What Airplane Pilots Can Expect To Spend
The majority of your training cost will depend entirely on three factors:
- The number of hours you rent the aircraft
- The number of hours of instructor time
- The hourly rate charged by the school.
Like all flight training, the length of the course is not fixed. Instead, the number of hours it takes depends on the ability and 
motivation of each individual. As a result, all flight training schools estimate the final cost based on what they consider to be the average number of flight hours needed to gain proficiency, usually around 10 to 15 hours. Likewise, ground instruction ranges from 30 to 40 hours and is provided to prepare the student for the FAA written test. The hourly rate for these hours is another matter. The rates will vary widely from school to school and for this reason your search for the right school should insist not only for an itemization of all rates but also inquiries about any hidden costs such as landing fees, insurance, early termination fees, fuel costs, etc. .
Estimated individual costs for a winged aircraft pilot:
- $900 to $2,100 - Dual-control aircraft rental for 10-15 hours at $90 to $140/hour
- $600 to $1,050 - Flight instructor at $40 to $70/hour
- $1,200 to $2,800 - Ground instruction at $40 to $70/hour
- $600 to $1,100 - Misc. FAA tests, books, etc.
Total estimated costs: $3,300 to $7,100 to get a CFI airplane license
Once your training is completed, you will earn a CFI license that will be good for two years before needing to be renewed.
Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are also held in many U.S. cities. These seminars discuss the fundamentals of instruction, regulations and airspace, recurrency training (maintaining current proficiency), teaching flight maneuvers, teaching aerodynamics, practical test standards, publications, collision avoidance, human factors, teaching flight safety, weather, instructional concerns and instructor professionalism.
The cost is $170 to participate in a Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic.