Since this subject comes up all the time I figured I would try to shed some light on it.
I was a member of Pensacola Navy Flying Club and finished my PPL there. IFS (NFO style) got me 13.4 hours in six weeks. Finishing, with a ten month break between IFS and my first "real" lesson, took about eight months, as I was going through advanced at the same time.
Fees: $250 club initiation, $30 monthly dues, $50 refundable security badge fee, and ~31 hours plane rental.
Of that 31 hours, 18 hours were in a 152, 9 dual, 9 solo and 13 hours were in a 172, 8.5 dual, 4.5 solo.
CFI was $15/hr, flight only, no charge for ground instruction, total of 17.5 hours of instruction (Each CFI sets his own rate, the highest I remember at the time was $25/hr.) $350 for the practical test, and $75 (I think) for the written.
Total cost: ~$3000
Instruction at the club is Part 61 so I had 42.4 hours when I started the practical test instead of being able to take it at 35. And to make gatordev happy, I made every effort to stay away from Whiting and out of Area 1 on weekdays.
Just for comparison, when I was a member, the 152 was $54/hr and the 172 was $69/hr. There was also a "Superhawk" 180hp 172 for $79/hr, Archer $79/hr and Arrow $89/hr, all prices wet.
Pensacola Aviation Center Tomahawk rate: $89/hr solo, $114/hr dual. Archer $126/hr solo, $151/hr dual.
Ferguson Aviation: 152 $74/hr solo, $99/hr dual, Alarus $94/hr solo, $119/hr dual.
(All rates come from the respective website and are wet. I believe that the PNFC intiation has gone up to $300 and their 152 rate has gone up about $5/hr.)
Again, not trying to steer anybody to or away from any certain place, just pointing things out for comparison. In the sense of equality, driving to Regional was an asspain that I could have avoided by going to Ferguson, but I knew that going into it and it was the choice I made. Also, I really got furious during the winter when the 152 wouldn't start if the temperature was below about 50 degrees F. I had to cancel 2 or 3 times after driving across town because the battery was dead. Plus, while all the PNFC aircraft are IFR certified, only the Archer and Arrow have GPS. I don't know what kind of avionics packages the other places have.
So anybody, namely NFOs, who are thinking about finishing a PPL while you're still in Pensacola, there's some information for you to chew on. Good luck.
I was a member of Pensacola Navy Flying Club and finished my PPL there. IFS (NFO style) got me 13.4 hours in six weeks. Finishing, with a ten month break between IFS and my first "real" lesson, took about eight months, as I was going through advanced at the same time.
Fees: $250 club initiation, $30 monthly dues, $50 refundable security badge fee, and ~31 hours plane rental.
Of that 31 hours, 18 hours were in a 152, 9 dual, 9 solo and 13 hours were in a 172, 8.5 dual, 4.5 solo.
CFI was $15/hr, flight only, no charge for ground instruction, total of 17.5 hours of instruction (Each CFI sets his own rate, the highest I remember at the time was $25/hr.) $350 for the practical test, and $75 (I think) for the written.
Total cost: ~$3000
Instruction at the club is Part 61 so I had 42.4 hours when I started the practical test instead of being able to take it at 35. And to make gatordev happy, I made every effort to stay away from Whiting and out of Area 1 on weekdays.
Just for comparison, when I was a member, the 152 was $54/hr and the 172 was $69/hr. There was also a "Superhawk" 180hp 172 for $79/hr, Archer $79/hr and Arrow $89/hr, all prices wet.
Pensacola Aviation Center Tomahawk rate: $89/hr solo, $114/hr dual. Archer $126/hr solo, $151/hr dual.
Ferguson Aviation: 152 $74/hr solo, $99/hr dual, Alarus $94/hr solo, $119/hr dual.
(All rates come from the respective website and are wet. I believe that the PNFC intiation has gone up to $300 and their 152 rate has gone up about $5/hr.)
Again, not trying to steer anybody to or away from any certain place, just pointing things out for comparison. In the sense of equality, driving to Regional was an asspain that I could have avoided by going to Ferguson, but I knew that going into it and it was the choice I made. Also, I really got furious during the winter when the 152 wouldn't start if the temperature was below about 50 degrees F. I had to cancel 2 or 3 times after driving across town because the battery was dead. Plus, while all the PNFC aircraft are IFR certified, only the Archer and Arrow have GPS. I don't know what kind of avionics packages the other places have.
So anybody, namely NFOs, who are thinking about finishing a PPL while you're still in Pensacola, there's some information for you to chew on. Good luck.
