Flight training at Wings Over Kauai

Two ways to pay for it.

Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left. Neither figure assumes anything about you: one is what our scholarship directory holds, the other is what the lenders publish.

Money you keepScholarships you could apply for50 open to anyone, plus 1 in Hawaii. Top awards reach $22,200.

• Aviation Pathways GrantUp to $10,000 · Check dates

51

Money you pay backLenders that fund flight trainingSix lenders, compared on the limits and rates they publish. That is what is on offer, not whether you would be approved.

6

1. 1

   What do you charge per hour for flight instruction, and is ground instruction billed at the same rate?Missing from their site

   This is the number that is missing from the site. Ground is often billed separately and at a different rate.

2. 2

   Does the instructor rate change for the Instrument, Commercial, or CFI, or is it flat across everything?Missing from their site

   Plenty of schools charge more for advanced instruction. A flat rate quoted for the Private can climb later.

3. 3

   What is the hourly rate on your cheapest trainer, and which airplane is that?Missing from their site

   This is the number that is missing from the site, and it is the largest line on your bill.

4. 4

   Is that rate wet or dry, meaning does it include fuel?Missing from their site

   A dry rate and a wet rate are not comparable. Dry rates can run $40 to $60 an hour lower for the same airplane.

5. 5

   Which certificates and ratings do you train all the way through, and where would I have to go elsewhere?Missing from their site

   This is the difference between one school for your whole path and switching partway.

6. 6

   Can I train to the Private Pilot certificate here, or only fly dual lessons and flight reviews?Missing from their site

   The page names introductory and mountain and over-water dual instruction and flight reviews, and no certificate.

7. 7

   The $285 covers the airplane and the instructor together. What does each cost, and what would solo time cost?Missing from their site

   Without the split there is no airplane rate and no instructor rate to compare with any other school.

8. 8

   How many days a week does the Cessna fly for instruction?

   The page says the Cessna goes out only on certain days, which sets the pace before the rate does.

9. 9

   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.

10. 10

    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.

11. 11

    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.