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Random Quote: Numb it with ice first idiot...then snatch it out..... it will bleed a little bit
Sorry guys I know this isnt a boat question,but I did notice there are some guys who know there airplanes on here. I always wanted to learn to fly,and I think Im ready to take my first step ( courses lessons etc..) If and when the time comes down the road where i want to purchase my own airplane how is the maintenance and repairs etc.. basicaly is there mechanics at the local airports like marinas etc.. or does someone have to know airplane engines real good to have a chance owning a small plane successfuly. My friend has a cessna 150h up in alaska but he leaves it on his property and is a airplane mechanic, how does airport storage work etc.. ? I know all questions are vague just wondering if any of you have planes or rent them and could give some insite thanks alot
Go to the Cessna web site. Once you are there, they have a section on how about getting your pilots license. I believe you will also find basic information on storage and maintenance of small planes, as well as other links that discuss similar topics... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]
Woah... if you had to be an aviation mechanic to own your own small plane... well, let's just say just about nobody would! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
Thing is, as mentioned, you have to be certified, and re-certified, (and re-certified... I think every year)... not to mention the fact that planes, unlike boats, have to be completely overhauled (by law) after x-many hours, and the rules/regs for logging such are very strict.
Owning your own plane is similar to owning your own (largish) boat in a slip, in terms of cost --not at all undoable, esp. w/ a partner. But of course it doesn't start to make sense unless/until you're spending a few/several hundred a month on rentals already, and also are willing to pay for not having to reserve "club" planes weeks/months in advance (always tricky considering weather). A co-worker/friend is currently shopping for a plane (in the Piper Archer class), and I was surprised to find out that a decent used one is not as much as I thought. Long way to go before that though -- first step is that "test flight" you get down at the local field ("the first one's free"... heh heh). Warning: it will consume you, much like boating/fishing does now. Might be tough to do both... (not just money-wise, but also time).
Good luck -- let me know if you have any questions for my friend at work. He loves talking about flying and planes anyway [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] I went up with him in a small stick-and-rudder plane a few months ago (Katana), and I flew it for quite a while. What an AWESOME feeling (read: dangerously addictive). Good luck,
Don't get to excited until you try it for yourself. Any flight school should give you a demo ride for a small fee. My father was a professional pilot with umpteen hours. Also had his own Cessna dealership. So you would think I would be a natural as a student pilot, huh? Guess again, I get airsick before the thing has hardly cleared the end of the runway. Point is, the lure of flying is great, but not really for everybody.
A guy I know in Savannah owns a Cessna 414 with a few other people. There are mechanics on site. Just beware that aircraft are far more expensive than boats to maintain and to fuel. Flying is addicting but the upkeep, unless you're partnered with other people, could take all the fun out of it.
Since no one has mentioned the unmentionable -- safety -- think about this for a minute. Flying is like riding a motorcycle in that there is a relatively flat learning curve for quite a while. A newly licensed pilot is far more likely to get into trouble than one with 2000 hours. Trouble in an airplane usually comes in only one flavor, unlike a boat or even a car.
As you think about costs, bear this in mind. You have to factor in what it will take you to gain enough proficiency to get past that initial period in which you aren't really a very qualified pilot. You will want to work on an instrument rating, for example, since flying into weather unexpectedly is one of the major risks.
That being said, one of the best deals you can work is a partnership with the right person. In my case, I teamed up with my brother-in-law. He had been a naval aviator and as a consequence had 10,000 hours of flying time and every rating imaginable. We made lots of trips together with me in command while I built up hours and proficiency -- but it sure was a lot safer with him sitting next to me.
As others noted, if you think marine stuff is expensive, wait until you have to pay bills for a plane.
4500 hours... mostly all commercial and military time....the only things better... hum.. watching my children being born.... sex... ( see first thing )... and bluewater fishing [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Maintenance on your own aircraft is incredibly expensive...
to be safe ... you have to be proficient... to be proficient... you have to fly.. flying costs $$$$
Go to your local airport seek out an flying school and take a ride....
Flying's cool, but can be damned expensive for ownership. You should probably rent one for a while after you earn your permit. Most places that offer instruction also have rentals. By renting different aricraft, you can get a feeling for what you like. Do you like putt putting along at 80 kts, sightseeing at 1500 ft, or do you want to cruise at 150 kts at 10,000 ft to get from A to B?
