Discerning the reasons why pilot training is an expensive course.

The cost of pilot training is distinguished. It is not unknown. Seeing the pricey course fee blows many people.

People not in the aviation industry think the pilot training course fee is absurd.

However, recognizing the associated cost of pilot training will allow everyone to understand why pilot training is so expensive.

I have described in this post why the flight training cost is high, yet many students dream of becoming a pilot.

Why is becoming a pilot so expensive?

A commercial pilot license in the Philippines requires someone to fly for at least 150 hours.

So now you must pay for 150 hours of total flight time.

Depending on your school, one hundred fifty hours of flying time will range from 40,000 to 50,000 USD.

RELATED: Convert USD to Philippine peso here.

Your life goals as a pilot will determine the pilot course cost, as I have mentioned before.

By now, I guess you have already learned your aviation goals.

You will inevitably need a commercial pilot license to earn money as a pilot.

Nevertheless, working as a pilot in the airlines of the Philippines may cost you more money.

Acquiring a commercial pilot license is not the last step.

A pilot with a commercial pilot license and only 150 hours logged in a pilot’s logbook may not support landing her first airline job.

Becoming an airline pilot requires more skills and experience and a few more licenses.

So what is the next step?

Experiences will come from building hours. Building hours requires money. No one will allow you to fly an airplane for free.

Regardless of where you fly, getting a private pilot license may cost you not more than 10,000 USD.

Acquiring a commercial pilot license will not cost you more than 50,000 USD.

Pilot training has many other associated costs, such as your training kits.

Most of the purchases you make can be helpful for a lifetime. So check out the list.

Most newbies interested in becoming pilots confuse themselves with the cost of private and commercial pilot licenses.

RELATED: What should I study to become a pilot?

Thereupon, I want to clarify a bit more and break down the pilot course cost for you here:

Have you calculated the pilot course tuition fee yet?

Perhaps you think you will have to spend a fortune to get a commercial pilot license.

I guess you have added the cost of a private pilot license with a commercial pilot license and have summed up something way over the actual price.

So you may calculate and figure out a pilot course cost like this:

• Private pilot license = 40 hours = 10,000 USD
• Commercial pilot license = 150 hours = 50,000 USD
• So Total Hours & Cost = 40 hours + 150 hours = 190 hours = 60,000 USD

That is not how it works. Acquiring your commercial pilot license will be only 40,000 USD to 50,000 USD.

Because acquiring a private pilot license falls under obtaining a commercial pilot license.

Initially, those 40 hours you will fly will be added when flying for 150 hours for a commercial pilot license.

Hence, when they start to fly, many pilot students complete their private pilot training course and then take a break.

After they take a break and arrange for some more money, they continue to fly for their intention of 150 hours.

So, the hour count initiates from the 40 hours previously logged.

Once a private pilot has 150 hours logged in their logbook, they can apply for a commercial pilot license.

The next step is to take the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines exams for your commercial pilot license.

You will hold your commercial pilot license once you pass the exams and checkride.

So, to summarise your question:

How much does commercial pilot training cost in the Philippines?

The answer is it will cost less than 50,000 USD.

Why is pilot training so expensive?

Pilot training is expensive because a student pilot must fly the airplane to build hours. The cost of fuel, aircraft renting, and hiring a flight instructor is included in the training course fee.

It is not only these costs that make flight training expensive.

Let’s begin by explaining this:

To obtain a pilot license, one must fly an airplane for hours. Each civil aviation body has regulations, and students operate to satisfy the hour requirement.

So renting an airplane and paying for the fuel is expensive. It is understandable.

Considering the rental and fuel costs, the flight instructor’s fee is.

A student can not learn to fly an airplane by himself.

Thus, a student must have a flight instructor on board during the flight.

Do you think the flight instructor is going to teach you for free?

No, that is impossible because the flight instructor works to make a living.

Therefore, the cost of hiring a flight instructor is added to the pilot training course fee.

These three costs are what pilot students realize once they start flight training.

Nevertheless, these costs are just what anyone can see. But many more go in the background, maintaining the aircraft.

Maintaining the aircraft costs a lot of money for flight schools. Hence, the flight schools design a course fee that will aid them in managing all the associated costs.

