Can people afford to flight train?

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Well-Known Member
Well, was sitting in the FBO today and the owner comes in and lets us know gas went up. I said okay, how much? He said $1.00, gas is now $6.85 here at Bowman in Louisville. That takes the price of a 172 wet with instructor to $196, and wet in a 152 with instructor to $156. With rates like that, who can afford this anymore? People are coming to inquire about training and the sticker shock on their face is amazing. Anybody else feeling this kind of pinch?
 
I instruct at a part 141 school affiliated with a university. Our prices are a little lower-our 172 with instructor is about $170 per hour. Still! No wonder GA is slowly dying. It's not just fuel costs, either, I imagine. I hear that insurance and maintenance get more and more costly as time goes by, thanks largely to lawyers and outlandish tort claims.

I started training only 6 years ago and if it had cost then what it costs now, I probably would have done something else. I still might, I have that A&P....
 
That's WAY too much for a 152, even with those fuel prices. But why did the gas go up so much? Did he think it was anything but temporary? Oil is now around $90/bbl, so something doesn't make sense with what he said.
 
Some can

Some can't.

And some of those who can't, still do it. . .ignoring the financial ramifications.

Such is America, the land where credit was cheap.
 
Also, what is the breakdown on aircraft rental/CFI rate? That does seem really steep esp. for the 152.
 
We're still at $150 an hour for a 2000 model 172 with CFI. $196 per hour for a skyhawk sounds like a lot.
 
Well, was sitting in the FBO today and the owner comes in and lets us know gas went up. I said okay, how much? He said $1.00, gas is now $6.85 here at Bowman in Louisville. That takes the price of a 172 wet with instructor to $196, and wet in a 152 with instructor to $156. With rates like that, who can afford this anymore? People are coming to inquire about training and the sticker shock on their face is amazing. Anybody else feeling this kind of pinch?
Someone needs to report that FBO for gas price gouging!:D
 
We're still at $150 an hour for a 2000 model 172 with CFI. $196 per hour for a skyhawk sounds like a lot.
We're at $183, 172SP and instructor, with fuel surcharge included.

Sucky? Yes. Is the quality of the training worth it when compared to cheaper schools around here? Absolutely.
 
Thank god ill be done friday when i get my multi comm add-on!! wooooo hooo :nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2::nana2:
 
"and wet in a 152 with instructor to $156."

You can still buy a 152 for 25K. And you could burn regular car gas in it.
 
Two words for you: Mo Gas!

We have 4 C-172s STCed for MoGas. They rent for $75-85 per hr, depending on the size of the engine (O-320 vs O-360). They are F, H and P models with IFR GPS and steam gauges. Instruction is another $30/hr. I didn't realize what a bargin it really was.
 
$196 an hour?! Holy F-ing #####!

In 1988 I could rent a VFR C-172 (wet) and hire an instructor for $39 + $16 = $55 an hour

C-152 was $36 an hour

Piper Tomahawk was $29
 
Someone needs to report that FBO for gas price gouging!:D

Not quite! You literally cannot find 100LL in and near the midwest especially since IKE. All of the refineries are trying to ramp up vehicle gas and diesel to take up the slack of the Texas refineries that are trying to recover. So refinery terminals around these parts don't want to waste time on a more rare 100LL product. Supposedly St. Louis has none, Chicago has none, Memphis terminal is a 2 week wait at least, and of course farther south the worse it gets...

The FBO (my work) stock has been getting low and the supplier is saying our next load might have to come from Canada which will cost some $$$. I think our current price is $6 something with a low margin because of the supply chain (or lack there of).


Also the economy has taken a bit of a toll on business. We still do OK with University contracts but "off the street" customers have really been lacking. Plus rental rates (ours are wet) have steadily been increasing about every 6 months. Currently $90 for C152, $125 for C172R, $140 for Arrow, $145 for Super D, and $250 for the Seminole.
 
Not quite! You literally cannot find 100LL in and near the midwest especially since IKE. All of the refineries are trying to ramp up vehicle gas and diesel to take up the slack of the Texas refineries that are trying to recover. So refinery terminals around these parts don't want to waste time on a more rare 100LL product. Supposedly St. Louis has none, Chicago has none, Memphis terminal is a 2 week wait at least, and of course farther south the worse it gets...

The FBO (my work) stock has been getting low and the supplier is saying our next load might have to come from Canada which will cost some $$$. I think our current price is $6 something with a low margin because of the supply chain (or lack there of).


Also the economy has taken a bit of a toll on business. We still do OK with University contracts but "off the street" customers have really been lacking. Plus rental rates (ours are wet) have steadily been increasing about every 6 months. Currently $90 for C152, $125 for C172R, $140 for Arrow, $145 for Super D, and $250 for the Seminole.

sign me up for some of that $145 super D time... thats a decent deal.
 
It was $125 or $130?...I think it is a little high, would rather take a cub or champ fuel saver...
 
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