ARI BEN FEE...

[Sandhu]

Hello Friends!
'am really impresssed with the Ari Ben, as I read detailed informative mesages from maverick2.
I just want to know the total $ I need to complete the course apart from the $35k as they say.
I need to budget for FAA exam fee,check rides,books,uniforms,living,food,etc.
Please reply if anyone has idea regarding the above.
Thanks!

[CommPilot76]

Sandhu

It is really difficult to tell you how much to budget for food, but as far as housing goes, if you are in the pro course the first 3 months are included in the price of the course. After that it is like $500.00 per month that includes your Internet, telephone, television, water, and electric. You have to bring your own bedding though. Check Ride fees are $300.00 per check ride right now except for the MEI i believe is like $350.00. Books run around #400.00 give or take some depending on what books you might already have. There is no Uniform that you buy from the School, but the students do wear white Aviator shirts and Khaki pants.
Hope this helps you out.

[Sandhu]

Thanks CommPilot76!
Yes i will be joining professional course.And I will be starting with zero flying experience so far.So 'ill be buying all the necessary books or any other helping instruments, if required.
I think aroung $10K additional should be sufficient?
Basially I was worried if there are any hidden costs involved.
From various discussion forums I came to know that in some institutes students had to pay extra fee charges to complete the course than they were told in the brochure before they started.
Hope thats not the case here too.

[CommPilot76]

Sandhu
If you have No flying Experience then it is going to cost a little bit more, you have to Get your Private License first and that is about another $5k
Also, the price of the course is not guarainteed, If it takes you more then the FAA standard times then it will cost you extra but there is some leniency built into the program.

[Sandhu]

Thanks CommPilot76!
ya 'am aware of the PPL $5k.
So that way I should be estimating total cost around $50k,including insurance.I like their pro course in which they provide some 250hrs in total, including 200 multi-engine.
Thanks again for the reply!

[Brazilian_Pilot]

Im gonna take out 45k do you guys think that is enough I will already have my private by the time i go.

[Catherine]

Also...plan on how you want to go through the course...there are several people like me here right now that are going to finish in around 6 months with the Pro Course, which is $1500 worth of rent...or $2000 for me since I did a finish up on my PPL here last year and that was 3 weeks of my first included Pro Course month. If you are prepared to not party as much and work hard it can be done, if you want to take longer and not be in such a rush, if you like to eat out more, and you take some vacations/time off/etc. then plan to include that as well including food and rent for those other months. I think I'm going to have to do around 12 more hours of timebuilding when I finish my MEI to get to a total of 200 multi-hours as I've done pretty good so far at keeping the hours close to the minimums required. If you like to buy a lot of additional study aids like videos/DVDs and extra books, budget for that. I get by on $50 a month for food....and I might eat out once or maybe twice a month (cheap stuff...and I have some gift cards from McDonald's my mom gave me at Christmas so that's free!). Going to visit places like Disney or going out on the weekends is another cost....see how you live now, how you want to live here and what you can be happy with and try to budget your time based on those things as well for costs outside the school. I have bills that have to be paid each month outside of this stuff, so it works fine for me to live way on the cheap!

[MFT1Air]

Originally Posted by Catherine

I get by on $50 a month for food....and I might eat out once or maybe twice a month (cheap stuff...and I have some gift cards from McDonald's my mom gave me at Christmas so that's free!).

Whoa! $50 a month for food. What kind of aviator diet are YOU on? Even $50 a month doesn't pay for enough ramen noodles or spam for me to survive!

[Catherine]

Originally Posted by MFT1Air

Whoa! $50 a month for food. What kind of aviator diet are YOU on? Even $50 a month doesn't pay for enough ramen noodles or spam for me to survive!

ROTFLMAO....It's actually not that bad for me! I can make some very good meals that last several days with leftovers, so I'm not living on ramen and spam :-) It usually comes out to around $10 for breakfast and $10 for lunch for the month and $30 for dinners which means I can fix spaghetti, beef parmesan, my Greek chicken dish, burgers and hot dogs, chili, etc. here and have leftovers for a few days to split up the cost. I buy very little in the way of sodas at all (I make very good sweet tea!) and I can make a bag of chips last for 3-4 weeks!

