Originally Posted by
Rusty17
I'm basically in the same position as far as having been on Staff for the past few years and now looking to jump to the civilian side… I didn't take the CFI equiv test and not sure I really have much interest in that route. Someone on another forum mentioned finding guys out there who are civilians time building towards their ATP and looking for guys to fly some long days with them either in just a 172 or even guys looking to build up some ME time? Anyone have any experience with this?
Another guy who was military coming off Staff said he bought a C-152 for $20K, flew about 150-200 hrs in a few months and then sold it for what he paid for it saying it got him currency/recency and some extra total time (not sure if anyone will care about that PIC, but whatever) basically for the cost of gas. He works for a Major now, so I guess it worked… not sure how practical that option is though.
Originally Posted by
E2CMaster
I've considered that option as well.
The reply from the wife when I mention that idea is less than optimal.
It's definitely been done before, and can make perfect financial sense. You just have to figure out how many hours, of what type, you need within a certain time frame and then do some math. The upside is it's ccheaper than renting if you need a lot of hours. The downside is that there's the potential risk of unexpected MX issues or major ADs handed down from on high.
The usual rule of thumb is that 100 hours/year is the break-even point for light piston airplanes. Any less and you're better off renting, more than that and you should maybe consider buying. But run the numbers in any case. If you just need total time and have MOGAS available, a 152 can be pretty cheap to buy and operate.
You can sometimes get a sweet rental deal if you need a large block of hours and are willing/able to knock it out in a short period of time, especially if you're doing an extended XC trip. That type of flying is easier on the airplane than bounces and pattern work...somebody might cut you a 20% break. Owner gets a lot of revenue in a short period, and the revenue-to-fixed-cost ratio is very favorable for this evolution. Just have a written agreement as to what happens if you break down in east BFE.