PilotBound estimate · Chico, CA
What flight training at Northgate Aviation costs
Their published rates: $159/hr aircraft (wet) + $60/hr instructor·verified July 29, 2026 Source
Instruction is $60/hr standard, up to $75/hr for advanced or type-specific instruction (for example a Cirrus CSIP, multi-engine dual, or initial CFI training). The estimate below prices the right instructor rate for each leg.
All rentals are wet and include fuel and full handling. Advanced instruction (CFI, CFII, Commercial, Instrument) is $75/hr against $60/hr for private instruction. A Piper PA-32 is in the fleet but its rate is published as inquire-only, so it is not modeled.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
The primary trainer. Fuel and handling included.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at Northgate Aviation
Most likely around $17,275, 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 Northgate Aviation'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 Northgate Aviation'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 $17,275 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 Northgate Aviation's published Cessna 172 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 Northgate Aviation. 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 Northgate Aviation
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Northgate Aviation?
- Northgate Aviation publishes $159 per hour for the Cessna 172 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 $17,275, in a range of $14,900 to $19,700. 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 Northgate Aviation.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Northgate Aviation?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Northgate Aviation 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 Northgate Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- Northgate Aviation does not state on its own website whether it trains under Part 61 or Part 141, so we do not list one. It is worth asking directly before you enroll: Part 141 follows an FAA-approved syllabus and is generally what VA benefits require, while Part 61 is more flexible on scheduling.
- Do Northgate Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?
- Northgate Aviation publishes $159 per hour for the Cessna 172, a wet rate, so fuel is included in the hourly figure. A wet rate is the easier one to compare, because the number you see is the number you fly on. Rates verified July 29, 2026.
- What ratings can you train for at Northgate Aviation?
- Northgate Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor. Instruction runs $60 to $75 per hour depending on the rating and the aircraft, since advanced and type-specific instruction is priced above the standard rate. PilotBound's estimator on this page prices any of these paths on Northgate Aviation's own published rates.
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