The Great 1970's of General Aviation Redux

[Floatsflyer]

My sister and I with the assistant of a junk/bin company were cleaning out 62 years of of accumulated junk and life from my mother's house basement yesterday. I found a large box containing my 5 years of university life and in that same box were also various papers and brochures related to flying. It all made sense....when I finished university in 1974, my flying life began.

I thought a lot of you would get a big kick out of just some of the things I found in that box:

A brochure from Toronto Airways flight school(still in existence today) with 1974 pricing. Total cost for a PPL in a C150 was $800 including all ground school materials based on the minimum 35 hours. For a Cherokee 140 it was $35.00 more. Once you had achieved your 90 hours to begin a CPL, the total cost was $1,305.00 in a C150 including ground school. For a Cherokee 140 it was $60.00 more.

Solo wet rental rates per hour: 182-$25; 177-$23; 172-$20; 150-$17; Cherokee 180- $21; Cherokee 140-$18; Apache-$45;

Instructor rates per hour ranged from $7-$8 depending on plane and for the Apache it was $12.

I also found sales sheets with list prices from the local Cessna dealer of the time. These are all brand new 1974 models:

Skyhawk- $24, 809
Skyhawk11- $25,592
Skylane- $38,275
185- $42,756
210- $64,057.50
Skymaster(Demo)- $124,250

As Edith and Archie used to sing at the time, "Those were the days"

[PaulDow]

A dollar then now costs $4.66. (Thanks government!) So from this example, flying is getting more expensive in actual cost.

[Floatsflyer]

According to dollartimes.com a dollar in 1974 had the same buying power as $5.04 in 2014. Annual inflation over the period was 4.13%. Your conclusion is right though, the costs are far greater than they should be.

[champ driver]

When I started flight training in 1970, the rates were $15.00 solo and $21.00 dual for a Cessna 150.

[mikw53]

I would challenge the assumption that it is far greater today.I learned to fly at the Windsor Flying Club in 1970 at the age of 17and the rates for the 140 were $22 dual and $17 solo.I worked at a grocery store making $1.00/hr and usually managed to get 20 hrs a week in .I would get my thumb out every week usually on Sunday weather permitting and fly 1 hour.Checking my log book my first lesson was Nov8 1969 and my flight test was jun 14 1970 with a grand total of 37 hours after the flight test.
So lets move ahead to 2014 for a student 17 years of age today.The minimum wage in Ontario for that student will be $10.50/hr X 20 hrs /week nets $210 .
I now rent out of Tillsonburg Ontario and the current rates are $110 solo for a 150 and add $50 for the instructor so when he fly's dual it will cost $160 + our 13% tax or $180.80.
So technically todays student will have money left over a luxury I didn't have most weeks.
Granted it depends where you live and what the rates are in your area but it's safe to say flying expense is about the same or maybe slightly more today as back in the good old 70's.
When confronted today by a young teen who tells me it's too expensive I tell him if you want it bad enough it can easily be done,but sacrifice will be necessary. So next time someone bemoans the high cost of learning to fly ,do the math
Keep in mind I'm only talking Private pilot licence and referring to a teenager like I was still living at home.
Cheers



Mike

[lnuss]

I would challenge the assumption that it is far greater today.

Well, maybe it depends on where you live, but in 1969 a fairly new C-150 was $12/hour in Joliet, Illinois (I rented an Aeronca Chief for $5/hour). Five times $12 is $60. Rental costs are well beyond that today.

[jethro99]

Wheeler AFB, Hawaii, 1971. $9.00/hr wet for a Cessna 150 plus $6.00/hr for the instructor. Instructor was a laid off Hawaiian Air lines pilot. I was an E3 Navy guy at the time. It took all of my pay at that time to pay for flying lessons. Rode a motorcycle and lived in the barracks.

If a guy today has a job of almost any kind, and is willing to spend virtually all he makes on flying lessons, it can be done. Obtaining a private certificate that is. We had a lot less to spend our limited funds on back then. Too much other stuff today that kids are interested in.

Thanks goodness for the GI bill and the fact that I got to ride in Naval aircraft as an air crewman. It all helped towards advanced certificates. Oh, it got very comfortable doing over water flights in a single engine airplane. Even at night.