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Having done it, I know this is an expensive hobby. I loved it and if I could afford it, I would fly every day. I used to fly out of Hooks Airport, close to Houston and Spring. The home of the Goodyear Blimp...now that's a hangar! Hooks also has one of the few inland water landing strips.
I understand the $100 hamburger thing and that's not too bad money wise. Especially comparing it to a round of golf. There are even some quasi reasonable planes out there. When you start crunching the numbers you are leaving out a lot of expenses. Like...
Insurance(monthly)
Maintenance/Inspections(once a year or more)
Storage/tie down fees/hangar(monthly)
Perhaps you missed my posting that a good "rule of thumb" re aircraft ownership/operations was approximately equal to the cost of fuel per hour ... which includes insurance, maintenance/annual inspection, and storage/tie down fees.
In any event, there's a lot of FBO's and small flying clubs which offer realistic alternatives for a lot of people who wouldn't fly a reasonable number of hours per year in their own aircraft to justify the numbers that present. The FBO where I do my annual inspections has a couple of 182's on leaseback that typically rent wet for $135/hour, and 172's that are around $100/hour. All of them have far superior panels to what I've got in my plane, and the 182's are 15-20 years newer aircraft with a fraction of the total hours I've got on mine.
If you were to fly only 20-40 hours/year, than your outside expense in that scenario would be limited to $5,400 and you'd be able to travel around 6,000 miles. Everybody I know that rents in this situation always selects a high cruise power setting rather than an economy slower speed setting. The onlyh expense past that which I'd advise would be to get your own renter's converage policy, which is under a couple hundred bucks per year through AOPA. But at that, once the hours are toted up and paid for, you walk away from the detailed expenses for that aircraft for the year.
Another option is to join a limited group flying club that owns an aircraft (or more than one). My wife started that way with her first 182, and her fractional share of ownership cost her only $3,500. Monthly dues were in the realm of $50/month, and she flew at a dry rental rate of under $50/hour. The club was flush with cash and no expenditure that came up was unfunded in advance, including the day when the bird was determined to need an engine overhaul ... they ordered a factory zero time reman and had it installed in less than a week. Annuals were comprehensive and fully funded in advance. The group was affiliated with a community college and had a lot of members who rarely flew more than 10 hours/year, so I wouldn't say that the plane was treated with a lot of care and respect from such low time users. But the plane was available for my wife virtually anytime she wanted to schedule it. An advantage was that as an owner she could fly it in the backcountry ... away from improved paved airstrips, which many FBO rental outfits will not allow for their rental aircraft.
Accessories/other equipment(toys)
Not necessary, but certainly can add up ... everything from portable communications/navigation/GPS/SPOT, chart service, weather service, cool looking pilot's wristwatches (you ain't a pilot without your Breitling, right?), hats, keyfobs, and a host of other "look at me, I'm a pilot" stuff.
Me, I've got two portable intercoms, several headsets & push-to-talk switches, a cheap aviation handheld GPS ... and an old briefcase for my flight essentials/paperwork/flight planning.
Also I figure to be safe, most people need to get at least an instrument rating. So it's the basic certification, VFR, then the IFR. And of course, the associated hours.
While an IFR rating is a higher level of proficiency than a private ticket, I know a whole bunch of folk who fly very capably, safely, and have thousands of safe hours more than I'll ever log ... with only an ASEL ticket in their pocket. I think if you check the published numbers, most GA pilots don't have IFR tickets. I do only because it was an inconvenience getting in and out of Pacific Northwest destinations with their persistent cloud cover at various strips I was flying into ... like Aurora, OR.
But the fact remains that few GA single engine aircraft are capable of flying in adverse weather conditions so the only utility of an IFR ticket is warm obscuration days or wanting the fed back-up provided by flying on IFR flight plans (which can be a heck of an advantage in traveling in some congested airspace areas of the USA). Me, I'm allergic to ice cubes and avoid flying in such circumstances that would promote formation of ice. As capable as a 182 is, icing conditions is not it's forte ... nor for a 172. There's more 172's flying than the rest of the GA single fleet, right?
And if you want to be rated for a bunch of different aircraft, you pay the rental and instructor over and over again for each type of plane. Each time you move up to a bigger, better plane, all those fees/expenses go up too.
Not exactly. My CFII charges me the same hourly rate whether I'm doing a BFR, a taildragger currency, an instrument check ride, or dual in a Stearman or a Husky. He'd charge me the same to check out in a 210, too, if I could ever justify renting one. Bigger is not always "better" ...
