PilotBound estimate · Riverside, CA
What flight training at California Aviation Services costs
Their published rates: $95/hr aircraft (wet) + $60/hr instructor·verified July 29, 2026 Source
The site publishes dual and solo rates rather than a separate instructor rate, and never says whether fuel is included. The instructor rate here is DERIVED as dual minus solo: $196 dual against $136 solo in the Cessna 172, and $155 against $95 in the Cessna 150, both giving $60/hr. Confirm before budgeting.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
Two-seat. Dual $155/hr.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at California Aviation Services
Most likely around $12,675, about 6 months at 2x/week. A range, not a promise.
Where it goes
One-time fees ($2,375)
- Knowledge (written) test$175
- Checkride / DPE fee$800
- Medical certificate$150
- Headset$700
- Ground school / test prep$300
- Books, charts & supplies$250
Typical national figures, not the school's prices. The FAA written test and examiner (DPE) fees are set by third parties.
Examiner records (DPE dataset).
Your first certificate. Fly passengers, day or night, in good weather.
The hourly flying is priced on California Aviation Services's published rates. Each rating also folds in its one-time fees (written test, examiner/DPE checkride, medical, gear), about $3,550 across the path. Those are typical national estimates, not California Aviation Services's prices, and several (the FAA written test and examiner fees) are set by third parties.
Estimates use PilotBound's own completion-hours model, examiner-completion data where it exists and FAA minimums where it does not, applied to each school's published rates. They are PilotBound estimates, not the school's quote, and will differ from a school's own figures. Full methodology and sources →
Step 2 · Plan
Your $12,675 is the starting line. Turn it into a route to your checkride, every step in order with this cost built in.
Add to my planEstimates use California Aviation Services's published Cessna 150 and instructor rates (verified July 29, 2026), shown in USD for planning only. Real cost varies by student, weather, and pace. An honest range, not a quote.
PilotBound is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by California Aviation Services. School names are used only to identify the school. Estimates use PilotBound's own completion-hours model, examiner-completion data where it exists and FAA minimums where it does not, applied to each school's published rates. They are PilotBound estimates, not the school's quote, and will differ from a school's own figures. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Common questions about California Aviation Services
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at California Aviation Services?
- California Aviation Services publishes $95 per hour for the Cessna 150 and $60 per hour for instruction on it, verified July 29, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $12,675, in a range of $10,900 to $14,400. That covers roughly 72 hours of flying and instruction plus the one-time fees most quotes leave out, including the written test, the examiner's checkride fee, a medical, and study materials. It is a PilotBound estimate built on the school's published rates, not a quote from California Aviation Services.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at California Aviation Services?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at California Aviation Services to reach the private pilot checkride, at roughly 72 hours. Pace is the single biggest variable: flying once a week typically stretches the timeline and raises the total, because time between lessons gets spent re-learning. Weather, aircraft availability, and instructor turnover all push the same direction.
- Is California Aviation Services a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- California Aviation Services trains under both Part 61 and Part 141, so you can pick the structured FAA-approved course or the flexible path. Part 141 is the one that matters for VA benefits and for the lower paper minimum on the private certificate; Part 61 is the one that bends around a full-time job.
- Do California Aviation Services's aircraft rates include fuel?
- California Aviation Services publishes $95 per hour for the Cessna 150, a rate that does not say whether fuel is included. Ask before you budget: if the rate turns out to be dry, fuel adds roughly $30 to $60 per hour on top. PilotBound's estimate uses the rate exactly as published. Rates verified July 29, 2026.
- What ratings can you train for at California Aviation Services?
- California Aviation Services trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot. Instruction is $60 per hour across the ratings it teaches. PilotBound's estimator on this page prices any of these paths on California Aviation Services's own published rates.
Plan the money before you commit
A program price only makes sense next to what each rating costs on its own, what free money exists, and what borrowing actually looks like.
What each rating costs
Honest per-rating ranges, with the fees most quotes leave out.
Free money first
Verified flight training scholarships. Every scholarship dollar is a dollar you never finance.
If you borrow
Compare lenders and see the real monthly payment before you sign.