Flying is an incredible hobby, career choice, and adventure, but the cost can add up. The tables below show a complete listing of all of Cascade’s rental prices and the expected budget for the private pilot license curriculum.

All prices shown below are hourly, billed to every 0.1 hours logged. Aircraft rental prices include fuel and insurance coverage.

Aircraft: Member price / non-member price

Cessna 172L N19671: $164 / $189
Cessna 172M N12687: $170 / $195
Cessna 172K N7426G: $166 / $191
Cessna 172M N61891: $170 / $195
Piper Cherokee 140 N2273F: $164 / $190
Piper Warrior II N82318: $170/ $195
Piper Warrior II N3020S: $170/$195
Bellanca Citabria N8595V: $170/195
Simulator Redbird TD2-2: $44 / $54

Headset Rental: $3 daily (members) / $5 daily (non-members)

Flight instructor rates: $65 for members, $75 for non-members

Whidbey Island Flying Club Membership

(required for enrolling in any training program and for aircraft rental)

Initiation fee: $300, one time (no fee for associate members)
Monthly dues: $55, plus $25 for each additional family member (*not to exceed $100.00 or 2 people at $25.00/month)
Insurance coverage: $50 (one time down payment) , $12 monthly

Private Pilot License cost estimate

Below is a rough estimate of what you can expect your private pilot’s license to cost at Cascade Aviation.

Note: While many flight schools will quote you the minimum price required, this is NEVER the final cost paid. The estimates below are for two scenarios: first, an estimated budget if you are 100% prepared for every single lesson, flying three or more lessons each week, and have absolutely no hitches in your training; and second, a rough estimate of what most Cascade students can anticipate as their final cost. While the national average completion time for a private pilot license is roughly 70 hours of flight time, our students routinely average 50-60 hours, which is a significant cost savings over other schools and instructors!

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN COST SAVINGS IS YOU.

The more time you devote to studying and the more often you fly, the lower your final cost will be to earn any aviation license.