The State Of Flight Training In 2026 Report By Redbird Flight Median private-pilot training costs have risen to $16,500 according to the latest State of Flight Training Report by Redbird Flight, while median instrument-training costs have risen to $11,500. Median time to complete private pilot training has dropped to 24 weeks and instrument training to 15 weeks. Commercial pilot training showed a median cost near $10,000 and a completion time of about 18 weeks. Sport pilot cost is listed as $12,000 with a 20-week median completion time. Hourly rental and instructor rates were $180 an hour for training aircraft, $225 for advanced aircraft and $385 for multi-engine. Flight training organizations reported first-time check ride pass rate averaged 86% with a median of 90%.
