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  • FireInTheWire

    Caprock Crusader
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    Anyone on this site have one? Been thinking about getting one. I have no flight experience other than flying with friends and FIL. I plan on stopping by the local airport and getting some info.

    Was wondering actual Cost and Time to get one. Anything I can do to get ahead of the game?

    Thanks
     

    gaines67

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    I have my single, multi engine and instrument rating. Though a lot of fun and very rewarding, aviation is very demanding and requires a significant commitment of time and money. The “easy” part is getting your license; staying “current” requires a commitment to flying (at minimum) several times a month and preferably once per week. The ramifications of not doing so are obviously egregious. You have to decide whether you are ready to make that commitment long term - it’s not a hobby, really.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    toddnjoyce

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    I do. Feel free to PM and we can set up time to talk.

    Generally speaking, expect a $10K - $12K investment just to earn your PPL. Most people take 3-4 months flying once or twice a week and take close to twice the FAA minimum required hours before they pass the check ride.

    Hard number mins for the more affordable way to do it:

    40 total hours flight time to include
    20 hours flight instruction
    20 hours solo flight
    Knowledge exam


    Hard number mins for the more expensive way to do it:

    35 hours flight time to include:
    20 hours flight instruction
    5 hours solo flight
    Remaining 10 hrs based on student needs
    Knowledge exam

    Both ways get you the exact same end result. Averages are 72 hrs total flight time for successful initial PPL applicants.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    Was wondering actual Cost and Time to get one. Anything I can do to get ahead of the game?

    Thanks

    See my post above for numbers. Don’t go by the airport until after you know if you’re medically eligible. I can talk with you in depth on that subject, but generally speaking a healthy individual with no alcohol related incidents, or no SSRI usage, or no cardiovascular events should be a smooth process.

    You can’t solo without the medical and the FAA isn’t processing initial medical during the shutdown. This may impact you if you have any significant (to the FAA) medical events. Realize the FAA philosophy is you’re unfit to fly until you prove to us you’re fit.
     

    busykngt

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    I have my commercial, ME & instrument rating too. Ditto to what gaines67 said with an added emphasis on costs if you’re paying for it yourself. Got my Private Pilots license when I was sixteen (mid-sixties, now). Kept a job through high school and it took every spare penny I could make. But it was rewarding when I passed my check ride just a few weeks after getting my drivers license.
     

    FireInTheWire

    Caprock Crusader
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    I have my single, multi engine and instrument rating. Though a lot of fun and very rewarding, aviation is very demanding and requires a significant commitment of time and money. The “easy” part is getting your license; staying “current” requires a commitment to flying (at minimum) several times a month and preferably once per week. The ramifications of not doing so are obviously egregious. You have to decide whether you are ready to make that commitment long term - it’s not a hobby, really.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Thank you.

    So let me explain. I have Family scattered all over Texas. These 5-6hr drives are getting old. Last time I flew with FIL it took us 1.5hrs. I was thinking about a Cherokee 6 for the family and just flying. I know you have to stay on top of it, but I think i'd use it a lot.

    I have anxiety when I fly with others. But I think it's due to not knowing what to do if something happened to the pilot. I guess this is something that goes away with time and training?
     

    Dad_Roman

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    I have anxiety when I fly with others. But I think it's due to not knowing what to do if something happened to the pilot. I guess this is something that goes away with time and training?
    Of course. I have many stick hours and love to fly but have never pursued a license, have a ridiculous amount of aviation and aerodynamic knowledge. 2.5 hours of (stick)time in a B-17.

    Anxiety goes away with training. I would never walk into a sub-station but I will walk into a house thats on fire. When I walk up to a horrible wreck I know exactly what to do.

    .....and just like you, it takes a few years to achieve that.
     

    gaines67

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    Sounds like you have a good mission in mind for a private aircraft and I don’t want to discourage you at all. Just be aware that general aviation is significantly more dangerous than commercial (statistically); pilot error and weather are usually the culprits. Accordingly get trained well and stay trained and current. Though not the least arduous route (or least costly) I received my training at Flight Safety Academy in Vero Beach in one block of time. I don’t know if you have the ability to take off from work to do it that way, but it actually makes your training more efficient since you fly a lot in a short period of time.


