10 hours. When customers pay in advance, I keep track of the amount charged and the remaining balance on a note in their logbook, so there is always a running total of where we are at.

I fully understand that instructor expense is a large portion of your flight training budget. Because of this, I promise to give good value for your money and I will not waste your time.

Q. How do I schedule the airplane and instructor for flight lessons?

A. If I am flying with you through one of the flying clubs, you will schedule your own airplane (per the individual club's flying rules) via the online scheduling website at www.aircraftclubs.com. Most students and pilots schedule me by contacting me directly via e-mail or cell phone. I always suggest that the more notice I have, the better. My schedule tends to fill one to two weeks out. For example, if you want me for this coming weekend, I'm likely to already be scheduled. If you want to schedule me three weeks from now, that's usually not a problem.

Q. As a new student pilot, when will I do my first solo?

A. Time to first solo, like many things in aviation, gets more attention than it deserves. Your first solo will occur when several things have taken place. First, you need to receive training in and demonstrate "satisfactory proficiency" in 15 specific flight maneuvers and procedures. Those skills are required by the FAA prior to solo flight and are listed in Student Solo Requirements. You will also need to complete a pre-solo written exam. This is not the FAA Private Pilot knowledge exam discussed earlier, this is a specific written exam administered by your instructor. After accomplishing this, you will need to demonstrate consistency in landing the airplane in a number of different configurations and conditions. With that completed, then we look forward for just the right day when weather conditions are right and both student and instructor are confident and comfortable.

Remember that everyone is different, but a first solo will likely happen somewhere between 15 and 30 hours. While this is an average, there are exceptions on both sides. One final point on this, learning to fly is an individual thing. Measuring yourself against "averages" will result in either an over-inflated ego or lots of frustration. Neither one is good for your flying. Safety is the key. Generally speaking, the number of hours required to solo or get your pilot certificate is a lousy way to measure the quality of a pilot.

Q. Some of these airplanes seem old to me, are they safe?

A. Many typical training aircraft were built in the mid to late 70's. I regularly fly a 1974 Cessna 172 that is one of the most dependable and enjoyable airplanes that I fly, but it does break down once in a while and does require regular maintenance.

Like any machine, old or new, airplanes do break down. New student pilots are often surprised and disappointed when an eagerly anticipated flight has to be cancelled due to a maintenance problem. Mix this in with other cancelled flights because of bad weather and it can really make you crabby! Whether the airplane you fly is from a local flight school, a flying club or your own personal airplane, there will be times when you want to fly, but just can't. The sooner a new student or pilot learns and understands this, the happier they will be.

During flight training, you're not only learning about airplanes, but you are learning to manage risk. Putting off repairs and maintenance on your car may not be good for it, but it's not likely to be life threatening. Do that with an airplane and it's a different story. Fortunately, most mechanical problems can be detected by doing a thorough preflight inspection of the aircraft. Every pilot inspects the airplane before each flight, regardless of whether it's old or new. You will learn how to do complete preflight inspections from the very beginning of your flight training.

Note: I also fly many new airplanes like this Cirrus SR20 and the Cirrus SR22. Even though they are nearly brand new, they still experiences periodic problems. The key is to learn, be patient and be safe.

Q. What weather conditions do we need for a typical flight?

A. I often tell new students that once they start flying, they will never look at weather the same again. Prior to learning to fly, most people don't give weather all that much attention, unless they are planning a picnic or a day at the beach. When you fly, however, weather is one of the most important considerations.

The answer to the question again is "it depends." What a primary student might think of as perfect weather may be disappointing to an instrument student who is looking for an opportunity to spend some "quality time" in the clouds. For Private Pilot training, we are usually looking for VFR conditions (ceilings greater than 1,000 feet above the ground and visibility greater than three miles.) But these are the bare minimums and we generally want conditions much better than that. Wind is another issue. Early on in a student's training, too much wind can become a huge distraction. Later in the training process, we will look for windy days in order to fly and "fine-tune" your techniques.

Winters in Minnesota can make any kind of flight training difficult. I usually don't like to fly when it's much below zero and at -10 F, our club aircraft stay on the ground for maintenance reasons. Then there is the snow. Some years are no problem, but when we get lots of snow, it seems we spend more time shoveling than flying! Regardless, Winter flying is fun and very beautiful and usually worth the effort.

When it comes to weather, our goal is to learn, but be safe. Thunderstorms, extremely high winds, very low ceilings and visibilities will always be taken seriously and when in doubt, we'll stay on the ground.

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