In addition to the cost of the airplane and instructor you should plan to spend approximately $200 for books and materials and an FAA medical exam will set you back around $100. The FAA written knowledge test is $90 ($80 if you're an AOPA member). The rate for the Designated Examiner that will give you the final exam for your license is $350.
In all you should budget $7,500 to $9,000 to complete your Private Pilot training. SLM Financial is an excellent resource for flight training financing.
| Sport Pilot | Private Pilot | Instrument |
| 7 | 75 | 31 |
| Commercial | CFI | CFII |
| 22 | 16 | 8 |
| Multi-Engine | MEI | ATP |
| 20 | 5 | 4 |
| updated 12/31/11 | ||