DETAILED PRICES

Pilot Rise publishes all pricing and fees openly so you know exactly what to expect. We were the first flight school in DFW to post full rates online, and we continue to keep this list current.

Below is a complete breakdown of aircraft rates, instructor rates, and any additional fees or conditions. Everything is in one place for clear, accurate cost planning.

Our goal is straightforward: transparency and no surprises.

Aircraft Pricing Details

Aircraft	Standard Wet Rate*
C172 N89878	$160/hr
C172 N172JA	$160/hr
C172 N46198	$160/hr
C172 N912AT	$155/hr
C150 N714FW	$130/hr
C150 N447DK	$115/hr
BATD	Free for Students

Wet Rates & Billing

All rates are wet (fuel included unless fuel exceeds $5.70/gal)
Billed on Hobbs time (engine running)
Pay as you go

Security Deposit - Option to Waive

A $1,500 refundable security deposit is held on your account—similar to a rental car or property deposit.
Not prepayment for flight hours.
Fully refundable minus any outstanding charges.
If you choose not to leave the deposit, aircraft rates increase by $10/hour to cover the added risk.

Why We Don’t Use Block Rates

Block rates usually require large, non-refundable prepayments
When schools mismanage funds, students lose money — for example, multiple flight schools in the U.S. closed in recent years after spending prepaid block funds, leaving students out $10,000–$40,000+ EACH.
Our standard model avoids this entirely:
- No lock-in contracts
- No non-refundable block hours
- Pay as you go with full transparency
We intentionally stay away from block-hour systems and recommend that students do the same

The Basic Aviation Training Device is free to be used by enrolled Pilot Rise students. To qualify, you must have received training in the previous 30 days from us. You still have to pay for the instructor if you are training with an instructor. We HIGHLY encourage all students to maximize the BATD to save on costs and accelerate training.

Non-students: $30 / hour

Aircraft Related Charges

Airport Fees

All airport fees incurred during your rental are billed to you.
During training, our procedures avoid airports with known fees.

Minimum Billing (1:5 Rule)

For every 5 hours reserved, billing is a minimum of 1.0 Hobbs hour.
Example: A 24-hour reservation with 1.0 flown = 5.0 billed.

Damage & Loss

You are financially responsible for any damage, loss, or liability resulting from your actions. When acting as the Pilot-in-Command, you also assume responsibility for any operational or legal exposure created by your decisions. Pilot Rise may recover all related costs, and Pilot Rise may apply a reasonable administrative fee when staff involvement is required.

Flight Instruction Rates

Standard	$70/hr
CFI Training	$90/hr

How Instruction Is Billed

Instruction (flight + ground) is billed hourly.
All flights include 0.6 hr of ground instruction for pre/post-flight.
Additional ground is billed when:
- You receive classroom ground instruction or
- The lesson requires extended ground (e.g., multiple fuel stops on long cross-countries)
Classroom instruction is billed from the scheduled start time or the actual start time — whichever comes first — until the lesson is complete.

Special Training Items

CFI Training Rate: $90/hr when training for an initial CFI certificate
Spin Training Surcharge: +$150 if seeking a spin endorsement only
Foreign Student Processing: TSA/SEVIS paperwork time billed at instructor hourly rate

Other Potential Billing

Late Cancel & No-Show

Cancel less than 36 hour notice: $250
No-show (<2 hours or no-show): +$50
Sessions longer than 3 hours may incur multiple late-cancel fees
May appeal within 3 days using this form: Appeal Late Fee

Payments & Surcharges

Credit/debit card surcharge: 3.3%
Late payment: 2% interest per week after late 4 business days
Refund via check: $25 processing fee
Refund via Zelle: free
Billing discrepancies must be reported within 24 hours if you believe you were overcharged. Pilot Rise reserves the right to correct undercharges or billing errors at any time.

Grandfathered Rates

Accounts with no flying or training activity for 12 months and a balance over $200 enter our Grandfathered Rates Program.
To keep access to any current grandfathered pricing, materials, or perks for active students, inactive accounts pay a $10/month membership fee.
When your balance is fully used or refunded, grandfathered status ends.

If you do not wish to remain in the program, simply withdraw your account balance.
Grandfathered rates do not lock in old prices—only continued access to any legacy pricing or perks we currently offer, which may change at any time.