Affordable Pilot Time Building in South Florida

MFT's Time Building Pricing — Real Numbers

Single-engine wet rates start at $60/hr for 1,500-hour packages and range up to $100/hr for regular rates. Multi-engine in our Beechcraft Duchess starts at $160/hr for high-volume packages.

MFT pairs you with a flying partner when you choose shared time building.

All rates are wet (fuel included), billed on the Hobbs meter. No hidden fees, no fuel surcharges, zero cancellation fees for weather.

Cost of Building 250 Hours at MFT

Solo Single-Engine (250 hrs): ~$19,500 at $78/hr volume rate.

Solo Multi-Engine (250 hrs): ~$44,500 at $178/hr volume rate.

Timeline: At 8–10 hrs/day, 7 days/week, 250 hours completes in ~25–31 days.

Financing for Time Building

Many pilots don't realize financing is available for time building — not just initial training. MFT offers flexible financing options and payment plans. We also work with aviation-specific lenders and accept VA benefits.

Most Cost-Efficient Routes from KFXE

Short legs to nearby airports (KPMP Pompano, KFLL Fort Lauderdale Intl, KHWO North Perry) keep fuel burns low.

Medium routes to KMIA Miami, KPBI West Palm Beach, KEYW Key West provide diverse experience.

Florida offers hundreds of airports within easy reach, making KFXE one of the most versatile home bases in the country.

Comparing Quotes Honestly

Put every quote on the same basis before deciding. Confirm whether the rate is wet or dry, whether time is billed on Hobbs or tach, whether cross-countries carry a daily minimum charge, and what the policy is when weather cancels. A dry rate looks dramatically cheaper until you add fuel at current prices, at which point it frequently exceeds a wet quote.

Then price the trip, not the hour. Accommodation, car, food and time away from earning are real costs of a time-building block, and a school that keeps you waiting for an available aircraft is charging you those costs whether it appears on the invoice or not.

Where Pilots Genuinely Save Money

The biggest lever is block size, because the per-hour rate steps down at each tier. The second is flying density — two sorties a day halves your per-hour overhead on living costs. The third is sharing legs with another qualified pilot, which can approach a fifty per cent saving on long cross-countries when the logging is handled correctly.

The fourth, and least obvious, is choosing a location with dependable weather. Cancelled days cost you rent and lost income while logging nothing, and no hourly discount recovers a week lost to a front.

Budget Planning Template

Work out hours needed, block rate at that tier, expected hours per flying day, and days on site. Multiply for the flying cost, add accommodation and travel, then add a ten per cent contingency for weather and maintenance days. Pilots who plan this way rarely run out of budget mid-block, which is the most expensive way to build hours — because restarting later means paying travel and checkout costs twice.

Frequently Asked Questions