Buying a 150/152 or renting $100 wet?
#11
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2022
Posts: 11
How many airports still sell Mogas apart from the occasional back country hillbilly airport?
We‘ve had many buy vs rent questions here and as far as my opinion is concerned when you rent the problem is not yours.
Thats worth something.
Additionally question the wisdom of buying something that is realistically day VFR only.
How valuable is doing the same 3hr crosscountry over and over again.
Yes, not all of your 1200-1500 hrs need to be high quality time, however if you’re not learning anything then this will eventually work against you.
You’re better off accumulating higher quality time over a longer period then rapidly useless.
Consider most varieties of flight time as a curve, you learn a lot initially then it tapers off.
Same with the usefulness of certain types.
For instance banner towing, I wouldn’t do that for longer then one season. Add 3-400 hrs quickly but it’s only two columns in your logbook, TT and PIC.
So in my opinion you’ll be better off renting a more expensive airplane and fly only night crosscountry on an IFR flightplan and bring a buddy so you can log sim instrument time.
Three hour flight, all night, all cross country, three airports, 6 approaches and 2 hrs sim instr.
You didn’t state how much longer you’d be in college for. Two more years? Seniority doesn’t mean anything if you can’t get hired because you don’t have the instrument skills to pass a training course.
We‘ve had many buy vs rent questions here and as far as my opinion is concerned when you rent the problem is not yours.
Thats worth something.
Additionally question the wisdom of buying something that is realistically day VFR only.
How valuable is doing the same 3hr crosscountry over and over again.
Yes, not all of your 1200-1500 hrs need to be high quality time, however if you’re not learning anything then this will eventually work against you.
You’re better off accumulating higher quality time over a longer period then rapidly useless.
Consider most varieties of flight time as a curve, you learn a lot initially then it tapers off.
Same with the usefulness of certain types.
For instance banner towing, I wouldn’t do that for longer then one season. Add 3-400 hrs quickly but it’s only two columns in your logbook, TT and PIC.
So in my opinion you’ll be better off renting a more expensive airplane and fly only night crosscountry on an IFR flightplan and bring a buddy so you can log sim instrument time.
Three hour flight, all night, all cross country, three airports, 6 approaches and 2 hrs sim instr.
You didn’t state how much longer you’d be in college for. Two more years? Seniority doesn’t mean anything if you can’t get hired because you don’t have the instrument skills to pass a training course.
I understand your sentiment, but I want to spend the least amount of time in a piston single at night as possible.
#12
Apart from pattern work to keep night currency in category and class I don’t fly night either in SEP.
In my case however I don’t need it…for anything.
Cheapest doesn’t equal most value for money.
#13
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2022
Posts: 11
Thanks everybody.
#14
I hear you. The consensus on here as well as from others I’ve asked in-person seems to be renting is the safer play. I like your idea of splitting the rental to $50 an hour with a friend and building time + IFR proficiency that way, I’ll pursue that further.
Thanks everybody.
Thanks everybody.
Using a safety pilot while you’re under the hood is a different kettle of fish as far as logging.
Doesn’t mean both of you get to log everything and split the cost. No, no, no NO!
I wouldn’t pay you half and only being able to log less.
”Safety pilot “ time was never intended to be a timebuilding excercise. That is not the intent of the regulation.
Your safety pilot can only log TT and PIC (acting PIC) for the time you are under the hood. Not night/day/cross country/landings/approaches/holds, IMC you may encounter or anything else.
You are required to log the safety pilot name and certificate number and so are they.
Putting both your logbooks together should not result in a violation or suspension for falsifying logbook entries. That’s a career ender right there.
A certificate holder takes time out of their day to keep an eye on things and in exchange they are allowed to log a small portion of that time and none of the value.
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2010
Position: DOWNGRADE COMPLETE: Thanks Gary. Thanks SWAPA.
Posts: 6,617
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2017
Posts: 176
One thing you are missing here is also time.... while it seems like owning is faster, one or two MX issues and you are weeks or months without flying.The quality of time in a 152 vs flights school rented plane...meh...cost is basically a gamble since ownership is such a short term thing...you might get lucky, you might not.
Ask yourself....do you want to be an owner? A 4 seat plane has use...a weekend or regional trip machine...but honestly a 152 can barely carry 2 average people, no bags and often will have cars passing you on the highway....that's why many people have done this with a 170/172 over the years.... Been told that the 172, due to parts, is cheaper than a 152 on a hourly basis.
Good luck...most every forum have had this question asked for decades....
Ask yourself....do you want to be an owner? A 4 seat plane has use...a weekend or regional trip machine...but honestly a 152 can barely carry 2 average people, no bags and often will have cars passing you on the highway....that's why many people have done this with a 170/172 over the years.... Been told that the 172, due to parts, is cheaper than a 152 on a hourly basis.
Good luck...most every forum have had this question asked for decades....
#18
Hang on, that’s not what I said.
Using a safety pilot while you’re under the hood is a different kettle of fish as far as logging.
Doesn’t mean both of you get to log everything and split the cost. No, no, no NO!
I wouldn’t pay you half and only being able to log less.
”Safety pilot “ time was never intended to be a timebuilding excercise. That is not the intent of the regulation.
Your safety pilot can only log TT and PIC (acting PIC) for the time you are under the hood. Not night/day/cross country/landings/approaches/holds, IMC you may encounter or anything else.
You are required to log the safety pilot name and certificate number and so are they.
Putting both your logbooks together should not result in a violation or suspension for falsifying logbook entries. That’s a career ender right there.
A certificate holder takes time out of their day to keep an eye on things and in exchange they are allowed to log a small portion of that time and none of the value.
Using a safety pilot while you’re under the hood is a different kettle of fish as far as logging.
Doesn’t mean both of you get to log everything and split the cost. No, no, no NO!
I wouldn’t pay you half and only being able to log less.
”Safety pilot “ time was never intended to be a timebuilding excercise. That is not the intent of the regulation.
Your safety pilot can only log TT and PIC (acting PIC) for the time you are under the hood. Not night/day/cross country/landings/approaches/holds, IMC you may encounter or anything else.
You are required to log the safety pilot name and certificate number and so are they.
Putting both your logbooks together should not result in a violation or suspension for falsifying logbook entries. That’s a career ender right there.
A certificate holder takes time out of their day to keep an eye on things and in exchange they are allowed to log a small portion of that time and none of the value.
#20
In a land of unicorns
Joined APC: Apr 2014
Position: Whale FO
Posts: 6,476
When I did this in a 150, the value proposition was completely different because you could buy a nice well equipped 150 for 20k. Now when they are 50k and 172's are 100k, the numbers don't really add up.
Get yourself to 135 VFR mins asap, then go fly a Sled in Alaska for a season.
Get yourself to 135 VFR mins asap, then go fly a Sled in Alaska for a season.
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