It is understandable but unfortunate that the first concern is cost, and purchasing a computer provides a good analogy. Years ago, I attended an IBM seminar that started with a list of priorities from people who had never owned a computer. Cost was number one. Next was a list of priorities from people who already owned a computer. Cost was last. Most computer owners quickly discovered that the first priority was good software and a computer that optimized the operation of that software.
I tell people that the cost of training is secondary to the cost of maintaining proficiency. I believe this requires approximately $400 a month for as long as you fly. In the U.S. Army, which operated light airplanes and helicopters, pilots did not receive flight pay unless they flew at least four hours per month. My experience in subsequent years convinced me that this was, and is, a valid flight proficiency requirement.
A Cessna 172 at my airport costs about $75 an hour to rent. If you add in supplemental expenses - navigation charts, regulation and procedures manuals, magazine subscriptions, and organization memberships -the four hours of flying comes close to $400 per month. This is the true cost of flying.
The cost for initial training, using the national average of 75 hours and a $75-per-hour Cessna 172 plus the cost of training materials and instructor time, is approximately $8,000, though costs vary widely depending on where you live. Many students complete their training in less time and spend several thousand dollars less, but others take longer and may spend thousands more. Training time depends on airport location, airplane complexity, the instructor's ability and desire to teach, the frequency of training, and the student's background, age, and motivation.
Once I've explained that the real cost of getting a certificate comes in maintaining proficiency once you've got it, I explain that private pilot certification requires 400 hours. This always generates a look of disbelief. I explain that if it takes 75 hours of flight training - the national average - then 325 additional hours will be required for studying. This commitment is just as important as the time spent in the cockpit, and the only cost is the price of the books.
Finally, in order to become a certificated pilot, a person must have good health, a strong desire to succeed, sufficient time to train and study, a willingness to change previous habits, the ability to handle multiple tasks, and thick skin.
Two lessons per week is optimum for people who cannot train full time. This training cycle allows continual reinforcement of the skills and thought processes that must become habitual. Less-frequent training extends training time and cost because additional review time is necessary.
Several earthly habit patterns must change during flight training. Prior to flight training, most people look straight ahead and seldom rely on physical sensations when operating something that moves. To fly well, students must use visual references that are not directly ahead of the airplane, especially when taxiing and flying in a nose-high attitude during stalls, slow flight, and the landing flare. They must learn to recognize and control six types of motion - forward, lateral, vertical, pitch, roll, and yaw - and they must learn to use their physical senses for control feel, airflow and engine sound, and motion.
A pilot can seldom execute just one task and then move on to the next one. Frequently, three tasks must be executed simultaneously, and every person does not have this ability. When this is the case, it is almost impossible to solo or become certified.
Students must have thick skins. As humans, we all make small mistakes at one time or another, and not much is said. In flying, however, such errors can have grave consequences, and flight instructors are obligated to point them out and prevent future occurrences. Flight training is not a gentler, kinder environment, and student pilots must not take offense when demands are made to develop the proper habits.
