Embry-Riddle understands how important it is to be able to budget for your flight training. To help you in that process, we are providing financial information about the costs and hours associated with each of our flight courses. Additionally, resource rates are available to all flight students via a report that can be generated on demand through ETA, the flight management system, so their training costs can be monitored as they progress through the course.
All course estimates for flight courses are based on minimum course requirements. Because each student will advance based on their own individual flying proficiency during each phase of their training, students are encouraged to budget additional funds to account for individual progress.
In addition to their academic credit hour tuition costs, flight students should budget between $20,000-$30,000 per academic year while they are actively flying. It is imperative that students have sufficient funds available to start and complete flight courses. This ensures continuity of training and helps to avoid additional flight costs.
It is also highly recommended that students plan to fly a minimum of one complete summer semester during their tenure. Required flight courses are listed below. When students successfully complete all required courses, they will have Commercial and Multi-Engine Instrument ratings and will have gained over 190 hours of aeronautical experience.
Flight/Ground Instruction per Hour
| Solo Aircraft Cost (w/o fuel) | Dual Aircraft Cost (w/o fuel) | Fuel Cost | Solo Total Cost | Dual Total Cost | |
| Cessna 172 Nav 3 | $150.00 | $229.00 | $42.94 | $192.94 | $271.94 |
| Diamond DA-42 VI | N/A | $401.00 | $47.15 | N/A | $448.15 |
| Flight/Ground Instruction | $79.00 |
Note: Flight/Ground instruction per hour also applies to Oral and P & P Oral Instruction. Fuel prices fixed at the 12/25/2024 rates (above) until May 1, 2025.
Hourly Flight Training Device Rates
| Device | Solo | Dual |
| Frasca G1000 | N/A | $183.00 |
| Frasca DA42-VI | N/A | $229.00 |
| Frasca AdvATD | N/A | $121.00 |
| Frasca ATD 172 | N/A | $163.00 |
| Frasca CRJ | N/A | $417.00 |
| Flight Safety CRJ 200 | N/A | $615.00 |
Required Flight Course Minimum Costs
|
Course |
Description |
Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
FA 121 |
Private Single-Engine Flight |
$20,957 |
|
FA 221 |
Instrument Single-Engine Flight | $14,190 |
| FA 321 | Commercial Single-Engine Flight | $14,026 |
| FA 323 | Commercial Multi-Engine Add-On | $13,061 |
Elective Flight Course Minimum Costs
|
Course |
Description |
Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
FA 417A |
Certified Flight Instructor ASEL | $11,586 |
|
FA 417I |
Certified Flight Instructor - Instrument | $8,645 |
| FA 460 | Multi-Engine Instructor | $7,390 |
Students receiving U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Educational Assistance:
The required flight training hours for each flight course are as indicated on the Training Course Outlines (TCO). The associated costs per hour, per resource, for the TCO hours are the maximum amounts VA will consider for payment. If flight training hours exceed the number of TCO hours approved by the State Approving Agency (SAA), any additional training expenses must be paid by the student and not VA. VA will cover flight courses only as part of SAA approved degree program requirements which require a component of flight. Students who receive VA educational assistance for programs other than approved degree programs with a component of flight, may not take flight courses as electives or to fulfill other academic requirements. Flight courses taken outside of the SAA approved degree programs, will not be covered with VA educational assistance.Flight Costs 101
Flight training is expensive, so planning to manage your flight cost is critical. Flight costs are not billed as part of your tuition; you will pay as you go. Here are our top five tips to manage and minimize your costs.
Tip #1: Don’t let yourself run out of funds midway through training! If you can’t cover the cost of scheduled flight training, you will lose your flight block. If you lose your flight block, you’ll also lose much of the proficiency you’ve gained and can find yourself having to retake lessons, incurring more costs. Estimate your costs for the semester to ensure you have enough money to avoid unnecessary delays in training. We recommend starting with the entire average cost of the flight course you are beginning.
Tip #2: The more frequently you fly, the more money you’ll save in the long run because you’ll be making steady progress. BUT the more frequently you fly, the faster you’ll rack up costs, so you need to plan for periods when flight training is accelerated, like private pilot training or over the summer months.
Tip #3: Monitor your flight funds regularly. Keep track of your weekly and monthly flight costs so you can anticipate your needs moving ahead, and can take action to secure more funding before you risk losing your flight block. Always ensure that you have funds available so that you can avoid delays in training.
Tip #4: Make flight training your priority. Many students travel home for holidays and summers, but for flight students, this break in training can be a serious setback. Consider staying on campus at critical junctures in your training. The average student who stops training during winter or summer breaks spends over $2000 more overall than students who stay to complete their flight training; stay during breaks to reach flight training milestones. In addition, flying over the summer months can also save you money and accelerate progress. Just remember – more frequent flying means more dollars need to be available to you.
Tip #5: Expect the unexpected. Poor weather, your health, unscheduled aircraft maintenance and other factors can slow your progress – and progress equals savings. Be ready by having a cushion in your flight funds. Work with your Training Manager and Instructor Pilot to adjust your plans so you don’t fall behind.
More money spent upfront means less money spent in the long run. Make sure your flight account is prepared to support your success!
