In this article, we take a look at the costs associated with flight training, chartering aircraft and owning your own aircraft.
Flight training
The cost of flight training naturally depends on which licence you want to acquire. At this point, we will take a look at the potential costs of training for a PPL and ATPL licence as an example, in order to shed light on the areas of private pilot and commercial pilot. You can find details about the licences, the training process, requirements and much more in our Academy. It should be clear that it is not possible to make any definitive statements about costs here. Of course, this depends on many factors and not least on the flight school and the specific training programme. This article is only intended to give you a rough idea of the costs you should expect.
The costs for PPL training and then for the ATPL are listed below.
The PPL private pilot training is the first step for most prospective pilots. It authorises you to fly light aircraft under visual flight rules (VFR).
Costs for PPL training:
The costs for PPL training can vary greatly. There are local, small flying clubs that offer the training on a quasi voluntary basis, so you "only" have to pay the charter costs for the flying lessons. On the other hand, you can of course also do the training at a large ATO, which is likely to lead to significantly higher costs. The choice of flying school should not only depend on the costs, but also on various factors which we will discuss in more detail in other articles.
As a rough guide, PPL training costs are likely to be somewhere between €8,000 and €15,000. This range depends on various factors, such as the location of the flight school, the type of training aircraft and the number of flight hours required over and above the legal minimum (see also the details in other articles in the Academy). The costs of the training are incurred for theoretical instruction, practical flying hours, radiotelephony training, language proficiency, landing fees, teaching materials, examination fees and the medical examination (medical).
Costs for ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) training
The ATPL is the "highest pilot licence level" and enables you to work as a captain on commercial aircraft. The training can take place as an integrated course or in modules. The integrated course is ideal if you want to progress directly from pedestrian to ATPL without previous experience, whereas modular training is aimed at pilots with previous experience. In the Academy, we take a closer look at the differences between the various training options.
For integrated ATPL training (i.e. for students with no previous licence or experience), which usually takes 18 to 24 months, the costs can range between 60,000 and 100,000 euros. Modular training should be cheaper, but this depends on the specific previous experience and the specific setup. As with the PPL costs, the following also applies here: the figures can only be a very rough guide. The total costs depend heavily on the chosen flight school, the location and the type of training (integrated or modular).
Travelling as a private pilot
Once you have obtained your pilot's licence, the question arises as to which aircraft you would like to fly. Especially at the beginning, it is a good idea to hire or charter aeroplanes. You can often charter the same aircraft privately from the flying school or flying club where you completed your training. This is a good idea per se, as it allows you to increase your flying experience on the aircraft type you know from your training.
The cost of chartering an aircraft varies depending on the type of aircraft, the charter company and, of course, the rental period. As a rule, a "wet price" is charged per hour, which means that the costs for petrol are included in the hourly price, as well as the pro rata costs for insurance, maintenance etc.. So you only pay the price per flying hour plus any landing fees and similar, such as costs for parking or hangar accommodation. However, these are very manageable for smaller aerodromes. In the Pilot-Hub we have an overview of the aerodromes in Europe on whose website you can easily call up information on landing fees, for example.
The hourly rates for chartering smaller aircraft such as a Cessna 172 can be between 150 and 300 euros. For larger or more powerful aircraft, the costs increase accordingly.
Owners of their own aircraft
The dream of owning your own aircraft comes with a number of costs. Below we have tried to identify and describe the most important cost blocks. The list does not claim to be exhaustive, but should give you an idea of what you can expect.
Purchase priceFirst of all, of course, you have to buy the aircraft. Depending on the aircraft type, year of manufacture and condition, the purchase price can vary greatly. A used light aircraft can be available for as little as 40,000-50,000 euros, while new models or high-performance aircraft cost considerably more. There are hardly any upper limits here. At this point, it should be noted that buying an aeroplane is not a simple matter. From any down payment, drafting the purchase contract, checking the documents through to pre-buy checks, you should always seek advice.
Popular online markets for buying an aircraft are:
www.planecheck.com
www.aeromarkt.net
www.controller.com
Operating costsThese include fuel, oil, regular maintenance and repairs. The costs can vary greatly depending on the type of aircraft and frequency of use. It makes sense to calculate these costs down to the hours flown, as the operating costs depend largely on this. Especially in owner communities, the costs can be distributed fairly and proportionately. Following the idea of providing a rough guide to these costs, a rough estimate could be 100 to 300 euros per flying hour.
InsuranceThe cost of aircraft insurance depends on the value of the aircraft, the cover, the location and the pilot's experience. This can range from a few hundred to several thousand euros per year.
Pitch and hangarThe costs for a parking space or hangar space can vary greatly depending on the airport and region. They can range from a few hundred euros to several thousand euros per year.
Annual reviewAn annual inspection (or 50 and 100 hour inspections) is required by law and can cost between 1,000 and several thousand euros, depending on the type of aircraft and the work required.
Other costsAs described in the previous chapter, landing and, if applicable, parking costs at the aerodromes approached or DFS costs for IFR airways and the like are then added.
Summary
Although flying in Europe can be a costly endeavour, for many it is a worthwhile investment in a unique hobby or career. Costs are variable and depend on many factors, including the type of training, the type of aircraft and how you incorporate flying into your life. It is important for aspiring pilots to undertake careful financial planning and consider all available options to optimise costs.