Pilot's License Anybody?

[Tdog]

Agreed, Motor7. Sometimes you have to stay put. Although my wife & I did get 'stranded' in Kerrville, Texas once. We knew & loved the area already, having spent part of our honeymoon there. Other times I was stranded away from home were not as pleasant.
Whatever, I did not mess with bad weather.
Still miss flying!!

 

[rvaitor]

I'm a pilot and have a modest airplane. Airplanes will require time and money(doesn't everything?). But, generally airplanes hold their value pretty well. It doesn't have to be the fastest or the most glamorous to enjoy what is really one of the unique priviledges we enjoy in the US - that is the fairly economical opportunity to stike to the skies at will.

Most of my flying is to aviation gatherings. I do fly to our farm in NC 260 nautical miles, and that allows me to make shorter trips when the need arises vs a 6 hour drive. I love grass strips and would love to put one on our property. Right now there are other fish to fry and the airport I fly into is great.

There also is a new category of certified aircraft called light sport and with limitations offer a more economical route into the air. Here is a link - http://www.sportpilot.org/

Good luck, there are other options as well - I'd contact your local EAA chapter - usually at most airports and go to some meetings.

Finally, Here are some snapshots of my favorite Aviation gatherings.

http://www.pbase.com/shelbyrv6a

 

[Iowachild]

I got my license when I was in my 30's. Soloed on 8/8/88, then didn't get my ticket until 81/90. I am a member of a flying club that has a Cessna 150 and a 172. Don't fly near as much as I would like to. Time is hard to find. Of course now the price has really gone up also. So time and money are hard to find. I read earlier in the thread to figure $8K. I am guessing that is a good estimate any more. I used to tell people $4K, but recently some one pointed out that just won't cut in anymore. You need a minimum of 40 hrs. before you can even take the flight test. The national average usually runs close to 60 to 70 hrs. I had 65 hours when I took mine. The hours are a combnation of dual time (with an instructor) and solo time. I also suggest to anyone thinking of going for it to start slow and make sure you enjoy it before you spend too much money. You will also need to pass a 3rd class medical before you can solo. There is tons I could write about but space and time don't permit. Get out to your local airport and talk with pilots there. We're generally a friendly bunch who love to talk about flying!

 

[pajoube]

Been kicking around the idea of taking flying lessons. Anybody here have one or currently in training? How many hours did it take?

Or to expand it further, now that you have your license, what do you use it for? How often do you fly?

My wife hasn't really told me that she forbids me to start lessons, but she thinks it is a fad and eventually I'll look back and ask myself "why did I waste $5000 getting my license???"

I know in my case, I have been waiting until I had enough time and money saved up that I could get it done in a summer. I know a couple of people that have started but ran short of cash, so they will basically need to start all over when they have the money. How much will I really spend trying to obtain a license?

As has been said, taking flying lessons is expensive but rewarding. I have my commercial and instrument ratings with many hours. The cost of renting (wet) will set you back but then owning a horse will do the same.
I no longer own an airplane but many of my friends do. I have found that most of the owners will go up for an hour or two on the weekends meaning they fly around the valley sightseeing. That to me is a waste of time and money. If you go into this hobby plan to use your flying to go from one point to another, not flying the pattern.
Now I fly commercial airlines around the world, easier, cheapier, and no headachs.
PJ

 

[MossRoad]

When I was a kid the people across the street owned the fixed base operation at the local airport, so I flew with them many, many times. We'd fly for fun, the dad would deliver airplanes and we'd hop another back. The guy next door had his own plane, so I got to go with him. My dad's company had a plane. The dad of a kid in my class owned the FBO in the next town north of us. I even worked at both airports for about 6 years. Many, many hours of flying... I determined that I liked to sight see more than pilot. I love small airplanes, much more than large ones, just because you fly lower, slower and see more stuff.

Take the advice of others and try it out to see if you like it. If you just want to fly around buzzing the trees and fields, check out the ultra lights. Seems to be many of them around here at small grass strips. Looks like fun.

 

[meledward23]

I have a friend that has a private license. He flies every week. He has a boat on a lake 6 hrs from his house by car. He flies down every friday and flies back on Sunday. Saves him a ton of time and he gets the joy of flying.

I know two other people with license to fly. Neither have any wehre to go on a regular basis, and rarely fly now...

Just my observations...

 

[PitbullMidwest]

My wife won a full scholarship through Women In Aviation and Cessna in 2002. She soloed in 70 hours and the total cost was just over the $5000 scholarship. She has told me many times that it was the hardest thing she has ever done but also the most rewarding. We don't get to fly much due to the cost of fuel and plane rental. Our 12 year old son wants to join the Civil Air Patrol. If he does and my wife participates with him, she'll be able to rent their 172 for $25 + fuel.

If you're interested here's a link to the thread I posted when she won: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10501

 

[dholly]

Wow, $25/hr?! DO IT! Waaay back in the mid-70's when I was going for my PP certificate, a PA28 cost $28 wet + CFI @ $12 = $40/hr dual.

 

[Iowachild]

Wow, $25/hr?! DO IT!

WOW!!! is more like it. Of course you need to add the fuel at 8 to 9 gallons an hour at $4.00 more or less a gallon. But still our club is renting the 172 wet at $77.00 and local FBO's are over $100.00.

http://www.flybrokenstraw.com/wac.html

 

[PILOON]

I learned on a |J3 cub and got my ticket at 45 hrs.
Upgraded planes a few times and ended up in the avionics trade
Also earned my A&P ticket,
Being active in COPA at the time and 'in the trade' I can add some comments.
In Canada the average hours flown by owners (not renters) was about 60 hrs.
Often folks would buy a plane as a group and share expenses of ownership.
Getting an instructor to teach on your (partially) owned aircraft is probably the cheapest overall way to go.
Naturally the trick is getting a good AC to start off with.
ALWAYS pay an independant A&P to do you an evaluation.
All in all I owned about 20 AC and have accumulated some 4000 hrs of pleasure, thrills, scares and much travel.
You are just beginning to be a good pilot at about 500 hrs and stats show that the 400-600 hr pilot is the most dangereous as unfortunately at that point he thinks he knows it all.
You never stop learning.
Wife and I have crassed Canada (all provs) and been south many a time.
Unfortunately en route to Calif we blew an engine and did a major job on the old C170, however 6 months later I got her back in the air and flew her on foe another 100 hrs or so.
Yes, I was lucky, my wife liked to travel that way.
Couls write books about our episodes/ trips.

I gave it up (even with my A&P ticket) as maintainance costs went simply orbital!
Manditory OH's of components (props, fuel cells) AD's and naturally gas simply took out all the pleasure.