ron@hpfcmt.UUCP (ron) (01/23/85)
< High cost of testing ??? > I've just scheduled my Private Pilot- Airplane flight test and found that the charge seems awfully high. The examiner wants $ 90 to do the test. I've taken tests before on my way to CFI (Glider) and somehow this seems excessive. I just renewed my CFI for $ 75 and thought that was outrageous. Naturally there's not much arguing one can do in the situation but I'm curious about what the going rate really is. Place your numbers please ! Ron Miller "I guess the extra magneto means a whole new ballgame from motorgliding !" Hewlett-Packard Co Ft. Collins, Co. (hplabs!hpfcla!ron-m)
ths@lanl.ARPA (01/30/85)
> < High cost of testing ??? > > > I've just scheduled my Private Pilot- Airplane flight test and found that > the charge seems awfully high. The examiner wants $ 90 to do the test. > I've taken tests before on my way to CFI (Glider) and somehow this seems > excessive. I just renewed my CFI for $ 75 and thought that was outrageous. > From my experience, the flight test will consume about three hours of the examiners time and occasionally more. So it works out to about $30 an hour for the flight test. Is that too much? I don't really think so. I would like to see experienced and "good" flight instructors making at least $20 an hour, so the examiners time should be worth more. If you think it is too high do some shopping. In our area the instrument check ride is currently running about $75. I believe the Private is the same. Some examiners may take only a short "hop" before making the blessing. My CFI ride was .3, but the examiner spent a total of 2 hours with me. Should the examiner charge a flat rate or by the hour? It will be interesting to hear what others have to say about this topic.
cfiaime@ihnp4.UUCP (Jeff Williams) (02/04/85)
The Private test with the examiner that I send my students to charges a cool $120 for the private ticket. However, he is worth the money simply because he is quite fair. There is another around here that charges $70 for each ride, and there is a 95% probability that you will blow the first ride just on the principle of the thing. (This examiner is also a CFI, recommends his own students, gives them the ride, then busts them.) My ATP ran something like $150 about 2 1/2 years ago, but that included a 2 hour oral, 2 hour flight test and a half hour critique after all was over. (To say the least, when I crawled out of the Seneca when it was all over, I was a prune for the next week.) Check rides are expensive. Consider, however, that the examiner is in business for himself (herself), and has several expensive schools to attend per year and several checkrides with the FAA to keep the examiner rating. You pays your money and you takes you chances, but the good examiner is worth it. Jeff Williams ihnp4!cfiaimeT
stanford@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stanford N Payzer) (02/07/85)
Why are we pilots so accepting of the idea that we should pay money, as users,
to help regulation of aviation. What I am getting at here is that automobile
drivers and highway users don't have to pay for their test to obtain an
operator license. People who drive across the Canadian or Mexican border don't
pay a fee for the privilege of being abused by customs.
Nothing is free, but in the case of ground transportation, general revenues
pay for these services in the recognition of the public benefit obtained by
having such transportation available (yes, I know about autogas taxes but we
pay avgas tax already.) This is also a major theme of AOPA. Now let's all
write our congresspersons and demand equal treatment.
{allegra, cornell,decvax,ihnp4,tektronix,sdcvax,utcsrgv,largo,lento}! ==>
uw-beaver!ssc-vax!stanford
--
{allegra, cornell,decvax,ihnp4,tektronix,sdcvax,utcsrgv,largo,lento}! ==>
uw-beaver!ssc-vax!stanfordths@lanl.ARPA (02/08/85)
> Why are we pilots so accepting of the idea that we should pay money, as users, > to help regulation of aviation. What I am getting at here is that automobile > drivers and highway users don't have to pay for their test to obtain an > operator license.... I would like to take exception to this argument. I believe that in just about every state in the Union, you have to pay a fee "each year" for a drivers license. We pilots DO NOT have to renew each year. Although I believe that the "services" such as towers and FSS should not be charged for each use (as they are in Europe), we pilots should support the initial fees for flight tests and written tests. These are one time only costs that are easily monitored. How much do you suppose it really cost the taxpayer for the FAA to administer a flight or written test? I would support a user fee for the issuance of a pilot certificate to help support general aviation and keep from having to pay user fees for the really important services whose use contributes measurable to safety (FSS and ATC). What do the rest of you think?
jlg@lanl.ARPA (02/08/85)
> Why are we pilots so accepting of the idea that we should pay money, as users, > to help regulation of aviation. What I am getting at here is that automobile > drivers and highway users don't have to pay for their test to obtain an > operator license. I paid for MY drivers test. It's called a license fee (and it seemed more than ample for the three minute ride around the block that the test consisted of). Considering the number of auto accidents every year, maybe more strenuous driving tests should be required. J. Giles
barrett@hpcnoe.UUCP (barrett) (02/10/85)
It took about one and a half hours for my test (Private Pilot - Single Engine Land) and cost $75. This was in Oregon 2 years ago. Compared to the cost of the training, I didn't think it was a bad deal. I DID balk at paying $75 for the flight kit which included a circular slide rule! Dave Barrett hplabs!hp-dcd!barrett
doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (02/11/85)
> Why are we pilots so accepting of the idea that we should pay money, as users, > to help regulation of aviation. What I am getting at here is that automobile > drivers and highway users don't have to pay for their test to obtain an > operator license. Well, I could be wrong (what!?! Never!) but I believe that you don't *have* to pay for your flight test. The FAA has examiners who will give you the flight test for free. The catch is, it'll be many months until they're available to test you. The examiner you're paying is a businessman who has been authorized by the FAA to give flight tests more expeditiously than the FAA does. -- Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug