EAA Young Eagles

PitbullMidwest · Jun 3, 2002

Our local chapter of the EAA held their annual "Young Eagles Day" yesterday and we took our kids out for a flight. You might remember that my wife won a scholarship from Cessna and is learning to fly so we thought getting them up in the air a few times prior to flying with mom would be a good idea.

My son Caleb, age 8, flew in a Piper Cub and proclaimed afterwards " That was the greatest experience of my entire life!!" Emily, age 11, was not nearly as impressed. She is more than willing to wait till mom gets her license before going on another flight.

I even took the opportunity to fly in a homebuilt "Challenger" experimental. I still look like this:/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

BTW my wife is on track to solo in two more lessons.

dlabrie · Jun 3, 2002

In NH a friend of mine won a Crista Mculiff scholarship to take a years sabbatical to promote flying in middle and high school. Students spend the year doing their ground school work and using a flight simulator. In May or June the kids get to fly with the Eagle volunteers. My son did it last year in 6th grade. He was grinning from ear to ear when he stepped out of the Cessna.
What a great program!

Thomas · Jun 3, 2002

I sure do tip my hat to your wife,and Iam sure your very..very proud of her.

njrqs · Jun 3, 2002

PBMW

What is the EAA?

Hey great to see you are getting the whole family involved in the flying caper. You'll need a fatter wallet !!!

Congrats to your wife in advance for the solo. It is one of life's most memerable exoeriences, one etched in your mind for ever.

My little fella is nearly 2 and wants to come out and look at the plane each time I go for a fly. Do you think he looks ready???

Cheers

PS - Just answered my own question here
http://www.americanwings.org/eagles.htm

dmccarty · Jun 4, 2002

NJRQS,

EAA is the Experimental Aircraft Association. They have quite a few
magazines on different aircraft such as ultralights, experimentals,
old military planes, etc. The EAA has workshops all of the US on
subjects so that you can build your own aircraft. I've only been a
member since late last year but they seem to be a friendly bunch
of people and willing to help out others.

Looks like the Little Fella is about to take off! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Later...
Dan

njrqs · Jun 4, 2002

Dan

Sounds interesting. Do you own a plane?

Cheers

dmccarty · Jun 5, 2002

njrqs,

Nope, don't have an airplane. I do see them fly over my property
all the time though! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I have always loved to fly and wanted to get a pilots license which
is one reason I joined the EAA. I ended up getting two of their
magazines. I wanted to the old warbirds magazine but I already
get something like 24 different magazines so I have to control
myself. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I knew owning a plane was expensive but reading these magazines
really is a shock to see the costs. Even the home built planes, which
really look nice, are expensive not to mention how much time the
people put into them. But the EAA seems to have lots of classes
for people who want to learn the skill to build their own planes. And
they seem to have many people will to help home builders. Very
TBN like.

I have enough land to operate a ultralight. Might actually have enough
to operate a light plane. But I don't know if the FAA would allow it.
I'm sure the neighbors would hate it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Is aircraft ownership as expensive on your side of the world?

Later...
Dan

njrqs · Jun 5, 2002

Dan

Yes, aircraft ownership is very expensive here. I don't own a plane, instead hiring from the Aero Club here.

The 172 I fly costs $150 per hour. This includes fuel of about $40/hr, so $110/hour for the plan is pretty good I think.

Considering it is worth along the lines of maybe $80,000 and the rego, insurance, parking costs and MAINTENANCE that go along with it, the cost of hiring is pretty cheap I reckon.

Maybe one day when I am rich /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I might buy one but I can't see richness coming along any time soon.

Cheers

dmccarty · Jun 6, 2002

$150 per hour! OUCH. Is that a converted to US money?

I was trying to read a couple of my EAA magazines last night,
kinda hard with a 2 year old that wants to play with daddy /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif,
and I saw a letter to the mag about an engine for one of these
small planes and it was 10,000 US dollars. They where trying to
figure out what kind of prop to put on the engine.

And I thought tractors where expensive! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I think I'll just
run the RPMs up on the old JD, flap my arms, and pretend I'm
flying! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Later...
Dan

PitbullMidwest · Jun 6, 2002

Neil,
A less expensive alternative here in the States are homebuilts and experimentals, do they have these in Oz? My wife is only comfortable in factory built aircraft at this point, on the other hand I'll try to con my way into a ride in any type of aircraft.

At the Young Eagle Day I was introduced to a local pilot who built a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.quadcitychallenger.com>Challenger</A> and took me for a ride. It's built in Moline Illinois (up in cowboydoc's neck of the woods), is very popular and is very economical to fly and maintain.

When I suggested to my wife that we should look in to building one after she gets her license, she replyed "And it costs about the same as the tractor and impliments you're looking at." At that point I just shut up. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Anonymous Poster · Jun 6, 2002

As a CFI (Certificated Flight Instructor), CFII (CFI - Instrument), AGI (Advanced Ground Instructor) and MEI (Multi engine instructor) with 2200 hrs TT (total time) and 450 hrs multi engine time, I participate regularly in the Young Eagles program. I see lots of smiles there.

