PilotBound estimate · Kailua-Kona, HI
What flight training at Tropicbird Flight Service costs
Their published rates: $235/hr aircraft (wet) + $105/hr instructor·verified July 22, 2026 Source
Instruction is $105/hr standard, up to $135/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.
This estimate uses Tropicbird's standard published rates. It does not include the fuel surcharge that may apply per their website; a 5% discount on 10-hour block deposits is not modeled.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
Two-seat.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at Tropicbird Flight Service
Most likely around $25,325, 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 Tropicbird Flight Service'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 Tropicbird Flight Service'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 $25,325 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 Tropicbird Flight Service's published Diamond DA-20 C1 Eclipse and instructor rates (verified July 22, 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 Tropicbird Flight Service. 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 Tropicbird Flight Service
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Tropicbird Flight Service?
- Tropicbird Flight Service publishes $235 per hour for the Diamond DA-20 C1 Eclipse and $105 per hour for instruction on it, verified July 22, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $25,325, in a range of $21,800 to $28,900. 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 Tropicbird Flight Service.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Tropicbird Flight Service?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Tropicbird Flight Service 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 Tropicbird Flight Service a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- Tropicbird Flight Service 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 Tropicbird Flight Service's aircraft rates include fuel?
- Tropicbird Flight Service publishes $235 per hour for the Diamond DA-20 C1 Eclipse, a rate that does not say whether fuel is included. Ask before you budget: if the rate turns out to be dry, fuel adds roughly $30 to $60 per hour on top. PilotBound's estimate uses the rate exactly as published. Rates verified July 22, 2026.
- What ratings can you train for at Tropicbird Flight Service?
- Tropicbird Flight Service trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor. Instruction runs $105 to $135 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 Tropicbird Flight Service's own published rates.
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