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    FireInTheWire

    Caprock Crusader
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    Sounds like you have a good mission in mind for a private aircraft and I don’t want to discourage you at all. Just be aware that general aviation is significantly more dangerous than commercial (statistically); pilot error and weather are usually the culprits. Accordingly get trained well and stay trained and current. Though not the least arduous route (or least costly) I received my training at Flight Safety Academy in Vero Beach in one block of time. I don’t know if you have the ability to take off from work to do it that way, but it actually makes your training more efficient since you fly a lot in a short period of time.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    The end result will be flying my family. I don't take my Family's safety lightly... so I want to be proficient. But then again.... driving is getting dangerous nowadays.

    I'll look into that school.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    Thank you.

    So let me explain. I have Family scattered all over Texas. These 5-6hr drives are getting old. Last time I flew with FIL it took us 1.5hrs. I was thinking about a Cherokee 6 for the family and just flying. I know you have to stay on top of it, but I think i'd use it a lot.

    I have anxiety when I fly with others. But I think it's due to not knowing what to do if something happened to the pilot. I guess this is something that goes away with time and training?

    To do what your talking about, I would recommend a PPL and add Instrument privileges, another 40 hours of training. For a Cherokee 6 or similar, you’ll also need a high performance and potentially a complex endorsement, neither of which is difficult to do and will be taken care of during transition training for the specific airframe.

    Given that, your dispatch reliability will not be the same as the airlines. You will have to be flexible and be able to say ‘no’ when you need to.

    Be aware, airplane ownership is not for the weak of heart or wallet. Light aircraft require an annual inspection. A Cherokee 6 with few issues or deferred maintenance can be done for about $2k. When the engine needs to be replaced, the motor alone can run close to $40K. It’s not unheard for annuals to run $10K or more when there airworthiness or deferred mx/upgrades being done.
     

    baboon

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    Out here by the lake!
    Be aware, airplane ownership is not for the weak of heart or wallet. Light aircraft require an annual inspection.

    My brother built a Vans RV-7 IIRC his engines $30+K and it's been a lot of years. When he retired he ended up getting a part time job @ the municipal airport where his plane is angered just to fray the cost of hanger & fuel.

    I think it more of a bullshit story because my brother while not crazy rich aint hurting for shit. I think it's more about not being stuck around the wife, kids & grandkids.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    ..when he retired he ended up getting a part time job @ the municipal airport where his plane is angered just to fray the cost of hanger & fuel.

    ...I think it's more about not being stuck around the wife, kids & grandkids.

    Most likely this.

    Experimental-Amatuer Built (E-AB) are not subject to the same maintenance and inspection requirements certified aircraft such as a Piper, Cessna, or other non-homebuilt is.

    Unfortunately, there are no 6-place E-AB aircraft, but I won’t go into the fallacy of most six-seaters in the GA fleet.
     

    deemus

    my mama says I'm special
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    See my post above for numbers. Don’t go by the airport until after you know if you’re medically eligible. I can talk with you in depth on that subject, but generally speaking a healthy individual with no alcohol related incidents, or no SSRI usage, or no cardiovascular events should be a smooth process.

    You can’t solo without the medical and the FAA isn’t processing initial medical during the shutdown. This may impact you if you have any significant (to the FAA) medical events. Realize the FAA philosophy is you’re unfit to fly until you prove to us you’re fit.


    Had a buddy lose his license due to health issues. He had an accident and was seriously injured five years ago. Still has not be able to get the license back.

    They apparently take it pretty serious.
     

    Coiled

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    80hrs of getinsmart, $10K here, $40K there . . . seems like a lot of fuss.
    Have you considered stealing/hijacking as an alternative?

    Good luck if you go for it, having a PPL would be cool.
     

    Coiled

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    Post #12 is sobering....
    No doubt, but that is for individual ownership. I've looked into full scale sailplanes and there are clubs wherein the members own a fleet of craft and share the costs & usage. My guess is that applies to powered flight as well, something for you to look into.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    Post #12 is sobering....

    Well, that’s sole ownership numbers. Partnerships are common. The break-even point for sole ownership is generally 100 - 150 hrs flying per year.

    Seems easy to get those numbers, but all-in hourly opex for the Cherokee 6 or similar is about $225/hr based on 80ish hours/year. The more the plane is flown, the smaller that number gets due to fixed expense amortization. Split three to five ways it’s much more manageable.
     
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    Tyrant

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