Private Pilot License

Requirements

There are three main requirements that must be met prior to earning a Private Pilot Certificate:

1. Pass a basic physical exam given by an FAA approved medical doctor, which becomes your Student Pilot Certificate and will then be valid for either 2 or 3 years (depending on your age).
2. Complete a computerized written exam of 60 questions with a minimum passing grade of 70%.
3. Complete the flight/ground training. We use the Jeppesen syllabus that guides you through the flight training until you are competent and proficient in each subject area. Once this is completed your instructor will recommend you for the final checkride, with stage checks in between to ensure your training is on track.

Once you’ve achieved your Private Pilot Certificate, you can fly with friends and family up or down the coast, or perhaps to a dinner in Harris Ranch or on a scenic aerial tour of San Diego ! With the skills you learn at GAVIN Aviation, you will be a safe and confident pilot!
 

Private Pilot Flight Training – The Financial Breakdown

The costs associated with learning to fly and earning the Private Pilot License vary depending on a number of factors, including individual skills, personal preparation of the student and frequency of lessons. The flight instructor will assign portions of the textbook for you to review before each flight. Optimally, we encourage you to fly a minimum of 2 or 3 times per week. We will, however, work with your work or school schedule. Each lesson is approximately 2 ½ hours in length, allowing sufficient time before the lesson for the instructor and you to thoroughly prepare for each flight. The flight normally lasts about 1¼ hours (depending on the lesson content) and then a post-flight review to answer your questions. 

All time spent in pre-flight and post-flight review discussions are charged at the $50 per hour rate. Instruction is on an individual basis, designed to permit you to progress at a comfortable rate.

• Textbooks and Materials (Jepp Kit): $ 300.00 
• FAA Computerized Test: $ 90.00 
• Flight Physical: $ 100.00 
• Pre/Post Flight Briefings (16 hrs): $ 800.00 

Flight Hours (FAA requirement: minimum 40 hours) / Costs (Block Rate):

• 30 Hrs Dual Flight Instruction in Diamond DA20-C1:  $ 4650.00
• 10 Hrs Solo Flight in Diamond DA20-C1: $ 1050.00 

Flight Check / Fees: 

• FAA Examiner Fee: $ 350.00 
• Aircraft Rental (2.5 hours average): $ 262.50

Total Estimated Cost (Block Rate): $ 7602.50

Terms are payment in full (cash/check/charge card) upon completion of each lesson. Prepaid accounts of 10 hours (Block Rate) receive a discount of 10%.