Air Orlando Flight School’s flight instructors are covered by workman's compensation insurance and our company liability insurance policy so you can be certain you are receiving instruction from people who are full-time employed to deliver flight instruction. Most have college degrees and all are aviation career people. Many have gone on to fly the airlines, charter and corporate aircraft, some serve in the military forces of our country, and some have been with us for several years, or come back to us, because to them, their career in aviation is flight training. We are proud of them all, and enjoy them immensely as you will.

At Air Orlando the flight instruction is provided as governed by Part 61 of 14 Code of Federal Regulations. This permits us to provide instruction in an organized manner while being able to adjust lessons to fit the individual student’s needs. These regulations allow us to deliver instruction according to the requirements set forth by the government, yet accommodate individual student’s learning profiles. In other words, we don’t have to force fit any student into a predetermined training syllabus. Instead, we can adjust the lesson to fit the student whenever necessary.

We standardize our training by using Jeppesen printed training materials as a reference base for ground and air instruction, incorporating DVD and CD Rom video media. We also utilize training materials from the Federal Aviation Administration, King Schools, ASA, and Schweizer, Cirrus, Cessna, Piper and Diamond aircraft companies. Our pilot shop carries a regular stock of a wide variety of training materials and texts. We follow a syllabus that allows each student and instructor to know precisely where they are in progress towards attaining their license or rating.

First Steps

The first step is to set an appointment with one of our flight instructors to discuss your learning objectives and obtain the information you need to proceed. Learning to fly is fun and not all that difficult, but it is detailed when you consider all the options available and the regulations that govern flying. You should visit other places offering flight instruction so you can make comparisons and consider options. We suggest you look for these key indicators of success.

• Flight instructors who are insured and are covered by Workman’s Compensation.
• Aircraft that are clean, perfectly maintained, and equipped with modern features able to deal with today’s airspace and technology.
• A towered airport so you can learn from the beginning how to deal with controlled airspace, other airplanes flying around you, and the additional safety provided by air traffic controllers.
• The availability of other instructors and aircraft like the one you will be learning to fly so that you can depend upon back-up and support over the term of your instruction.
• A variety of aircraft. Remember your private pilot license specifically authorizes you to fly single engine airplanes that land and take-off from land (as opposed to water). You should look for a fleet that represents a variety so you don’t inadvertently limit your experience to just one manufacturer’s airplane.
• Student and rental pilot insurance with manageable deductibles and conditions that provide for a waiver of subrogation that covers you.
  

How much does it cost?

The cost of flight training is divided into two basic areas, the cost of the flight instruction delivered by the flight instructor, on the ground and in the air, and usually billed by the clock hour. The second component is the cost of renting the aircraft, and is usually billed by the Hobbs Hour. (A Hobbs meter measures the time the engine of the aircraft is running above idle speed.)

So “How much?” depends upon the rates for each of these two ingredients. At Air Orlando, the flight instruction is $41.00 per clock hour for primary flight and ground training. ("primary" meaning private pilot training; different instructor rates may apply for "advanced", or other than primary instruction). Training aircraft rental rates vary according to the particular aircraft you wish to use, but essentially are priced from $102 to $123 per Hobbs hour in the aircraft typically utilized for primary flight training. Different rates will apply to the other aircraft in our fleet that are not typically utilized (but certainly available) for primary flight training.

National studies confirm that the average person requires about 60 hours of airplane time and about 50 hours of instruction to pass their examinations and obtain their Private Pilot License. So let's use all of this to figure an approximate range.

@$102/hr to @$123/hr
60 Hours of airplane time equals $6120 to $7380
50 hours of instruction @$41/hr equals $2,050
Approximate Cost Range $8,170 to $9,430

The good news is it could be less if you study between lessons and you fly relatively frequently (twice a week or more). In any case, you can pay as you go, lesson by lesson, or you can obtain a student loan, make regular monthly payments, and fly as often as you wish. Our Pilot Special Services Manager will provide you with student loan information, application forms, and personalized processing assistance. In the final analysis, you have the most impact on how much it costs based on your study habits, time to devote to frequent lessons, and preparation before flights.

Be advised that when you ask “How much?” answers will be qualified. Sometimes schools will quote total costs based on FAA minimum time requirements for instruction and airplane time. These minimums are minimums, not typical, average, or usual and will therefore seem lower. But whatever numbers you care to use, the rate times those numbers will help you approximate the cost and compare accordingly.

Air Orlando Flight School recognizes you are driven by an urge to fly, and you are exploring how to temper that desire with reason. Sit down with one of our instructors and get the facts, then decide. Our promise to you is that we will tailor a program that, consistent with your learning style and schedule, gets you the best value for your training dollars. We can put it on paper, knowing the costs based on the rating you seek, the aircraft you want to use, and the hours of instruction you require or think you will need.

Medical Qualifications

The FAA requires every pilot have a medical certificate based on an examination given by a licensed FAA Aviation Medical Examiner. The medical certificate is also your student learning permit. Your flight instructor will help you select an Aviation Medical Examiner. You will need a medical certificate before your first solo flight in the airplane, but not to start training. Please don’t think you need to be a perfect physical specimen in order to be medically certified to fly an airplane. Yes-- you can wear glasses or contacts. Yes-- you can control blood pressure with medication. Yes-- you can have less than perfect hearing. Check with an Aviation Medical Examiner about your certification requirements, and always tell the complete truth about your medical history.

Citizenship