This is important, because this flight school is larger and has a variety of programs to offer. If at some point, someone decides that want to study other forms of aviation, this school would be ideal at learning for much as possible. ("MVP Accomplishments," 2010) Mc Air Aviation offers students the ability to complete most of the course work, through a self-study format. Where, students will complete the basic written curriculum and will then complete the in flight requirements with their certified instructors. At which point, the student can be able to receive their flight certification. This is important, because it provides other options in studying and obtaining certification, as those with busier schedule can be able to balance this kind of instruction with their lives. ("141 Self-Examining Authority," 2010)

Another option is to go through the Airline Career Pilot Program. Under this program, there is assistance for students who would like to qualify for private pilot and commercial pilot certification (the Commercial Pilot Program). This program will help you to receive your private pilot's certification first and then you can begin working on your commercial pilot's license. This is an important distinction to remember, as a variety of schools may offer information about the commercial pilot program. Yet, they fail to tell the students they need to have their private pilot certification. However, with this particular 141 school the costs are higher for obtaining certification, with the price climbing to as high as $50,000. The reason why is because of shortened time to obtain both licenses. ("Commercial Pilot Program," 2010) For those who are not as concerned about the costs and would like to receive their pilot's license right away, this kind of flight program / school would be ideal.

There are a wide variety of Part 141 schools to choose from. This is significant, because the different formats allow the student to learn, along the required guidelines laid out by FAA. While at the same time, giving students more choices as to how they quickly they want to obtain their certifications. Where, those programs that cost more money, could mean that the tuition costs may increase

Financing

Since I am a veteran of the armed forces, I am eligible for tuition assistance under the GI Bill. Where, the GI Bill will cover various aspects of helping to pay for some of the costs of flight school. The way it works is: the GI Bill will pay for 60% of tuition cost, of a commercial flight certification program. Like what was stated previously, in order to be eligible for this license the student must hold a private pilot's license. The GI Bill does not cover the cost of obtaining this license. Second, any kind of program that is eligible must be through a Part 141 school. That being said, the GI Bill does have waivers that can help pay for the private pilot certification. Under the program, those people who are currently enrolled as full time students, by enrolling in at least 12 credit hours a semester, will be eligible to receive the money in the form of $1,000.00 per month. This is used to pay for tuition, the cost of living and books. Since I am currently enrolled in college full time, this would allow me to help obtain my private pilot license. At which point, I would be eligible to receive the 60% tuition reimbursement, from the GI Bill. ("GI Bill Flight Training," 2010) ("Veteran Affairs," 2010)

A second option for financing would be to use the various flight school tuition assistance programs. This is where they will look at: your annual income, total amounts of debt and the courses you are taking. At which point, they will create an affordable payment plan, to pay for those expenses that are not covered under the GI Bill. This is significant, because it can help provide additional options of help to cover the costs of commercial pilot's license. ("Financing," 2010)

Clearly, the best option for someone with my experience and available financing would be to obtain my certification through a Part 141 school. This is because, these schools are eligible for financing under the GI Bill and they can mirror some of the same kind of flight training that I received, for rotary aircraft in the military. That being said, I will have to obtain my private pilots license, to be eligible for the commercial pilot's license. Under the provisions of the GI Bill, I would be able to receive 60% paid towards...

The private certification would not be eligible, for traditional financing under the GI Bill. However, if I maintain at least 12 semester credit hours, I can have a tuition reimbursement sent to me, to pay for the above mentioned expenses as a full time student (under the GI Bill). This means, that the cost of obtaining the private pilot certification can be reduced, to a certain extent as well. Another option would be use some of the financing choices that many schools have available. This is where they will look at: your income, debt and other factors to help create affordable financing, to pay for additional out pocket tuition expenses. The above two financing options are important, because they can be used to spread out the total upfront cost of receiving a commercial pilot's license
The overall costs of obtaining certification will generally range between $4,000.00 and $15,000.00. In some cases, these costs can increase dramatically depending on the pace of instruction and fuel prices. In general, most 141 schools will provide a structured curriculum that all students will follow. However, in recent years more schools have begun, to allow students the option of having a self-study course. This is important, because this flexibility can be useful in structuring the training, at time that will correlate with my schedule.

The Cost of Owning / Renting an Airplane

Once the commercial pilot license has been received, the focus will be shifted to the aircraft itself. In this particular case, we will be purchasing or renting a single engine plane for personal use. To determine which airplane is the best value, we will be comparing the total cost of three different pieces of aircraft and the various financing options available.

Types of Aircraft to Purchase

The three different aircraft that we will be examining include: the Piper Archer III, the Cesena 172 Sky Hawk and the Mooney M290. The Piper Archer III has: 180 horsepower for takeoff, tri / fixed landing gear, it weighs 2,500 pounds, the wing span is 25 feet / 6 inches, the total seating capacity is four and the aircraft has a baggage capacity of 200 pounds. The base price for purchasing this aircraft would start at $188,900.00. ("Piper Archer III," 2010) The Cesena 172 Sky Hawk has variety of specification to include: a 195 horsepower engine, it has a maximum speed of 122 knots, a certified ceiling of 14,000 feet and it has a range of 696 nautical miles. ("Sky Hawk Performance," 2010) The cost of purchasing this aircraft would be: $182,500. ("2007 172 Cessna Sky Hawk," 2010) The Mooney M290 has: a 290 horsepower engine, a useful payload of 900 pounds, dual batteries and it contains Moritz engine gauges. The cost of purchasing this aircraft would be: $219,500.00. When you compare the three airplanes, it is clear that the Piper Archer III and Cesena 172 Sky Hawk have smaller engines as well less features. However, the upfront cost for purchasing either plane is less in comparison with the Mooney M290. ("1999 Mooney M290,") Where, this aircraft will have more features and more powerful engine. That being said, any one of the different planes would work well for private usage. Therefore, reasonable prices to pay for the plane would be between: $182,000.00 to $220,000.00.

Renting the Aircraft

The cost of renting the aircraft will depend upon the company that is renting the plane. In general, there will be more restrictions placed on flight time, qualifications and the pilot log hours. Where, the company will want to see that the pilot has: at least a minimum of 60 hours in the aircraft and at least 20 hours flying solo. The licensing standards are less stringent for renting aircraft, as private pilot's certification is required. These standards are important, because if we choose to rent the plane vs. purchasing it, there will obviously be more requirements that would have to be met. (Bowman, 2010) The cost for renting the aircraft without a pilot; will depend upon the location that you are renting the plane from. In general, the cost for renting the Piper Archer III and the Cessna 172 Sky Hawk would be: $154.00 per hour (for the Piper Archer III) and $124.00 per hour (for the Cessna 172 Sky Hawk). The rental costs for the Mooney M290 would increase to $175.00 per hour. On the surface, this appears to be a viable option for renting the aircraft. Yet, the hourly…