Rates partly published · Santa Rosa, CA
Flight training at North Coast Air
No instructor rate. North Coast Air publishes rates for all 9 of its airplanes and nothing for instruction, so there is no total on this page.
Checked September 13, 2026 against North Coast Air aircraft page.
- Based at
- Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport(STS)
- FAA part
- Not stated on their site
- Website
- northcoastair.com
Section 1What is published
North Coast Air's own figures
Checked September 13, 2026 · Source
| Aircraft | Published rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tecnam P2002 Sierra (N146TP) | $135/hr | Light-sport. |
| Cessna 162 Skycatcher (N5216N)2011 | $163.2/hr | Two-seat light-sport. |
| Cessna 152 Commuter (N714WS)1977 | $177.2/hr | Two-seat. |
| Cessna 172M Skyhawk (N12161)1973 | $195.6/hr | |
| Cessna 172M Skyhawk (N20230)1972 | $195.6/hr | |
| Piper Warrior II PA-28-161 (N3427M)1977 | $217.9/hr | |
| Cessna 172S Skyhawk (N65647)2005 | $230.7/hr | |
| Cessna TR182 Turbo Skylane (N454DM)1979 | $315.7/hr | Retractable and turbocharged, so this would cover the Commercial's complex time. |
| Beechcraft Baron (N151F)1964 | $485/hr | Twin, for the multi-engine ratings. |
Airframes built 1964 to 2011. Years of manufacture from the FAA aircraft registry, read September 20, 2026.
All rates are wet. The figures are published to the cent rather than rounded, which usually means a base rate with a fuel or tax adjustment applied on top, so ask what the components are before assuming the number is fixed.
Section 2Why there is no total
An estimate needs an instructor rate.
A training total is hours multiplied by rates. With instruction unpriced there is nothing to multiply, and we will not fill the gap with a plausible number: every figure on this site carries a link that shows it today.
Instructor rateMissing from their site
Instruction is the second biggest line on a training bill, after the airplane.
What to compare their answer against
Not North Coast Air's rates. The middle of what 63 California schools charge, to hold your phone quote against.
- Trainer, medianWhat the airplane costsRange $95 to $269 per hour.
- $159
- Instruction, medianWhat the instructor costsAcross 63 schools with published rates.
- $80
From the schools here that publish full rate cards, the same sample behind the Flight Training Cost Report. North Coast Air is not in it.
Section 3Paying for it
Two ways to pay for it.
Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left. Neither figure assumes anything about you: one is what our scholarship directory holds, the other is what the lenders publish.
- Money you keepScholarships you could apply for46 open to anyone, plus 1 in California. Top awards reach $22,200.
- Hiller Aviation Museum Flight Training Scholarship$15,000 · San Francisco Bay Area · Opens Feb 5, 2027
- 47
- Money you pay backLenders that fund flight trainingSix lenders, compared on the limits and rates they publish. That is what is on offer, not whether you would be approved.
- 6
Section 4What to ask
What to ask when you call
The marked ones are what North Coast Air's site never answers. The rest are what turns an hourly rate into a real bill.
What do you charge per hour for flight instruction, and is ground instruction billed at the same rate?Missing from their site
This is the number that is missing from the site. Ground is often billed separately and at a different rate.
Does the instructor rate change for the Instrument, Commercial, or CFI, or is it flat across everything?Missing from their site
Plenty of schools charge more for advanced instruction. A flat rate quoted for the Private can climb later.
Your rates are quoted to the cent. Is that a base rate plus a fuel adjustment, and does it move month to month?
A rate that ends in .20 or .70 is usually calculated rather than set, which means it can change without the page changing.
What does multi instruction cost in the Baron, and is a separate multi instructor rate charged?
The Baron is published at $485/hr, so multi instruction on top is the single biggest line in a multi rating here.
Do you offer block rates or prepay discounts, and what is the refund policy if I stop partway?
Block discounts are common and rarely published. The refund terms matter more than the discount.
What do you charge for the written test, the checkride, and the examiner's fee?
The DPE fee alone runs $800 to $1,200 in most of the country and is almost never in a quoted hourly rate.
How many trainers and how many full-time instructors do you have right now?
Availability decides your pace, and pace decides your total more than the hourly rate does.
Called them? Send us what they said.
Send the number over and North Coast Air gets a full listing with an estimate, marked as sourced by phone on the date you called.
Send what they told youSection 5Nearby schools
One other school flies from Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport.
It does not publish a rate either, so that one is a phone call too. STS is the identifier to give when you ask.
- RAM AviationPublishes no ratesSanta Rosa
63 California schools publish a full rate card.
Each one has an estimate built on its own published rates. Listed alphabetically, because ordering them by price would be a ranking this page is not making.
- Above All AviationSanta Barbara, CA · Checked September 16, 2026$154/hr$104 to $124/hr instruction
- Aces High AviationLong Beach, CA · Checked September 16, 2026$140/hr$90 to $100/hr instruction
- Aero AviationLong Beach, CA · Checked September 10, 2026$135/hr$100 to $120/hr instruction
- AeroDynamic AviationSan Jose, CA · Checked September 16, 2026$143/hr$82/hr instruction
- Air Paso Flight ServicesPaso Robles, CA · Checked September 16, 2026$125/hr$95/hr instruction
- Ascent Aviation AcademyVan Nuys, CA · Checked August 20, 2026$145/hr$75/hr instruction
Section 6Sources
- That the school exists
- North Coast Air aircraft pageChecked September 13, 2026
- The rates above
- North Coast Air aircraft pageChecked September 13, 2026
Are you North Coast Air? Send your rate card and this becomes a full listing with an estimate, free. Or have it removed.
This page says one thing is not stated on your site. Send us where it is published and it shows here instead.
- What instruction costs per hourSend it
PilotBound is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by North Coast Air. School names are used only to identify the school. Rates shown are the school's own published figures with the date we checked them. This page carries no PilotBound estimate, because the school does not publish enough for one. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Other California flight schools
- 30 DAY CFI Flight Training Academy · Van Nuys
- A.F.I.T. Accelerated Flight and Instrument Training · Newport Beach
- Above All Aviation · Santa Barbara
- Acampo Flying Club · Acampo
- Aces High Aviation · Long Beach
- ActivePILOT Flight Academy · Van Nuys
- Advantage Aviation · Palo Alto
- Adventure Air · Chino
- Adventure Flight · Lincoln
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
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