It is great fun, an amazing hobby. For those with a lot of disposable income. I don't mean to discourage anyone from giving it a shot. Just know what you are getting into. There's a reason why they offer a couple lessons really cheap... Once you get up there and fly that plane, you will want to do it again.
More addictive, perhaps, than a lot of drugs. The smell of 100LL can be quite an attractant, and the sense of accomplishment ... for me, at least ... is a lot more gratifying than many other hobby pursuits. I know my 182 costs a lot less for my fixed annual costs than a whole bunch of country clubs charge for annual dues, too ...
And there's a lot of folk who are flying a little more than on a shoestring. You don't have to be rich to do this, there's a lot of capable aircraft available in the low teens which don't cost a lot to maintain or keep in the air each year. I do know of a lot of folk who spend more on their fishing or water ski boat to acquire it and keep it in the water each year, too. Considering the benefits and utility that can be had with a private ticket in your pocket, I'd encourage more folk to be taking those intro flights to see for themselves.
FWIW, as a regional manufacturer's rep, I have destinations and accounts that I can readily service with my airplane a lot more conveniently and at a comparable cost to driving to them. Add in the ability to be in the back country airstrips in a matter of hours from home, and I've got ready access to recreational destinations that would otherwise only be accessible on long weekends via automobile.
Originally Posted by lifesprecious09 or anyone with flying experience???
Is it weird for a woman like myself to want to learn how to fly planes. I know that becoming a pilot isn't easy, one must have lots of flying experience. I'm just so curious to learn how, and have been wanting to learn for awhile, but I just don't tell anyone becuz they may think I"m wierd.
In my area, we have airshows around this time of year all the time, and I have always wanted to be in one someday lol
Lifesprecious and Dolleyes
I got my license in 1975. I worked at an uncontrolled field as the Unicom operator and general office person. After getting my license, I was elected President of our local Pilots Association, ran several antique air and car shows, and had a blast. The only discrimination I ran into was from the Dr. who gave me my first flight physical. He took advantage of my youth and told me he had to give me a full medical exam - including all the lady parts ... Of course, when I related that to my boss, who was the Airport Manager at the time, the guy got investigated and tossed out of the medical field on his ear. Other'n that, nobody cared about the shape of my skin, just was I a good pilot and was I safe to be flying around them?
Need anymore?
Lifesprecious -- your name says it all. How long do you think you have? Go get'em! There's NOTHING like your first solo. Flying is real freedom (and it's also when you learn the meaning of FEAR! You really ARE in control up there... except when you aren't.)
If you've had a hankering to fly, then go find a way to do it. Work part time for a General Aviation (GA) outfit. Hang out with pilots. Study the weather, and find out how you can take some courses.
Is it weird for a woman like myself to want to learn how to fly planes. I know that becoming a pilot isn't easy, one must have lots of flying experience. I'm just so curious to learn how, and have been wanting to learn for awhile, but I just don't tell anyone becuz they may think I"m wierd.
In my area, we have airshows around this time of year all the time, and I have always wanted to be in one someday lol
FIRST POST! always read these forums, never registered.
I have been in the industry as a controller at Denver TRACON for about 4 years. I love it, and I would probably only trade my job for that of a pilots (and I do not even have my PPL).
If you just want to get your PPL to fart around and fly in your free time, by all means do it. If you want to get your license/PPL and work at it towards a career - just understand that you are in for a long, long journey ahead. It is not easy, pay can be very poor for many years, furloughs etc.
Is it weird for a woman like myself to want to learn how to fly planes. I know that becoming a pilot isn't easy, one must have lots of flying experience. I'm just so curious to learn how, and have been wanting to learn for awhile, but I just don't tell anyone becuz they may think I"m wierd.
In my area, we have airshows around this time of year all the time, and I have always wanted to be in one someday lol
It is definitely not weird. There are more and more women learning to fly.
I suggest that you join the Civil Air Patrol (Civil Air Patrol - United States Air Force Auxiliary) where you can meet people interested in aviation. As a CAP member you can free glider lessons.
lifesprecious09 ... you might also want to learn ... or join ... your local 99's chapter.
It's the women's pilot association, and there you will find many women who are already pilots, instructors, and aviation enthusiasts.
FWIW, you might also get your hands on the book of memoirs by Beryl Markham, just one of the pioneering women aviatiors ... for insights about the world of flying.
Hey, don't let anyone put you down. It is not weird, but unusual yet wonderful that a woman would love to join the aviation industry or learn how to fly. It is a very rewarding experience. I am a student pilot, so I know this.
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