How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Dare to Dream Aviation?

Dare to Dream Aviation publishes $229 per hour for the Diamond DA40 XLS and $95 per hour for instruction on it, checked August 16, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $24,373, in a range of $21,000 to $27,800. 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 Dare to Dream Aviation.

How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Dare to Dream Aviation?

Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Dare to Dream 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 Dare to Dream Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?

Dare to Dream 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 Dare to Dream Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?

Dare to Dream Aviation publishes $229 per hour for the Diamond DA40 XLS, a dry rate, so fuel is billed separately on top. Fuel typically adds roughly $30 to $60 per hour, so compare a dry rate against a wet one carefully. PilotBound's estimate uses the published dry rate exactly as listed and does not add a guessed fuel figure. Rates checked August 16, 2026.

What ratings can you train for at Dare to Dream Aviation?

Dare to Dream Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot. Instruction runs $95 to $125 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 Dare to Dream Aviation's own published rates.

PilotBoundEvery hour. Every dollar.

PilotBound estimate · Pompano Beach, FL · Checked August 16, 2026

What flight training at Dare to Dream Aviation costs

Website flydaretodream.com

Your plan

Estimate cost to reach

Flying

Which airplane?

The primary trainer. Glass.

Shown at Dare to Dream Aviation's published dry rate. Fuel is billed separately and is not included in this estimate.

PilotBound estimate · Private

Examiner data

Cost of your Private at Dare to Dream Aviation

$24,373

range $21K – $27.8K · about 6 months at 2×/week

Priced on Dare to Dream's published rates: Diamond DA40 XLS at $229/hr dry + $95/hr instruction, checked August 16, 2026.

Against a minimums quote

at the FAA legal minimums$14,575

at the hours students actually take$24,373

+$9,798 on Dare to Dream's own rates. Quotes usually price the 40-hour minimum; almost nobody finishes there.

Where it goes

$21K – $27.8K

Aircraft rental$16,488

Instruction$5,510

One-time costs$2,375

Aircraft + instruction$21,998

72 hrs in Diamond DA40 XLS @ $229/hr + 58 dual @ $95/hr

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

Hours at a steady pace72 hrs

Examiner records (DPE dataset).

The hourly flying is priced on Dare to Dream Aviation's published rates (dry; fuel billed separately). About $2,375 of this is one-time fees (written test, examiner/DPE checkride, medical, gear), typical national estimates, not Dare to Dream Aviation's prices, and several 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 →

What Dare to Dream publishes

checked August 16, 2026

Diamond DA40 XLSThe primary trainer. Glass.$229/hr dry

Diamond DA40 NGGlass.$300/hr dry

Cirrus SR20 G6 Perspective+Cirrus (needs a CSIP). Instruction in this airplane $125/hr.$349/hr dry

Cirrus SR20 G7Instruction in this airplane $125/hr.$399/hr dry

Cirrus SR22 G7+High-performance. Instruction in this airplane $125/hr.$499/hr dry

Instructionstandard $95/hr$95 – $125/hr

This estimate uses Dare to Dream Aviation's published dry rates. It does not include fuel or landing fees, which Dare to Dream Aviation bills separately per their website.

Not published: the examiner's checkride fee. Listed as missing rather than guessed.

See the published rates→

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What to ask when you call

The marked one is what Dare to Dream's site never answers. The rest are what turns an hourly rate into a real bill.

Your published rates are dry. Roughly what does fuel add per hour on the trainer?
The published figures leave fuel out, so they understate the real hourly cost until you add it.
Does the instructor rate change for the Instrument, Commercial, or CFI, or is it flat across everything?
Plenty of schools charge more for advanced instruction. A flat rate quoted for the Private can climb later.
Do you train under Part 61 or Part 141?Missing from their site
It changes the minimum hours, and for some students it changes financing eligibility.
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.

Estimates use Dare to Dream Aviation's published Diamond DA40 XLS and instructor rates (checked August 16, 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 Dare to Dream 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 Dare to Dream Aviation

How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Dare to Dream Aviation?: Dare to Dream Aviation publishes $229 per hour for the Diamond DA40 XLS and $95 per hour for instruction on it, checked August 16, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $24,373, in a range of $21,000 to $27,800. 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 Dare to Dream Aviation.
How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Dare to Dream Aviation?: Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Dare to Dream 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 Dare to Dream Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?: Dare to Dream 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 Dare to Dream Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?: Dare to Dream Aviation publishes $229 per hour for the Diamond DA40 XLS, a dry rate, so fuel is billed separately on top. Fuel typically adds roughly $30 to $60 per hour, so compare a dry rate against a wet one carefully. PilotBound's estimate uses the published dry rate exactly as listed and does not add a guessed fuel figure. Rates checked August 16, 2026.
What ratings can you train for at Dare to Dream Aviation?: Dare to Dream Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot. Instruction runs $95 to $125 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 Dare to Dream Aviation's own published rates.

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