PilotBound estimate · Smithfield, RI
What flight training at North Central Flight Center costs
Their published rates: $175/hr aircraft (wet) + $90/hr instructor·verified July 22, 2026 Source
Estimate uses North Central's standard rates. 10-hour block purchases lower the Warrior to $170/hr and instruction to $85/hr per their site.
Estimate cost to reach
Flying
Wet.
PilotBound estimate · Private
Cost of your Private at North Central Flight Center
Most likely around $20,175, 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 North Central Flight Center'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 North Central Flight Center'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 $20,175 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 North Central Flight Center's published Piper Warrior 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 North Central Flight Center. 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 North Central Flight Center
- How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at North Central Flight Center?
- North Central Flight Center publishes $175 per hour for the Piper Warrior and $90 per hour for instruction on it, verified July 22, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $20,175, in a range of $17,400 to $23,000. 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 North Central Flight Center.
- How long does it take to get a private pilot license at North Central Flight Center?
- Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at North Central Flight Center 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 North Central Flight Center a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?
- North Central Flight Center 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 North Central Flight Center's aircraft rates include fuel?
- North Central Flight Center publishes $175 per hour for the Piper Warrior, 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 North Central Flight Center?
- North Central Flight Center trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor. Instruction is $90 per hour across the ratings it teaches. PilotBound's estimator on this page prices any of these paths on North Central Flight Center's own published rates.
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