How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Rick Aviation?

Rick Aviation publishes $180 per hour for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk and $65 per hour for instruction on it, checked August 13, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $20,445, in a range of $17,600 to $23,300. 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 Rick Aviation.

How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Rick Aviation?

Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Rick Aviation 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 Rick Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?

Rick Aviation 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 Rick Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?

Rick Aviation publishes $180 per hour for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, 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 checked August 13, 2026.

What ratings can you train for at Rick Aviation?

Rick Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine (AMEL), Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor. Instruction runs $65 to $75 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 Rick Aviation's own published rates.

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PilotBound estimate · Newport News, VA · Checked August 13, 2026

What flight training at Rick Aviation costs

Website rickaviation.com

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Which airplane?

PilotBound estimate · Private

Examiner data

Cost of your Private at Rick Aviation

$20,445

range $17.6K – $23.3K · about 6 months at 2×/week

Priced on Rick Aviation's published rates: Cessna 172 Skyhawk at $180/hr + $65/hr instruction, checked August 13, 2026.

Against a minimums quote

at the FAA legal minimums$10,495

at the hours students actually take$20,445

+$9,950 on Rick Aviation's own rates. Quotes usually price the 35-hour minimum; almost nobody finishes there.

Where it goes

$17.6K – $23.3K

Aircraft rental$14,040

Instruction$4,030

One-time costs$2,375

Aircraft + instruction$18,070

78 hrs in Cessna 172 Skyhawk @ $180/hr + 62 dual @ $65/hr

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

Hours at a steady pace78 hrs

Examiner records (DPE dataset). Note: Part 141 typically runs higher, not lower.

The hourly flying is priced on Rick Aviation's published rates. About $2,375 of this is one-time fees (written test, examiner/DPE checkride, medical, gear), typical national estimates, not Rick Aviation's prices, and several 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 →

What Rick Aviation publishes

checked August 13, 2026

Cessna 172 Skyhawk$180/hr wet

Piper PA-28R Arrow IIIRetractable/complex.$205/hr wet

Piper PA-44 Turbo SeminoleMulti-engine trainer.$345/hr wet

Beechcraft BE-55 BaronMulti-engine.$550/hr wet

Instructionstandard $65/hr · multi-engine instruction $75/hr$65 – $75/hr

Rick Aviation's rate page is stamped effective October 1, 2025 and says rates are subject to change without notice. The Redbird LD 1000 simulator is $85 per hour and discovery flights are quoted on request.

Not published: the examiner's checkride fee. Listed as missing rather than guessed.

See the published rates→

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What to ask when you call

What turns an hourly rate into a real bill.

What gets billed on top of the hourly rates, and roughly how much per hour does it add?
The site notes extras beyond the hourly figures. Ask for the all-in number per hour, not the base rate.
Which instructor rate applies to each rating I plan to do, and does the higher tier start on day one of that rating?
This school prices some instruction above its primary rate. Knowing when the step-up starts keeps the later ratings from surprising you.
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.

Estimates use Rick Aviation's published Cessna 172 Skyhawk and instructor rates (checked August 13, 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 Rick 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 Rick Aviation

How much does it cost to get a private pilot license at Rick Aviation?: Rick Aviation publishes $180 per hour for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk and $65 per hour for instruction on it, checked August 13, 2026. Applied to those published rates, PilotBound estimates a private pilot certificate at about $20,445, in a range of $17,600 to $23,300. 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 Rick Aviation.
How long does it take to get a private pilot license at Rick Aviation?: Flying twice a week, PilotBound estimates about 6 months at Rick Aviation 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 Rick Aviation a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school?: Rick Aviation 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 Rick Aviation's aircraft rates include fuel?: Rick Aviation publishes $180 per hour for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, 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 checked August 13, 2026.
What ratings can you train for at Rick Aviation?: Rick Aviation trains Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine (AMEL), Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor. Instruction runs $65 to $75 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 Rick Aviation's own published rates.

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