Are there any “hidden” costs involved with learning to fly?
When planning your flight training budget, the airplane, fuel and instructor time are your main expenses, but remember, there are additional expenses that should be considered. Regarding pilot supplies, at a minimum, you will need some basic supplies such as a kneeboard/lapboard, a tablet, aviation charts, etc. Then you will certainly want to purchase your own headset (see question below.) Most aircraft have intercom systems, so a headset is a must for communicating with your instructor, passengers and air traffic controllers. There will also be a cost for your final checkride. In addition to the aircraft time (approximately two hours), there is a fee for the designated examiner. Most local examiners charge around $350 for a checkride. Another area of additional cost may be extra/optional solo flight time. Some student pilots just love to fly solo and practice, practice, practice. While I do encourage this (to a point), it will increase your overall cost, but for many, they wouldn’t ha
