Any private pilots?

[piratfisk]

TRFers...

As another day aboard Mercy ticks past, I find myself researching a PPL & small planes. I have gone down the rabbit hole of YouTube flight vlogs. Ownership is currently out of the question, but definitely something I'd be interested in later in life. I'm more interested in the Beech 33/C177-185 segment... 4 seats with cross-country capabilities.

I'm curious if any of you have your PPL or have considered getting your PPL & backed out for whatever reason.

Enjoy your evenings & please, for the love of all that you consider holy, stay inside so we can get rid of this f'ing virus & the world can turn back on.

[larryccf]

i've got a PPL, with about 1480 hours, lost my medical.

Went thru 4 airplanes, a 182, a Piper Tri-Pacer that i bought for a song ($3500), flew it for a year and sold it for $10,500 and i didn't spend $500 in maintenance on it - only sold it because the Piper Tri-Pacer has the glide ratio of a frigging brick - you loose engine power, and you don't have a lot of choices for an off-rield landng. Then 2 experimental craft that i built. Loved flying, it was an addiction but the expense finally got to me just before i lost my medical.

What you may not have figured in, annual insurance (was $2800 annual on the C182) and that was 2002, i didn't bother insuring the experimental aircraft.

Got my VFR license in 38 hours and burnt a lot of holes in the sky. But the cost of annual inspections, fuel, hangar rental etc you'd be surprised at the expenses you're not allowing for, ie avionics upgrades for one.

Much smarter if you can join a club that has the planes you like to fly long distance, that's the route to go.

Most hilarious thing i heard over the radio while airborne, was flying over the CHesapeake Bay, and a pilot apparently had been flying on cruise control and taken a nap, only to wake up and find himself over the Atlantic Ocean. You could hear a little panic in his voice as he radio'd Patuxent MD asking for assist to finding his way back to land. Patuxent Control came up and said, in the dryest voice i've ever heard, "Sir, generaly on this side of the continent, a bearing of 270 degrees will find you land.

It was when 3 pilots i knew were killed flying, the very year i lost my medical, that made me decide it was time to hang it up. 3rd pilot was a former Eastern Airlines pilot, flying a homebuilt, a Long-Eze (well built plane owned by a doctor), had taken off on Saturday morning to fly to a friend's wedding up in PA, flying from Richmond, VA, flew into a 4400' mountain at 2400 ft AGL. He was in a VFR plane but never understood how he was flying that low in the clouds. When they brought his plane back to our FBO, it looked like an eggshell had been crumpled - the Long-Eze seats two passengers in tandem, and is a pusher aircraft with the engine in the rear. When he hit that mountain, that engine kept going for another 19-20ft, killing his wife then him.

Any practice you can do with some of the Microsoft flight simlulators is a plus, especially on watching the instruments. But when you start to take instruction, keep in mind, a lot of instructors are cocky just clocking in their 1000 hours so they can qualify for their commercial license and go fly for Fedex/Delta etc. You get the wrong instuctor, you'll know it. Don't be bashful about asking the FBO for another instructor, especially at what they're charging these days for plane + instructor. I was lucky and got a retired FAA adminstrator who just loved flying - and he made flying a complete pleasure and taught me a lot of tricks the young kids didn't even think about, but most important was stress management. It's a different story between sitting behind a computer simulator and a f***ing loud ass 360 CI engine with the exhaust outlets about 12" forward of your feet, in rough air.

Take the above with a grain of salt, but think about it as well.

Hope that helps some

[kearez]

Commercial Pilot here.

Cant help you on aircraft choice, but if you get your private, i cannot recommend enough you getting your instrument as well.

[larryccf]

Just occurred to me, if you're military and are thinking about using the GI Bill for education benefits, you might consider going to Emory College for aviation instruction, and letting Uncle Sam help pay for your instruction. That's assuming the GI Bill still offers those benefits

[eman1200]

there's also another pretty lengthy thread about pilots on here if u search for it. this is me and my baby...…..

[Blansky]

LOVE the concept, but we think watches are a money pit....

[Bluside]

Earned my Private in 1973 when I was 17. Made a whole career flying and retired on a Boeing 767.

Never owned an airplane. For me, I belonged to a flying club in the early days. They had 3 airplanes. Membership fee, monthly fee and hourly. I felt it was still cheaper than owning one.

[TheVTCGuy]

I have my commercial, 2,500 hours or so. Thanks to the good ol USN. A bit of a rigorous training program.

[piratfisk]

Originally Posted by larryccf

Hope that helps some

Thanks very much!

Originally Posted by kearez

Commercial Pilot here.

Cant help you on aircraft choice, but if you get your private, i cannot recommend enough you getting your instrument as well.

Yes, if I do go through with pursuing my PPL, I plan on getting IFR cert'd, as well.

Originally Posted by larryccf

Just occurred to me, if you're military and are thinking about using the GI Bill for education benefits, you might consider going to Emory College for aviation instruction, and letting Uncle Sam help pay for your instruction. That's assuming the GI Bill still offers those benefits

I would definitely plan on using the GI Bill for schooling. You're paid BAH while in school, so the extra cash per month helps, too.

Originally Posted by Blansky

LOVE the concept, but we think watches are a money pit....

Yes, my wife is already rolling her eyes at this discussion. She is still under the impression I'm after a 116613LB, when I am now after a big ol' Smurf :)

Originally Posted by Bluside

Never owned an airplane. For me, I belonged to a flying club in the early days. They had 3 airplanes. Membership fee, monthly fee and hourly. I felt it was still cheaper than owning one.

I have been looking into flying clubs in the San Diego area. There are a few at Montgomery & Gillespie. I would imagine that I'd buy into one of these clubs before I venture out to purchase my own aircraft & absorb all of those costs.

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

I have my commercial, 2,500 hours or so. Thanks to the good ol USN. A bit of a rigorous training program.

The mighty, mighty Warhawks! You don't still fly, do you, Paul? (privately, of course... I don't think they'll loan you out a Super Hornet, but I'll call around!)

[michaelodonnell123]

Originally Posted by larryccf

i've got a PPL, with about 1480 hours, lost my medical.

Went thru 4 airplanes, a 182, a Piper Tri-Pacer that i bought for a song ($3500), flew it for a year and sold it for $10,500 and i didn't spend $500 in maintenance on it - only sold it because the Piper Tri-Pacer has the glide ratio of a frigging brick - you loose engine power, and you don't have a lot of choices for an off-rield landng. Then 2 experimental craft that i built. Loved flying, it was an addiction but the expense finally got to me just before i lost my medical.

...

What does 'lost my medical' mean? Medical what?

[larryccf]

you need to be medically certified to fly, part of the pilot's license requirements.

Had a 4 way bypass, and then a leaking heart valve so had to go in for another surgery. Some of the meds i'm on will unpredictably affect my sense of balance, among other things. Not interested in taking any chances so didn't go in for my medical examination/certification.