PilotBound estimate · Fort Wayne, IN
What flight training at Sweet Aviation costs
Their published rates: $175/hr aircraft (wet) + $75/hr instructor·verified July 27, 2026 SourceSource 2
Instruction is $75/hr standard, up to $85/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.
Non-member rates shown; members pay less. The page does not state whether fuel is included. Instruction is $75/hr in the Diamonds and $85/hr in the Cirrus, Super Decathlon, and DA42.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
Two-seat, the lowest-cost line.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at Sweet Aviation
Most likely around $19,275, 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 Sweet Aviation'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 Sweet Aviation'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 $19,275 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 Sweet Aviation's published Diamond DA20 and instructor rates (verified July 27, 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 Sweet 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 Sweet Aviation
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Sweet Aviation?
- Sweet Aviation publishes $175 per hour for the Diamond DA20 and $75 per hour for instruction on it, verified July 27, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $19,275, in a range of $16,600 to $22,000. 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 Sweet Aviation.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Sweet Aviation?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Sweet 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 Sweet Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- Sweet 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 Sweet Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?
- Sweet Aviation publishes $175 per hour for the Diamond DA20, 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 27, 2026.
- What ratings can you train for at Sweet Aviation?
- Sweet Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine (AMEL), Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor. Instruction runs $75 to $85 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 Sweet Aviation's own published rates.
Plan the money before you commit
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What each rating costs
Honest per-rating ranges, with the fees most quotes leave out.
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