Our C-172s rent for $75.00/hr wet (including fuel), so I am glad I am here in Colorado Springs and not where
you are. However, the industry is changing rapidly due to 9/11. A C-310 (twin engine) now rents for
$200.00/hr. That is some serious dough for something that only goes 157 kts. Never owned an airplane and never wanted to do so.

The CFI route allowed me to pay the family back for all of the flight training money that was previously spent. Now my question is: How am I going to pay the family back for all the money that I just sunk into a new tractor??? I guess that this is just my mid life crisis item. I don't have a boat, sports car, plane, or girlfreind (just a wife), so I have to have something.

Just a word of caution: Neither tractors nor airplanes are cheap and trying to do both activities at the same time takes some real financial planning!!

njrqs · Jun 6, 2002

Dan

No that is $Aus, so that compares exactly to the $75/hr quoted by our CFI in the last post.

Hey Mr. CFI - Register so we now more about ya !! I might need to pick your brains about some flying tips !!

We have homebuilts etc. here but for the timebeing I too am happy to stick to Factoty aircraft. I have a friend who is building an RV8 (Vans) These originated in your part of the world and are a very popular kit.

Yes engines are ridiculously expensive, as are the props to go with them.

Being of moderate proportions (fat), some of the smaller planes are a bit hard to fit into. Even a Cessna 152 which I did all my training in is a bit of a squeeze.

So it's 172's or bigger for me from now on.

Weight and balance are a big consideration in small planes, and the more pilot you put in, the less fuel you can take.

Cheers all

Anonymous Poster · Jun 7, 2002

One thing that you might want to check on before chugging off in a homebuilt airplane is:

Does you health insruance policy cover you if you are injured in an aircraft that is not a normal or utility category? My policy has an exclusion for experimental aircraft for disability coverage (and I work for an airline!!). This means that if I am injured in a non normal/utitlity category aircraft I won't get any disability income.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 7, 2002

If you think tractors are expensive and frustrating maintenance-wise try airplanes or boats. A Beech Duke that I fly just had both of its engines overhauled to the tune of $35,000.00 ea. That is not a misprint. The engines lasted a total of 233 hours after the overhaul before the camshaft ate the valve lifters (bad batch of camshafts), so the airplane has been in the shop in pieces since early March. At this time there is no estimate for a fix because the FAA is invloved. All of this time the fixed costs (hanger, insurance, annual inspection) keep accumulating. Just to add insult to injury, it is now out of annual!!! This is why I don't own an airplane.

njrqs · Jun 7, 2002

<font color=blue>something that only goes 157 kts</font color=blue>

Hey I get excited if the 172 gets to 120 down a hill /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

rdln · Jun 7, 2002

Really good reading guys! I have only been in a small plane once when I did my first and probably last tandem jump in 1993, not that it scared me but because I now have a wife and child to leave behind. BTW my wife also did a tandem jump in 1996. I would love to have the freedom jump in my plane and go golfing or fishing up north and back in a day.

This is a link to what a fellow who used to be in my four wheel drive club is up to. He is quite the entrepreneur. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.rinke-aerospace.com/>Joe Rinke/JAG Helicopter</A>

PitbullMidwest · Jun 7, 2002

Our insurance agent is a pilot and a member of the EAA, he says our current policy would cover us. But there ain't no stinkin' way she's getting a plane before I get my tractor!!!!

njrqs · Jun 8, 2002

<font color=blue>four wheel drive</font color=blue>

Refreshing to hear that Steve. That's what we call them, but all I hear now is "four by four"

Hey intersting chopper site. I'll stick to fixed wings though !

TresCrows · Jun 8, 2002

You can operate a privately owned aircraft from your property and it is entirely legal. You do not have to have your property designated as a private use airfield but you may if you wish. Having it designated as a private field gives your little airport some protection from outside interst. Of course, being a good neighbor and not creating excess noise etc will allow you to operate from your property and most neighbors will never even know you do it. It is easy to work it all out in most cases--this is supposed to be a free country--my land, my airplane, my sky.
Actually the idea that aircraft are expensive is false--they cost less than many luxury vehicles and are a lot more fun. There are many excellent aircraft including the Vans Aircraft RV series than are easy to build, have better performance than factory aircraft and if you build it you can do your own maintenence. I know all this because I have done it, belong to the EAA, have built and am building my own aircraft, have been a pilot all my life, I am an A&P, IA. It is fun and it is easy and very rewarding to build your own aircraft. Tractors are great but just imagine after a long day mowing the field and then taking off in your airplane you built and whirling over your property like a giant eagle to look it all over. J

njrqs · Jun 8, 2002

TC/JR?

What did you build/are you building?

Is that a pic of your place?

Very clear photo. Better than any I have taken. Must be a good camera.

I notice it seems to be out of the left side? - Were you flying & shooting??