PilotBound estimate · Wilmington, NC
What flight training at Cape Fear Coastal Aviation costs
Their published rates: $255/hr aircraft (wet) + $100/hr instructor·verified July 22, 2026 Source
Cape Fear publishes a lower wet aircraft rate when flying with an instructor (for example $225/hr instead of $255/hr on its 172s). This estimate uses the standard solo rental rates plus the school's published instructor rate.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
G1000 NXi. $225/hr wet when flying with instruction.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at Cape Fear Coastal Aviation
Most likely around $26,475, 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 Cape Fear Coastal 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 Cape Fear Coastal 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 $26,475 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 Cape Fear Coastal Aviation's published Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP 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 Cape Fear Coastal 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 Cape Fear Coastal Aviation
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Cape Fear Coastal Aviation?
- Cape Fear Coastal Aviation publishes $255 per hour for the Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP and $100 per hour for instruction on it, verified July 22, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $26,475, in a range of $22,800 to $30,200. 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 Cape Fear Coastal Aviation.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Cape Fear Coastal Aviation?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Cape Fear Coastal 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 Cape Fear Coastal Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- Cape Fear Coastal 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 Cape Fear Coastal Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?
- Cape Fear Coastal Aviation publishes $255 per hour for the Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, 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 22, 2026.
- What ratings can you train for at Cape Fear Coastal Aviation?
- Cape Fear Coastal Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine (AMEL), Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor. Instruction is $100 per hour across the ratings it teaches. PilotBound's estimator on this page prices any of these paths on Cape Fear Coastal Aviation's own published rates.
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