I've been out of it for years, due to blood pressure and finances, but I believe a typical rate for rentals is between $60 and $100 / tach hour at cruise speed. Of course, location and the model of the aircraft makes a huge difference in rates.
My old neighbor still maintains his license and we always joke about teaming up so he can search for weedlines and radio me the GPS coordinates.
If he had access to a float plane around here that could take off and land in rough water, I would probably try to talk him into some offshore fishing trips.
When something goes wrong in an aircraft in flight you don't coast to the curb or call Seatow to come get you. Hence the high cost of maintenance and ownership. However.... there is another way. A person can work on his own aircraft if it is licensed as an EXPERIMENTAL aircraft. To do that you have to have made\\assembled at least 51% of the machine. There is a large group of people involved in homebuilt aircraft that covers all type of a/c from hang gliders to fighter jets. There is an organization called the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Assoc.) headquarted in Oshkosh WI that has a hugh week long flyin of all types of aircraft every summer.
I'm not suggesting that you run up to 84 lumber and started working on your flying machine... but if you get bit by the flying bug there's a whole other world of enthusiasts out there.
I've been a pilot for 20 years and I have never owned my own airplane. I choose to be in a flying club; I pay a monthly due and a little per hour of use. Maintenance is expensive; that is my primary reason. BTW, if a plane is flown under part 91 of CFR 14 (general aviation) the engine does not have to be rebuilt at any time...as long as it passes the required annual inspection--getting insurance on a past due engine is another thing, however) The pilot-owner can actually perform many maintenance items him/herself...but most will be required to be signed off by a licensed A&P. I fly almost every week and urge you to give it a try. Go to your local FBO and ask about a 'Discovery Flight.' These are cheap ($35 or so) and you go with an instructor who will let you fly the plane.
I got my Commercial ticket in 1967. Cost have increased since that time, but not to the point it's not affordable.
I am in partnership with three other fellows on a Cherokee six and really enjoy it. Matter of fact I flew today up and down the coast of NC. Our airplane burns 14 gallons per hour @ $2.53 vs my boat Twin 225 @ 60 gallons per hour. In order to have a kitty for repairs or upgrades we put $30 per hourflight time into the bank. You get the airplane full of fuel and you leave it full and clean. We use an internet calendar to book any flights that we need in the future, other than that first come first serve. Works well for us.
We have a local AP on the field and when there is a problem, he fixes it. Cost divided by four is not very expensive. Toys on the other hand...well GPS for a boat(Northstar 951 = $2500, plane Garmin 530 =$10,000.)Of course it is a lot more involved and had com and nav built in.
Check around in your area and talk to some of the owners, they may want to upgrade and this will be your chance. Also check out www.aopa.com for more info.
Around my neck of the woods(fl)...to keep a simple 150 Cessna hangared, insured and with annual inspection costs about $3k a year. Price of a decent 150C is $20-25k so just interest on that would be another $2k a year...you are now at $5k before getting airborne. You can almost cut those prices in half if tied down outside and fly a hi time plane (and take the chance for big time maintenance).
Add fuel and engine overhaul cost to that for your flight time. Engine overhaul approx $8k divided by +-1800 hrs = $4.44hr + $10hr (really more)for fuel = $14.44hr for basic flight cost. Fly 50 hrs a year and your out of pocket is somewhere between $3-6k a year or $60-$120 hr. Clubs will run close to this much too. To get your private license will be in the neighborhood of $2500...if you are lucky. That's my .02 from owning 2 planes.
Everyone is talking about the expenses, and yes it is expensive, but for people who do not live at the coast and want to spend time there it is cost effective. I am 5 hrs from MHC by car but 1 hr by plane and a drive like that every weekend in the summer will kill you.
Just think; after you learn to fly you get to do a lot of great things to build time. Like spotting tuna for the comm. fleet in the North East and flying banners up and down the coast (O what fun). After haveing done it I would not trade this profession for anything in the world. Except maybe fishing...
lets see.. non boat specific chat goes where, oh yea! dockside chat
Seriously a very en"lightening" tread... speaking of which since I got struck trying to land in Chicago last year.. I have flown oh let me think once, twice, no, jeeze I guess I haven't been in the air for over a year. Any you guys? I asked one flight attendant who said never before, and her companion said - yea all the time.. I have no idea how often it happens but once was enough for me. I know, not grounded and all that crap but when it happens to you the science and statistics don't seem to matter much anymore.
airplane buying and upkeep 
