The Central California Soaring Club, a non-commercial flight operation, is dedicated to teaching people how to fly. The club structure offers a cost-effective way to obtain your private pilot's license. Come out and take an introductory ride in one of our trainers and see for yourself just how amazing it is to fly a glider.
Estimated Minimum Cost
20 flights at $7 per flight for the glider $140
20 - Tows to 3000' at $35 each $700
10 hours of Flight Instruction @ $60/hour $600
Books and tests $150
Total Estimated Minimum Cost $1590
How long will it take?
The minimum requirement to get your private pilot license is 20 flights and a minimum of 10 hours in the air. The chronological time it takes to accomplish this is up to you. It could take as little as two weeks or as long as a few years. The more often you fly the faster you will learn, the less expensive the cost will be, the easier the learning.
Students rarely complete the requirements for their license in the minimum time. To do that, you would have to fly every day of the week, study all week long, every week, on your own or with an Instructor or in a formal ground school, and hit the books at home in the evening after the formal training. The real issue isn't "How quickly can I get my license?", rather the issue should be "How much time and cost will it take to become a safe and skillful pilot?" If cost is a restriction, and it is for many students, then work with your flight instructor to set up a budget for training. Remember, once attained, the license is yours and the only requirement to stay current is a flight review every two years to keep up with the recent regs and stay sharp in the cockpit. Some of the best flight time is with your Instructor where you can test your skills, experiment with changing conditions, push your experience envelope, and fly relaxed knowing you have someone along who can help out if needed.
You cannot do better than to obtain your Glider License first, then your Power license. Glider flying is so important that it truly is The Foundation of Power Flying. While there are significant benefits for the already-licensed power pilot to obtain glider training, it is even better if you can start in gliders first, then after your glider license, earn your power license.
w Training Syllabus (PDF version)
How do I get started?