My parents also send me a box once a month or so with chips or snacks or desserts in it, so that does help too!

[Sandhu]

Originally Posted by Catherine

..I can make some very good meals that last several days with leftovers, so I'm not living on ramen and spam :-) It usually comes out to around $10 for breakfast and $10 for lunch for the month and $30 for dinners which means I can fix spaghetti, beef parmesan, my Greek chicken dish, burgers and hot dogs, chili, etc. here and have leftovers for a few days to split up the cost. I buy very little in the way of sodas at all (I make very good sweet tea!) and I can make a bag of chips last for 3-4 weeks!..

Thats Great Catherine!
Many valuable tips to learn.But making or cooking meals is not everyones cup of tea.U must be having some interest in that.
"I make very good sweet tea!"
Dont drink too much of that tea.I was very found of tea till i developed severe acidity problem.Now I just can't :-(

[Catherine]

Originally Posted by Sandhu

Thats Great Catherine!
Many valuable tips to learn.But making or cooking meals is not everyones cup of tea.U must be having some interest in that.
"I make very good sweet tea!"
Dont drink too much of that tea.I was very found of tea till i developed severe acidity problem.Now I just can't :-(

Well, I think most everyone should learn to cook to some degree. Yes, I think guys should be able to cook some as well! :-) There are lots of options that don't require "real cooking" though like ramen, frozen pizzas or chicken nuggets, microwave TV dinners, etc. You just have to watch which ones you buy and get the more inexpensive ones....pre-prepared meals which you just heat up can often be more expensive than getting the ingredients and preparing it yourself.

I have read that the acidity problem you speak of is likely due more to a problem with your body having a strong reaction to caffeine than to the acidity from tea...my body just about ignores caffeine though for some reason. If I'm sleepy I can't drink a glass of tea or a cup of coffee or Mountain Dew or anything and wake up....I can fall right to sleep and sleep well all night. I do swap between tea and Kool-Aid and don't drink that much of it though.

[Sandhu]

Oh my God!

I can't tell how good you cook...But your writing style is really impressive...I mean it!
it has something which makes the reader beleive it.
and you know cooking,I mean heating up the pre-cooked food, is fine...but who will wash the dishes...Kidding.
Maverick2 also has a good writing style.
If I reached USA for my training I would make sure to I meet both of you in person.
Thanks for reading this.

[Florida_Flyer]

Maybe you should se up an Aviator soup kitchen Catherine? Cater for the Fort Pierce homeless, Aviator students and other impoverished people.

[Catherine]

Just come on by sometime Florida Flyer and I'll fix you up a cup of Ramen Noodles

Re: the whole soup kitchen thing....my $50 a month for food couldn't feed that many people!

[Florida_Flyer]

Hmmm, I'm sure you do the best Ramen Noodles out there Catherine. The beef ones are my speciality.....you know the secret is in how you cut the sachet open. I hope you like Ramen, Sandhu, as you'll be eating quite a few of them out here, especially during your MEI!

[Catherine]

Frankly I can't stand the beef ones....oh well..I'm more partial to the shrimp or the chicken flavors. You'll have to BYOB (Bring Your Own Beef) if you want that flavor here....

Another good way to cut costs is to go in together with some other people...I get some decent meals and we cook and clean up together and that works nicely...plus you get to socialize and take a break from studying and relax a bit. There's always something you can do, even if you don't actually like or know how to cook....chopping up veggies for salad, washing dishes, setting the table, etc.

[MFT1Air]

Originally Posted by Catherine

Frankly I can't stand the beef ones....oh well..I'm more partial to the shrimp or the chicken flavors. You'll have to BYOB (Bring Your Own Beef) if you want that flavor here....

Yep, shrimp and chicken are my favs. . .I even throw in some hot sauce to spice them up.