It’s no secret that becoming an airline pilot isn’t cheap. However, achieving a commercial pilot certification is a significant achievement. And beyond career opportunities, it opens up the world and gives people access to countries they could only dream of visiting.
In this blog post, we break down the cost of flight training and outline how aspiring pilots can manage their costs, so no one has to miss out.
How much can I expect to pay to become a pilot?
The cost of pilot training depends on your experience to date. If you’re starting on zero hours, you can expect to pay $102,000. If you already hold a private pilot license (PPL), the total is $83,800.
Even if you’re self-funding, at Skyborne we’re committed to helping you complete your training smoothly and cost effectively, which is why we allow our students to pay in 5 instalments throughout the duration of training.
How can I manage those costs?
If self-funding isn’t an option for you, there are alternatives to allow you to complete your pilot training.
- Skyborne is one of the only flight training schools to accept the 529 plan. Traditionally limited to accredited universities, 529 College Savings Plans now cover vocational and career-oriented training, including pilot training at academies such as Skyborne.
- We also partner with Sallie-Mae to offer aspiring pilots a career training student loan. Credit rating rules and interest rates apply, and most students will need a cosigner due to likely lack of credit history, but this is a great option for those who want to wait until they have qualified before they start paying for their pilot training.
- Finally, Stratus Financial is on a mission to help pilots achieve their flight dreams as swiftly as possible through hassle-free flight school student loan programs. To be eligible, aspiring pilots must be 18 years of age, a US citizen or have a green card, and have a bank account in the United States.
We understand that funding professional flight training can be challenging, but we don’t want that to stop anyone from pursuing their dreams of a career in the skies.
For more information on funding and financing options at Skyborne, visit: https://skyborne.com/us/finance-funding/
