Flight training is paid for in one of four ways: hour by hour as you fly, as a package with a deposit and monthly installments, with a loan, or with money somebody else gives you in the form of a scholarship, veterans' benefits or an employer's help. Most students use two of those at once. This page explains each one plainly, with the figures that apply at You Fly LA, and it stays away from things we cannot promise. If you are still working out what the training itself costs, start with our page on flight school cost in Los Angeles; this page is about how to pay for it. Both sit under our guide to learning to fly in Los Angeles.
Pay As You Go Vs Packages
Pay As You Go
The simplest option. You book a lesson, you fly it, you pay for the hours you used at the hourly rates: $179 an hour for the Piper Warrior or Cessna 162, $110 an hour for the instructor, $110 an hour for ground instruction, $120 an hour for the simulator. There is no commitment and no deposit. If life intervenes at hour twelve, you have paid for twelve hours. For a student who is not yet certain they will finish, or whose income arrives unevenly, this is the right way to begin.
The cost of that flexibility is that the same hours are more expensive bought one at a time. A 40-hour private pilot course at the hourly rates comes to roughly $10,700; the Standard package is $10,400 for the same hours, with books included.
Packages With A Deposit And Monthly Payments
Every training package on this site can be paid as $2,500 down followed by monthly installments. The installments are set so the package is paid off at about the pace a student flying regularly would use it:
| Package | Price | Payment Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Private Pilot, Standard (40 hours) | $10,400 | $2,500 down + 4 × $1,974/mo |
| Private Pilot, Comprehensive (60 hours) | $15,400 | $2,500 down + 6 × $2,150/mo |
| Private Pilot, Premium (80 hours) | $22,000 | $2,500 down + 10 × $1,950/mo |
| Private Pilot, Turbo Cirrus | $23,400 | $2,500 down + 9 × $2,322/mo |
| Sport Pilot Course | $8,400 | $2,500 down + 3 × $1,966/mo |
| Instrument Rating Course | $11,700 | $2,500 down + 4 × $2,300/mo |
| Multi-Engine Course (7 days) | $5,100 | $2,500 down + 2 × $1,300/mo |
| Teens Pilot Course | $4,200 | $2,500 first payment, $1,700 second |
| Commercial Pilot Course | $15,400 | Financing available |
| Flight Instructor Program (CFI, CFII, MEI) | $15,400 | Financing available |
| Airline Pilot Career Program | $84,000 | Financing up to 15 years, from $2,500 down |
A package locks the hourly rate for the hours inside it, includes books and materials on the private pilot courses, and puts everything in writing before you start. The one caution is to buy the package that matches how often you can fly. A student who can fly only at weekends will usually need the 60-hour Comprehensive course, and buying those hours inside the package is cheaper than adding them at the hourly rate afterward.
Pilot Training Loans
Several lenders in the United States offer loans specifically for flight training, and a general personal loan or a home-equity line can be used the same way. We do not name lenders or quote interest rates on this page, because both change and because your rate depends on your credit, not ours. What we can tell you is how the process usually works and what to look for.
A flight training loan is typically applied for online, approved on a credit check, and paid either to the school or to you in a lump sum or in stages as training progresses. The airline pilot career program on this site is financed over up to fifteen years from $2,500 down on a soft credit check, which does not affect your credit score at the application stage; the commercial and flight instructor courses list financing as available. For those programs, ask us during your consultation and we will explain the current arrangement.
Whatever the source of the loan, a few rules hold. Borrow for the realistic number of hours, not the FAA minimum, so that you are not applying a second time at hour 45. Read the terms for what happens if you pause training. Prefer a lender that pays the school in stages over one that hands the whole sum to the school on day one, because it keeps you in control if you decide to change schools. And keep the deposit and the first few lessons out of the loan if you can, so that you are only borrowing once you know you will finish.
Scholarships
Aviation scholarships are real, they are numerous, and they are under-applied for. Most are for a few thousand dollars, some cover an entire certificate, and nearly all of them reward a clear essay and a plausible plan more than a perfect résumé. Three organizations are the right place to begin.
AOPA
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association runs a flight training scholarship program each year, with awards for both new students working toward a first certificate and existing pilots adding ratings, along with a separate program for high-school students. Details and the application window are on aopa.org.
EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship
The Experimental Aircraft Association administers the Ray Aviation Scholarship, funded by the Ray Foundation, which supports young people, generally in their teens, through private pilot training under the mentorship of a local EAA chapter. Applications go through participating chapters rather than to EAA directly, so the first step is finding a chapter near Van Nuys. Start at eaa.org.
Women In Aviation International
Women in Aviation International awards a large slate of scholarships every year across flight training, maintenance, dispatch and other aviation careers, funded by airlines, manufacturers and members. Membership is required to apply and is inexpensive. See wai.org.
Beyond those three, look at the Ninety-Nines, local EAA and AOPA chapters, aviation-focused community foundations, and the scholarship pages of airlines and manufacturers. Apply to several. The application effort is largely reusable, and a single award can cover the deposit and the first two months of a package.
VA And GI Bill Facts
Veterans ask about this more than any other topic on the page, so here is the plain version. The Post-9/11 GI Bill can pay for flight training in two ways: as a degree program at a college that includes flight training, or as vocational flight training at a stand-alone flight school. In the second case, the school's flight training program must be approved under FAA Part 141 and separately approved by the state approving agency for VA benefits, and the GI Bill does not pay for the private pilot certificate itself, only for ratings beyond it. Part 61 training, which is how most independent schools operate, is not covered.
Whether You Fly LA's training is available under VA benefits, and which of our family schools holds a Part 141 approval, is something the owner should confirm with you directly before you rely on it. Call (818) 330-1318 and ask; we would rather tell you the exact current position than have you plan around a guess. If you are a veteran, also look at the veteran-specific aviation scholarships offered by AOPA and others, which do not depend on the Part 141 question.
Employer Sponsorship
Some employers, particularly those with flight departments or a connection to aviation, will fund part or all of a pilot certificate for an employee, either outright or as tuition assistance. Airlines increasingly run pathway programs that pay for training in exchange for a commitment to fly for them afterward, and several offer them through partner schools. If your employer has a tuition benefit, ask whether it can be applied to vocational training, and ask us for an itemized quote and a training plan to attach to the request. We are happy to write one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Finance Flight Training?
Yes. Every package can be paid as $2,500 down plus monthly installments, the airline program is financed over up to fifteen years, and third-party pilot training loans, scholarships and employer assistance can all be combined with pay-as-you-go lessons.
How Much Is The Deposit?
$2,500 for every package on this site. The monthly installments that follow depend on the package; the Standard private pilot course, for example, is four payments of $1,974.
Does The GI Bill Pay For A Private Pilot License?
Not at a stand-alone flight school. VA benefits for vocational flight training cover ratings beyond the private certificate at Part 141 schools with VA approval. Confirm with us directly whether our training qualifies before you plan around it.
Are Aviation Scholarships Hard To Get?
Less than people think. Many go unclaimed for lack of applicants. A clear essay and a specific plan matter more than a perfect background, and one application can usually be adapted for several programs.
Apply
Financing questions are best answered in a conversation, because the right mix depends on how often you can fly, how certain you are about finishing, and what you qualify for. Book a free consultation and we will go through the packages, the payment plans and the scholarship options that fit you. If you would rather fly first and talk after, book a discovery flight: it is $229, it is logged, and if you enroll within 24 hours it credits toward your course. Reach us any day from 9 AM to 9 PM at (818) 330-1318.