PilotBound estimate · Aurora, OR
What flight training at Willamette Aviation costs
Their published rates: $129/hr aircraft (wet) + $74/hr instructor·verified July 22, 2026 Source
Willamette Aviation does not say whether its published rates include fuel. This estimate uses the rate exactly as published, so ask before you budget: a dry rate adds roughly $30 to $60 per hour once fuel is on top.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
Two 150s; two-seat, lowest-cost start.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at Willamette Aviation
Most likely around $15,925, 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 Willamette 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 Willamette 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 $15,925 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 Willamette Aviation's published Cessna 150 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 Willamette 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 Willamette Aviation
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Willamette Aviation?
- Willamette Aviation publishes $129 per hour for the Cessna 150 and $74 per hour for instruction on it, verified July 22, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $15,925, in a range of $13,700 to $18,200. 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 Willamette Aviation.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Willamette Aviation?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Willamette 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 Willamette Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- Willamette 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 Willamette Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?
- Willamette Aviation publishes $129 per hour for the Cessna 150, 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 Willamette Aviation?
- Willamette Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine (AMEL) and Flight Instructor. Instruction is $74 per hour across the ratings it teaches. PilotBound's estimator on this page prices any of these paths on Willamette Aviation's own published rates.
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