A flight school has to rent a hangar to park and a runway to operate its aircraft.

The rental of a hangar in an airport is not inexpensive. Moreover, the administration must pay more for the hangar rental if the flight school operates from an international airport.

Next, the flight school has to pay the airport authority to use the runway. The airport authority calculates that fee by the number of takeoffs and landings the company aircraft has made on a particular track.

So, these associated costs also make the pilot training fees expensive.

What are the costs of maintaining the aircraft?

An aircraft requires a lot of maintenance and inspection. Flying an airplane without proper supervision is like flying toward death.

It is not a joke.

They inspect each airplane to determine whether it is flyable before a flight is crucial.

The engine of such an aircraft may suddenly fail in the air and crash, killing the student and the flight instructor.

I have read about various airplane crashes where the student survived, but the flight instructor died.

Yet the student pilot survived the crash. It was challenging for the student pilot to get back to flying. Reasoning the student pilot had severe trauma from the accident and never intended to fly an airplane again.

As a student pilot, I do not want such incidents; choosing a flight school with top-notch aircraft maintenance is the best idea.

And paying a bit extra for top-notch school maintenance is not a bad deal.

So, what is the maintenance of aircraft?

Every airplane requires overhauling after 100 hours of flight time. Replacing an airplane’s engines is essential after two thousand hours of flying time.

Planes need to replace many tine parts, which is not cheap. Some significant features may begin to show flaws and require replacements occasionally.

Annually, inspectors from civil aviation come to inspect the airplanes and decide whether the aircraft is airworthy. Several certifications require renewal annually and have a price.

So all these costs must be covered by flight schools, and these prices slightly reflect the pilot training course fee.

Hence, pilot training seems expensive, yet the flight schools have to cover their institute costs.

Other costs linked with obtaining a pilot license.

Before you start your flight training, you may only consider the cost of flying lessons and hour build-up.

But that is not the only cost of becoming a pilot, regardless of whether it is a private or commercial one.

The visa costs, if you are training abroad, must be considered.

To be a good pilot, you must invest in books and many other supplies.

You might buy a GoPro to record your flights and review your videos.

Buying an iPad can greatly ease your flights and aid you with your studies.

There is a cost for taking theory exams as well. If you want to test your knowledge, you have to take exams by paying the fee.

Can a poor person become a pilot?

This question may seem weird in this article. Yet, I want to answer the question.

The question seemed relevant to the topic of this article as I am explaining expensive flight training fees.

From the rare sight of a pilot training package, it might seem obvious that only rich people can choose to become a pilot.

It is a privilege to have money, not just to become a pilot for anything applicable.

But does that mean only rich people have the luxury?

The answer is no. I know a few pilots who are not from wealthy families, and their parents couldn’t afford to pay for their flight training.

However, it did not stop them from pursuing their dream.

A poor person can work harder and save money to become a pilot with enough determination, plans, and goals.

There are student loans that can aid someone in reaching for the sky.

Regardless of rich and poor, anyone can succeed by working hard and being persistent.

How do you minimize your pilot license costs?

Consider this section of the article as a bonus. By now, you know you must spend a reasonable sum on becoming a pilot.

But did you know some ways can help you lower your pilot training cost?

It will not lessen your flight training cost massively, but this way, you can minimize the cost of taking flying lessons.

1. You are choosing the right flight school and a friendly instructor. You may waste time in that school if you select a flight with no good reputation.
   An unfriendly instructor will not teach you much, or perhaps you cannot discuss much on the flight with your instructor.
2. Stay committed to your flight training. Your dedication to finishing faster will allow you to learn more quickly and complete your training sooner than expected.
   If you are not committed, you must repeat the same flying lessons several times, resulting in extra flying hours and spending more money.
3. Plan before every flight. Planning your getaway will help you to learn more quickly.
4. You are buying an airplane and flying it to gain hours. If you intend to get a commercial pilot license, purchasing an airplane is one of the best ways to save money.
5. Spend more time at the airport. Spending more time with like-minded people will aid you in acquiring more knowledge related to the topic. As well as making friends with pilots can be helpful in many other ways.

RESOURCES:

• Pilot tuition fee in the Philippines;
• How to fund pilot training?