PilotBound estimate · Ithaca, NY
What flight training at East Hill Flying Club costs
Their published rates: $135/hr aircraft (wet) + $75/hr instructor·verified July 27, 2026 Source
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.
Rates are wet. East Hill is a flying club, so membership may be required to train or rent. Instruction is $75/hr, or $85/hr with the chief/assistant-chief instructor and on advanced training.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at East Hill Flying Club
Most likely around $17,625, 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). Note: Part 141 typically runs higher, not lower.
Your first certificate. Fly passengers, day or night, in good weather.
The hourly flying is priced on East Hill Flying Club'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 East Hill Flying Club'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 $17,625 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 East Hill Flying Club's published Cessna 152 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 East Hill Flying Club. 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 East Hill Flying Club
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at East Hill Flying Club?
- East Hill Flying Club publishes $135 per hour for the Cessna 152 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 $17,625, in a range of $15,200 to $20,100. That covers roughly 78 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 East Hill Flying Club.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at East Hill Flying Club?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at East Hill Flying Club to reach the private pilot checkride, at roughly 78 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 East Hill Flying Club a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- East Hill Flying Club trains under Part 141, an FAA-approved syllabus with a structured course of study. Part 141 can finish the private certificate in fewer required hours on paper (35 versus 40), though in practice most students at either kind of school fly past the minimum. Part 141 also matters if you plan to use VA benefits, which generally require an approved 141 course.
- Do East Hill Flying Club's aircraft rates include fuel?
- East Hill Flying Club publishes $135 per hour for the Cessna 152, 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 verified July 27, 2026.
- What ratings can you train for at East Hill Flying Club?
- East Hill Flying Club trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot and Multi-Engine (AMEL). 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 East Hill Flying Club's own published rates.
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