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Pricing

What flight training costs

Blue Horizon Aviation does not publish a flat price for a Private Pilot certificate, because the answer genuinely depends on how often you fly. What we do instead: a Discovery Flight is $99 in a Cessna 172 or $199 in a Cirrus SR20, and on that flight we will give you a transparent written estimate for the rest of the certificate. Our simulator offsets expensive aircraft time and our learn-don’t-rent approach is built to keep you from paying for hours that do not move you forward.

Discovery Flight

$99 in a Cessna 172, or $199 in a Cirrus SR20. Either way you fly the airplane, the time is loggable, and there is nothing to commit to afterwards.

$99–$199 no-commitment intro

Book a Discovery Flight What decides the rest of the total →
Private Pilot License

We give you a written estimate on your Discovery Flight rather than a headline number that would not survive contact with your actual schedule.

See what training includes →
Ask us transparent estimate
Advanced ratings

Instrument, Commercial, CFI, CFII, Cirrus transition and endorsements are quoted per rating — tell an instructor where you are starting from and we will price the path.

Talk to an instructor →
Ask us per rating

Estimates are current as of publication and vary by student — confirm your plan when you contact us.

The total

It adds up one hour at a time.

Every lesson is a line in your logbook and a line on your invoice. The four things below decide how many lines it takes.

Cost factors

What actually
determines
your total

Nobody can promise you an exact number up front — anyone who does is guessing. These four things decide it.

Frequency
How often you fly is the #1 cost driver. Consistent lessons shorten the path — long gaps mean re-learning and more hours.
Preparation
Showing up ready — ground study done, procedures chair-flown — makes every paid hour count.
Aptitude & goals
Every student learns at their own pace, and your destination (a certificate, a rating, a career) shapes the plan.
Medical & materials
Plan for a medical certificate to begin, plus books, a headset, and FAA exam fees.

We would rather quote you than advertise a number you will not hit. Ask us for a transparent estimate on your Discovery Flight — it costs you nothing, and you will leave knowing what your license actually takes.

Request a custom quote Financing options What students say it was worth →

Pricing questions, answered

How much does it cost to earn a Private Pilot License?
We quote it rather than advertise it, because the real number depends on how often you fly. The FAA minimum is 40 hours, but almost nobody finishes at exactly 40 — flying twice a week gets you close, and long gaps push it up. Ask us on your Discovery Flight and you will leave with a transparent estimate for your situation.
How long does it take to get my license?
The FAA minimum is 40 hours of logged flight time, plus a written exam and a checkride. We recommend two lessons a week, which is the pace that keeps you moving forward rather than re-learning last month’s lesson. We are open seven days a week, so the schedule bends around your week rather than the other way round.
Can I finance my flight training?
Not through us — Blue Horizon Aviation does not offer in-house financing. Students here pay as they fly, one lesson at a time, which means no lump sum up front and nothing owed if you need to pause. If you want to spread it further, an outside lender or an aviation scholarship is the usual route.
Do I need to finance the whole program up front?
No. There is no program to finance up front here — you pay as you fly, lesson by lesson. That is the cheapest way to start and the easiest way to pause if life gets in the way.

Start with the Discovery Flight

It's the lowest-risk way to find out if flying is for you.

Get My Flight Plan Book a first flight — $99–⁠$199

or call (843) 360-3690

Serving Myrtle Beach · Little River · Conway

Get My Flight Plan Book — $99–⁠$199