what is the best way to get you pp license

[akscotty]

i have been looking into warbelows pilot school for a while now a friend of mine is working for a private ap in town and he was saying that it would be cheaper to get a cheep plane go to ground school get your 40hrs take the test and sell the plane if you want something different can you do it like this or is he wrong i am doing an intro to fllght school this spring and i guess i get to fly a 172 for a little while so that should be fun thanks guys.

 

[Monguse]

There is insurance, flight instructor fees, tie down fees, fuel expenses and any maintenance that might come up regarding a cheap airplane. I'd stick with a school. In my experience, a novice pilot who buys and learns to fly in his own airplane doesn't learn as much and is more prone to dinging or wrecking his airplane than if he was taking lessons from a genuine certified flight school.

 

[tralika]

The most expensive thing you'll ever buy is a "cheap plane". Maybe you can buy a plane, fly it for 40 hours to get your private (although the average time to get a private is something like 60 or 70 hours) and then sell the plane for what you paid for it.

The way it works in my world is you buy the plane, start your training, one day the instructor says "OOOH... that don't sound right". You find out you have a bad cylinder. When they take off the cylinder the mechanic says OOOH, that don't look right" and you find out the cam is pitted. You end up doing an overhaul for about twice what it would have cost you to get your private at the flight school. A year or two later when the plane is finally back together and you finish your training you sell the plane for a lot less than what you paid for it.

Of course that's just the way things work in my world, maybe in your world it will be different. Good luck.

 

[akscotty]

i think we live in the same world tralika i was just wondering i dont really take a whole lot of what this guy says to heart i think i will just go through the school and use there planes then look at a taildragger program. thanks guys

 

[tangogawd]

I wanted to buy a plane anyway, and seeing that it would cost me 10K to go thru a school, i decided to just buy a plane with that money. I have a friend that is a CFI and I just paid for the insurance for plane and his CFI insurance. his compensation is he can use it when ever he wants.

 

[IndyCzar]

my 2 cents...flying is a passion...Not a CHEAP passion...but a passion...I have been doing it for over 35 years and just bought my first plane...I had a similar "arrangement with a friend in a Luscombe in late 80's...we got him thru his ppl with flying colors and he flew the heck out of that little plane...It is a good way to get license (which is only an endorsement to keep learning) and build time and have some fun...Best of luck and hope to see you around the pattern...Bob

 

[AK-HUNT]

You will run into the same problems when you buy a plane after you have your license too. Nature of the beast. You will make out like a bandit if you don't buy junk. I would absolutely buy my own plane and get my license in it. Sell it in a couple years when you know what you really want. Likely sell for more than you paid for it. Then you get all that money back you would have paid in rental.

I have yet to lose money on an airplane. Quite the contrary.

Bottom Line: You can put alot of money in your own airplane for 50 hours of 172 rental!! Lots.

 

[Tcraft]

Obtain your license and then buy a plane. Engine parts and repair can be almost as much as the "cheap aircraft". Many aircraft are not flown enough, cold started, rapid cooled, not frequent enough oil changes, wrong fuel...to name a few of the most destructive forces that can destroy your investment and leave you in the "poor house".

 

[AK-HUNT]

Obtain your license and then buy a plane. Engine parts and repair can be almost as much as the "cheap aircraft". Many aircraft are not flown enough, cold started, rapid cooled, not frequent enough oil changes, wrong fuel...to name a few of the most destructive forces that can destroy your investment and leave you in the "poor house".

Do those problems go away once he gets his license?

 

[Grizzly 1]

There is insurance, flight instructor fees, tie down fees, fuel expenses and any maintenance that might come up regarding a cheap airplane. I'd stick with a school. In my experience, a novice pilot who buys and learns to fly in his own airplane doesn't learn as much and is more prone to dinging or wrecking his airplane than if he was taking lessons from a genuine certified flight school.

My learning experience, admittedly having occurred about a century ago, was that I saved school proprietor profits, got tax credits for any interest and most of the expenses, and built up a small bank account in accrured and increased aircraft value. An example is the $7,500 Super Cub with tundra tires and skis I later sold for $40,000 after both enjoying the plane and putting enough hours on the power plant to require a government required overhaul or exchange.

 

[knie0012]

Look into local flying clubs too.

They, for the most part, have well maintained planes and one can usually fly them for a fraction of the cost of buying your own or renting.

Depending on how the club is set-up, you can a be a fractional owner in the planes so you feel like a plane owner. And as a bonus, you can learn a bit too in the areas of plane maintenance, summer/winter storage, learn which shops are suitable for repairs, etc. as you are obtaining your license.

Just a thought,
Jason

 

[rruess]

I would suggest that you take lessons first to see what kind of aircraft you want to fly; Tricycle gear or Taildragger. Give me a call if you would like to start training for your pilot's license. Feel free to view our website at arcticflyers.biz.

 

[SERat]

Tell me about the plane and CFI insurance. I am looking at doing what you did, hopefully in the neer future. What is required for insurance on your own plane to get lessons in it?

 

[tangogawd]

SERat,
I assume your talking to me. I bought a citabria 7eca. great plane, and got a good deal on it. Part of the reason I bought my own, was that renting, you are paying for the mechanic, and sense I've been a aircraft mechanic for 8 yrs, I didnt see it prudent to pay for what I can do. This purchase also pushed me to finally test out for A&P.

As far as insurance, I went with AVEMCO. It cost me something around $3500 a yr. $500ish was the CFI insurance, and something in the tune of $3-400 is for being a student. after my PP it dropped down to around $25-2600.

 

[rppearso]

I would never pay a dime in plane rental fees again, its way too steep these days, as another poster said you can put ALOT of money into your own plane before you reach the cost of 50 hrs renting a 172, and thats just 50 hrs once you have done all that work you easily have several hundred if not 1000 hrs left to fly on a 0 time engine well beyond your licence for free - fuel and oil. I think its like 300$/hr now for a 172 that adds up in a hurry and makes gas/oil and instructor time look like pocket change, if you took 70 hrs to get your licence thats more than half of a cherry C-150 tail dragger. If you are not going to own a plane then why even get a licence? Then you can take an A&P course at UAA and learn to work on your own plane so you dont get gouged on the maintence either, then the only place you will get price gouged is on parts. If you get an expermental rating you can get some parts from napa.

The biggest hit will be the initial purchase of the plane and possibly hangar space if you want it hangared, or you can buy some land and build one on a private strip.