What to charge for a flight review?

C

centralhome

Well-Known Member
I have not done a flight review in a bit. Was wondering what everyone is charging for one. And also for an IPC.
Thanks
 
centralhome said:
I know some peolpe charge a flat for for one, so i was just curious what everyone was charging.
Click to expand...
I couldn't do this because it insinuates thatall FRs/IPCs are equal and they are not. I've had flight reviews last as little as 1 hour flight to about 5 hrs ground & 5hrs flight. It depends on the person and their skill level/currency. I think my last IPC was 1.5 ground and 3.5hrs flight.

It isn't fair to the person or CFI for a flat rate, imo
 
I only do them for one guy and it's $50, lunch and a cigar. Ordinarily I'd charge $30 an hour for however long it takes. I've been doing these for this guy for a long time though and I enjoy his company at lunch, plus he smokes good cigars. :)
 
Ajax said:
It isn't fair to the person or CFI for a flat rate, imo
Click to expand...

Really? You mean you think it's unfair to let someone know exactly how much something costs before they buy it?

"Fairness" is what is agreed to in advance between two people, especially when they have equal bargaining position. It might be a block time fee, and hourly fee or a flat rate.

I do a variety that changes depending on the student and the situation.
 
MidlifeFlyer said:
Really? You mean you think it's unfair to let someone know exactly how much something costs before they buy it?

"Fairness" is what is agreed to in advance between two people, especially when they have equal bargaining position. It might be a block time fee, and hourly fee or a flat rate.

I do a variety that changes depending on the student and the situation.
Click to expand...
I just don't think a fixed fee fits all cases. Say I charge a flat fee of $150 for a flight review, if a CFI comes to me for a flight review he'd be paying $150 for what will most likely be 1.0 on the hobbs. Another problem I have with it is derived from a guy that showed up at my desk wanting a flight review thinking that the previous fixed rate for a flight review still stood. He wanted a FR for the previous rate signed sealed and delivered, he was really rough around the edges on the ground and hadn't flown but 2 hours in the previous 2 years. He had a lot of issues that needed more than just 1 hr flight and 1 hr ground. In that case the flat rate wasn't fair to me, and he was under the impression that a FR was always 1hr ground and 1hr flight, so telling him he needed more practice didn't go over well with him.

Fixed fees work well for the cookie cutter FR, someone that flies often and is on their game but not for those outside of that scope. If you prefer to do them flat rate then do it, by all means go for it. I just found that it was better to do it differently.
 
Hourly rate. I've given flight reviews that didn't take any longer than the 1 hour flight/ground minimum and I gave one that lasted 20 hours of combined flight/ground (the guy had been out of flying for 45 years). Same for IPC's. I've given some that took a few flights before they met the standards.
 
Hourly rate. It's simple, you do a certain amount of work, you get a certain amount of money. It's clear cut. If the customer wants to save money, they had better come prepared. If they want a full on refresher course, then good on them! Either way, I get paid for the amount of time I spend with the customer. No one gets screwed in the process.


IMO it's hard to justify a flat rate for something of this nature.
 
MidlifeFlyer said:
Really? You mean you think it's unfair to let someone know exactly how much something costs before they buy it?

"Fairness" is what is agreed to in advance between two people, especially when they have equal bargaining position. It might be a block time fee, and hourly fee or a flat rate.

I do a variety that changes depending on the student and the situation.
Click to expand...

Maybe something along the lines of "Typically, it costs x dollars and we are usually done in x time. So as long as you don't go way over the usual time frame...."

I have done more than a few for really cheap. And more than a few that took 4-5 hours on the ground and the same in the air. Those WILL cost more.
 
I think it is important to emphasize the importance of a BFR or an IPC. Explain right from the start that there's a ballpark price for an average pilot, who flies regularly, and that it will vary. It's also an important safety issue that needs to be explained. It's not safe to sign off a guy after 1.0 if he hasn't flown in 2 years...
 
Pépé le Pilot said:
I think it is important to emphasize the importance of a BFR or an IPC. Explain right from the start that there's a ballpark price for an average pilot, who flies regularly, and that it will vary. It's also an important safety issue that needs to be explained. It's not safe to sign off a guy after 1.0 if he hasn't flown in 2 years...
Click to expand...
It all totally depends.

99% of the time, if you are doing your job during the flight, if they aren't ready at the end, they will ask when the next lesson is.

Be clear about what you expect to see. Most of the time, most pilots are actually quite capable of doing that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top