Quote Originally Posted by Mayhemxpc View Post
Learning to fly has never been cheap. Most of this is because airplanes are not cheap to buy, insure, feed, and maintain. The actual cost of instruction is, in many cases, relatively cheap compared to what one pays for almost any other professionally certified instruction (yes, even including driving instructors.) As the cost of airplane purchase, care, and feeding goes up so too the cost of learning to fly.

As Ron noted, even learning to drive costs money these days. Here in Virginia, it seems that basic classroom instruction is the only thing covered. Then you are required to hire an instructor for the learning to drive portion. After that, you have to drive for a set number of hours under the supervision of a parent or guardian. Then some more professional instruction, sign off and test. (Everything was easier when I was young. I wonder why?)

For aviation, the Sport Pilot Certificate has gone a long way towards removing the presumption of this being the equivalent of a CDL. But it is still not cheap and (mostly due to airplane care and feeding costs) is more expensive than getting a driving license.

There are many opportunities out there to help defray the cost. When I was young, FBO owners often offered flying lessons in exchange for work. This was especially true for privately owned airfields. Asking around today, I find that this is still sometimes available. Glider clubs are an inexpensive way to get into flying, as are other clubs. If someone really did want to get into flying from an early age, there is the Civil Air Patrol. Cadets get pre-instruction (orientation flights) to include most of ground school. When they hit 16 they are eligible to go to a CAP National Flight Academy where in two weeks they will either solo or get very close. When they get back home they can link up with a CAP instructor pilot to continue their training at substantially reduced costs. EAA Young Eagle program introduced youth to flight and support from Sporty’s gets them free fundamental on-line training to set them on the path through ground school. EAA also offers scholarships for flight training from time to time. Currently the only programs are for women, but that changes. AOPA has a page listing many different scholarships available: https://www.aopa.org/training-and-sa...n-scholarships

Costs continue after getting the certificate. How will he continue to fund his flying to maintain proficiency. That is only marginally less expensive than getting the sport or private certificate to begin with. What are his plans after getting his initial certificate? My recommendation to this young man is to revise his post and his go fund me website to show how he has been participating in aviation, his aviation goals, near term objectives, and what he has done so far to fund his requirements. Then specify the gap between what he has accomplished and what remains to be done. If he wants his request to be seriously considered he needs to make the effort to produce a serious request.

I spoke with a man who received his ticket way before I was ever born some 60 years ago. He said his ticket cost nothing but some time working around the airfield. He also said all his friends at the time received their ticket as he did. He then said if he had to do it today he never would have ever flown. For today its so expensive no way he could ever do this in this day and age. Now I was not around to see this, so if you asked me I would say its always been expensive to aviate. He did not see it that way. When I mentioned this to him he was the one who said, aviators do not help others aviators as we did in years past. I could not argue with him for I was not their. But I do believe what he said even though I myself never have seen this.