PilotBound estimate · Santa Monica, CA
What flight training at Santa Monica Flyers costs
Their published rates: $149/hr aircraft (wet) + $110/hr instructor·verified July 29, 2026 Source
Rates are wet. Santa Monica Flyers operates two 2024 Pipistrel Velis Electro ELECTRIC trainers and waives KSMO landing fees on the electric fleet. Cessna Skyhawk rental starts at $195/hr and Cirrus models rent wet at rates that vary by model and trip, so only the published starting figures are modeled here. Instruction is published as a RANGE of $110 to $125 per hour rather than a single rate; this estimate uses the low end, so confirm your instructor's rate.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
Electric, two seats. $129/hr on a 10-hour block.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at Santa Monica Flyers
Most likely around $19,475, 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 Santa Monica Flyers'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 Santa Monica Flyers'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 $19,475 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 Santa Monica Flyers's published Pipistrel Velis Electro 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 Santa Monica Flyers. 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 Santa Monica Flyers
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Santa Monica Flyers?
- Santa Monica Flyers publishes $149 per hour for the Pipistrel Velis Electro and $110 per hour for instruction on it, verified July 29, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $19,475, in a range of $16,700 to $22,200. 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 Santa Monica Flyers.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Santa Monica Flyers?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Santa Monica Flyers 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 Santa Monica Flyers a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- Santa Monica Flyers 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 Santa Monica Flyers's aircraft rates include fuel?
- Santa Monica Flyers publishes $149 per hour for the Pipistrel Velis Electro, 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 Santa Monica Flyers?
- Santa Monica Flyers trains Private Pilot and Instrument Rating. Instruction is $110 per hour across the ratings it teaches. PilotBound's estimator on this page prices any of these paths on Santa Monica Flyers's own published rates.
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