[Gig103]

Hey all,
Anyone on here have their small aircraft rating? I've been thinking about it for some time now, despite knowing how expensive it is to get and maintain.

Could use some stories from pilots, as well as advice in terms of renting vs. buying a share of an aircraft with some others.

[Blake]

what all do you want to know? first, i would go take a discovery flight at a local flight school. most of them offer one for anywhere from $50-$100 for an hour, then you'll really know if it's something that you're willing to commit a decent chunk of your free time to get. for most people, it's addicting like a strong drug. you'll want to keep going and going right away. it's not cheap, and it's not easy, but it's worth it.

i would not advise buying an airplane or a share in one until you have logged several hundred hours under your belt.

[Blake]

oh...as far as cost, cessna 172 (which is pretty much the gold standard) rentals run about $120-$150 an hour plus your instructor will run you anywhere between $40-75 an hour. the government mandates a minimum 40 hours of logged flight time before becoming eligible for a checkride...those are the minimums...i've only ever known 1 person in my life to do it in 40 hours. there is a lot of stuff to learn, and it's not like riding a bike.

you should really check out www.aopa.org, there are lots of resources for people that don't know much about flying and are interested to get into it, as well as a ton of information about aviation today.

[Gig103]

Hi Blake,

I wasn't planning on rushing into a purchase, although thanks for the advice. Also, good advice about the discovery flight.

I guess I was wondering, once I have the license, how do plane rentals work? The price you mentioned, does that include fuel? And what if I wanted to take a weekend trip somewhere, how would a plane rental work for that? Lastly, what are the rules on taking my wife up in the air if she doesn't have a license?

Thanks!

P.S. Do you have a plane?

[synclastica_86]

Blake's prices are pretty accurate, but keep in mind that it doesn't include instructor and fuel surcharge. As far as plane rental is concerned, you will only be charged when the engine is running, so don't worry when the instructor spends extra time explaining stuff on the ground. My instructor is pretty friendly and allows me to take extra passengers during training. It's actually better for learning since you need to deal with the extra weight - it does make a difference.

I'm halfway through the training but had to stop for a while since a moved to an area in which flying is no longer convenient. I will start flying again at the end of this year. I looked into getting my own aircraft to train on, but was not really impressed with the cost. It's rather expensive to maintain and store. Fractional ownership (as advised my instructor) can be troublesome unless you personally know the other parties beforehand. Renting on the other hand is way more flexible. You can get training on different aircraft to see what flight characteristic you prefer and get your hands on newer technologies. The flight school I flew at, for example, offered a trainer with a glass cockpit. If you want to keep training, you might move to multi-engine, then you will take a hit as you single engine depreciates. IMO renting seems like a better option for now, at least until you settle down on a type of aircraft you really love.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by Gig103

Hi Blake,

I wasn't planning on rushing into a purchase, although thanks for the advice. Also, good advice about the discovery flight.

I guess I was wondering, once I have the license, how do plane rentals work? The price you mentioned, does that include fuel? And what if I wanted to take a weekend trip somewhere, how would a plane rental work for that? Lastly, what are the rules on taking my wife up in the air if she doesn't have a license?

Thanks!

P.S. Do you have a plane?

when you rent a plane, it usually includes gas. once you're licensed, you can simply call your school/rental place and schedule out the plane for when you need it. as far as the wife, you aren't legally allowed to carry any passengers until you're licensed, unless your passenger is a licensed flight instructor. now what you do when no ones looking...well, that's on you. you won't want to carry passengers until you're comfortable doing so anyway, trust me. of course, policies of local schools and rental facilities differ, but they just want your money more than anything.

i do not have a plane, but i did fly corporate jets for a brief stint. pay sucked so i quit, among other things. i do still fly from time to time, but just for myself, and i just rent. yes, i actually went to college, did all the training, got a degree in it, then quit. haha.

[Gig103]

Thanks for the tips! I didn't mean I'd take my wife up before I was ready, but one of the appeals to me is being able to take trips places once I'm certified. Despite the increased cost (vs commercial), I think it would be cool to fly privately to north las vegas, or Lake Tahoe, or out to visit family in Colorado.

My biggest fear is that I'd get the license, and then find myself not using it. Just getting up in the air might be cool once in a while, but without a destination, is it still cool? I guess that's what the discovery flight is about.

Thanks for your input!

[Blake]

Originally Posted by Gig103

Thanks for the tips! I didn't mean I'd take my wife up before I was ready, but one of the appeals to me is being able to take trips places once I'm certified. Despite the increased cost (vs commercial), I think it would be cool to fly privately to north las vegas, or Lake Tahoe, or out to visit family in Colorado.

My biggest fear is that I'd get the license, and then find myself not using it. Just getting up in the air might be cool once in a while, but without a destination, is it still cool? I guess that's what the discovery flight is about.

Thanks for your input!

the increased cost is worth the ease of travel. no TSA, no waits, no delays, privacy, mile high club, etc. and about not using it, once you've been flying for a while, nothing makes a stressful day better than a flight to nowhere for an hour or so. go out and do some 1G rolls or some 0G parabolas will set anyone's mind at ease.

[CirrusSR22]

You can usually rent planes from any flight school. Once you get your private certificate from that school, you are good to rent from them since they know you. If you choose another place to rent down the road, you usually will need to get "checked out" in their airplane. If it's the same make/model you were in before, it should be a quick 30-60 minute flight, doing all the basics. If it's a totally different plane, it might take a bit more, but all light single engine planes work the same pretty much.

If you want to take the plane for a weekend, schools usualy require you pay for a certain number of flight hours per day, whether you use them or not. This prevents someone from flying the plane 3 hours away (for example) and then parking it for the next few days. The plane isn't making money for the people who own it then.

Have fun!

[Blake]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

You can usually rent planes from any flight school. Once you get your private certificate from that school, you are good to rent from them since they know you. If you choose another place to rent down the road, you usually will need to get "checked out" in their airplane. If it's the same make/model you were in before, it should be a quick 30-60 minute flight, doing all the basics. If it's a totally different plane, it might take a bit more, but all light single engine planes work the same pretty much.

If you want to take the plane for a weekend, schools usualy require you pay for a certain number of flight hours per day, whether you use them or not. This prevents someone from flying the plane 3 hours away (for example) and then parking it for the next few days. The plane isn't making money for the people who own it then.

Have fun!

that's right on.

[Comet]

how much does it cost to maintain your own plane + storage of it

[Express]

maintenance is a bitch, which is why i dont own my own plane. im assuming maintenance can be around 10000 dollars a year for a cessna. correct me if i am wrong..


definatley take a discovery flight. i did it when i was 16 and it was the best thing ive ever done in my life. flying is my career, my life, my everything.

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