What flight training at South Coast Aeronautics costs

Common questions about South Coast Aeronautics

How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at South Coast Aeronautics?

South Coast Aeronautics publishes $165 per hour for the SOCATA TB 10 Tobago and $75 per hour for instruction on it, checked August 6, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $18,605, in a range of $16,000 to $21,200. 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 South Coast Aeronautics.

How long does it take to get a private pilot license at South Coast Aeronautics?

Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at South Coast Aeronautics 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 South Coast Aeronautics a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?

South Coast Aeronautics 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 South Coast Aeronautics's aircraft rates include fuel?

South Coast Aeronautics publishes $165 per hour for the SOCATA TB 10 Tobago, 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 checked August 6, 2026.

What ratings can you train for at South Coast Aeronautics?

South Coast Aeronautics trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor. Instruction is $75 per hour across the ratings it teaches. PilotBound's estimator on this page prices any of these paths on South Coast Aeronautics's own published rates.