Rates partly published · Walterboro, SC
Flight training at Ace Basin Aviation
No instructor rate. Ace Basin publishes rates for all 5 of its airplanes and nothing for instruction, so there is no total on this page.
Checked August 13, 2026 against AOPA flight school finder, Ace Basin Aviation at RBW.
- Based at
- Lowcountry Regional Airport(RBW)
- FAA part
- Part 61
- Trains
- PPL · CPL
- Website
- acebasinaviation.com
Section 1What is published
Ace Basin's own figures
Checked September 9, 2026 · Source
| Aircraft | Published rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cessna 120 | $110/hr | Tailwheel. Solo rate; $195/hr with an instructor. |
| Luscombe 8E | $110/hr | Tailwheel. Solo rate; $195/hr with an instructor. |
| Citabria 7KCAB | $130/hr | Tailwheel and aerobatic. Solo rate; $225/hr with an instructor. |
| Cessna 170B | $195/hr | Tailwheel. Solo rate; $295/hr with an instructor. |
| Boeing Stearman PT-17 | $425/hr | Biplane, dual instruction only, so there is no solo rate for it. |
Every aeroplane is a taildragger and each is priced twice, once to fly solo and once with an instructor. The solo rates are shown here, and solo is open only to Ace Basin students working towards a Private or Commercial certificate. Ground instruction is $65/hr. The $95/hr instruction figure on the same page is for training in YOUR OWN aeroplane, for spin training, basic aerobatics and Stearman transition, so it is not what instruction in one of theirs costs. Ferrying and transition training away from base are priced by the day, $700 plus expenses while flying and $350 plus expenses while positioning. The site never says whether fuel is included.
Section 2Why there is no total
An estimate needs an instructor rate.
A training total is hours multiplied by rates. With instruction unpriced there is nothing to multiply, and we will not fill the gap with a plausible number: every figure on this site carries a link that shows it today.
Instructor rateMissing from their site
Instruction is the second biggest line on a training bill, after the airplane.
What to compare their answer against
Not Ace Basin's rates. The middle of what 6 South Carolina schools charge, to hold your phone quote against.
- Trainer, medianWhat the airplane costsRange $109.95 to $255 per hour.
- $169
- Instruction, medianWhat the instructor costsAcross 6 schools with published rates.
- $55
From the schools here that publish full rate cards, the same sample behind the Flight Training Cost Report. Ace Basin is not in it.
Section 3Paying for it
Two ways to pay for it.
Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left. Neither figure assumes anything about you: one is what our scholarship directory holds, the other is what the lenders publish.
- Money you keepScholarships you could apply for46 open to anyone. Top awards reach $22,200.No South Carolina-only awards in the directory yet.
- 46
- Money you pay backLenders that fund flight trainingSix lenders, compared on the limits and rates they publish. That is what is on offer, not whether you would be approved.
- 6
Section 4What to ask
What to ask when you call
The marked ones are what Ace Basin's site never answers. The rest are what turns an hourly rate into a real bill.
What do you charge per hour for flight instruction, and is ground instruction billed at the same rate?Missing from their site
This is the number that is missing from the site. Ground is often billed separately and at a different rate.
Does the instructor rate change for the Instrument, Commercial, or CFI, or is it flat across everything?Missing from their site
Plenty of schools charge more for advanced instruction. A flat rate quoted for the Private can climb later.
Do the published aircraft rates include fuel, or is fuel billed separately?
The site does not say, and it is the difference between two rates that look identical and are not.
What does an instructor cost per hour in one of YOUR aeroplanes?Missing from their site
Each aeroplane has a solo price and a with-instructor price, and the difference between them is not the same on every aeroplane, so the instructor's own hourly rate cannot be worked out from the card.
Can I do my whole Private here, or is this tailwheel and transition training?
The entire fleet is taildraggers, which is unusual and rewarding for primary training and worth confirming before you commit.
How soon can I fly solo, given solo is limited to students on a Private or Commercial course?
Solo is roughly $85 an hour cheaper than dual on the two cheapest aeroplanes, so when you reach it changes the total.
Do you offer block rates or prepay discounts, and what is the refund policy if I stop partway?
Block discounts are common and rarely published. The refund terms matter more than the discount.
What do you charge for the written test, the checkride, and the examiner's fee?
The DPE fee alone runs $800 to $1,200 in most of the country and is almost never in a quoted hourly rate.
How many trainers and how many full-time instructors do you have right now?
Availability decides your pace, and pace decides your total more than the hourly rate does.
Called them? Send us what they said.
Send the number over and Ace Basin Aviation gets a full listing with an estimate, marked as sourced by phone on the date you called.
Send what they told youSection 5Nearby schools
6 South Carolina schools publish a full rate card.
Each one has an estimate built on its own published rates. Listed alphabetically, because ordering them by price would be a ranking this page is not making.
- ACES Flight SchoolRock Hill & Pelion (plus Monroe, NC), SC · Checked September 8, 2026$169/hr$50 to $65/hr instruction
- Aeronautical Services of GreenwoodGreenwood, SC · Checked September 9, 2026$109.95/hr$40/hr instruction
- CRAFT Flight Training & SimulationNorth Charleston, SC · Checked September 9, 2026$255/hr$65 to $75/hr instruction
- Greenville AviationGreenville, SC · Checked August 13, 2026$155/hr$60/hr instruction
- Pivotal AviationSpartanburg, SC · Checked September 5, 2026$135/hr$49/hr instruction
- Upstate Flight SchoolSeneca, SC · Checked September 5, 2026$175/hr$55/hr instruction
Section 6Sources
- That the school exists
- AOPA flight school finder, Ace Basin Aviation at RBWChecked August 13, 2026
- The rates above
- Ace Basin Aviation rates pageChecked September 9, 2026
Are you Ace Basin Aviation? Send your rate card and this becomes a full listing with an estimate, free. Or have it removed.
PilotBound is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Ace Basin Aviation. School names are used only to identify the school. Rates shown are the school's own published figures with the date we checked them. This page carries no PilotBound estimate, because the school does not publish enough for one. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Other South Carolina flight schools
- ACES Flight School · Rock Hill & Pelion (plus Monroe, NC)
- Aero II · Spartanburg
- Aeronautical Services of Greenwood · Greenwood
- Aiken Pilot Training · Aiken
- Aloft Aviation Services · Spartanburg
- ASG Flight Training Academy · Greenville
- CAVU Flight School · Greenville
- Charleston Flight School · North Charleston
- CRAFT Flight Training & Simulation · North Charleston
Plan the money before you commit
A program price only makes sense next to what each rating costs on its own, what free money exists, and what borrowing actually looks like.
What each rating costs
Honest per-rating ranges, with the fees most quotes leave out.
Free money first
Verified flight training scholarships. Every scholarship dollar is a dollar you never finance.
If you borrow
Compare lenders and see the real monthly payment before you sign.