Notices
Flight Schools and Training Ratings, building hours, airmanship, CFI topics

Not even a pilot yet

Old 04-28-2010, 10:09 AM
  #31  
Moderator
 
Cubdriver's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: ATP, CFI etc.
Posts: 6,056
Default

There's a gorgeous 182 over in the Boneyard. I have known pilots who started with high performance singles, that one is not much faster than 172 anyway.
Cubdriver is offline  
Old 05-09-2010, 05:38 PM
  #32  
Gets Weekends Off
 
DryMotorBoatin's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Dec 2008
Position: Seat 0B
Posts: 1,214
Default

The most true quote I've heard...The best way to make a small fortune in aviation is to start with a large one.

With that said...Get your private and fly about another 100 hours after that...then see if you still want to buy an airplane and consider a career. There are a million people floatin around airports across the country who thought that because aviation is a great hobby..."I might as well get paid doing somthing I love"...Trust me and everybody else...thats not the case. There are crew rooms full of guys who hate their job but love flying. Flying for a career is alot different than flying for fun. Before you buy an airplane and all that, you got to make sure its what you want and that you can hack it. As an instructor, I saw a load of "pilots" who couldn't hack it (not my students of course) and as a jet driver, I've seen a whole bunch more that this ain't the career for them. Get your CFI and that'll teach you more than any book or message board.
DryMotorBoatin is offline  
Old 06-05-2010, 02:36 PM
  #33  
Apteryx
 
Oldog's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2010
Posts: 127
Default

Originally Posted by Hoax View Post
I wasn't sure where to stick this so the Part 135 seemed the best fit since that is where I want to end up.

I am going to start the beginning stages of getting my pilot license later this month and I am trying to figure out the best way to go about it.

I have found a school here in Ft. Worth at Spinks, Huffman Aviation. I am using the schools C172 to get my private then I want to buy. I have been looking at planes for some time now and figure I will spend around 50k on a plane. I want it to be something that I can use for myself but also grow into, something with 6 seats and twin piston engine's, something like a Barron or C310.

I want to get a decent plane (I know I am not going to get anything spectacular for 50k) that will be good to get time in and will be a nice long distance plane, but also be a plane that I can start a charter with. My instructor told me that the best way to get into being a commercial pilot (135) would be to go to work for a charter around here and build my reputation and skill for a couple of years while I get ready to get certified by the FAA for 135. Realistically about 5 years of training and working for some one else

I am planning on taking 3 or 4 classes a week until I get my private, then I will have to build time for my instrumentation and then my commercial. I didn't talk to him about the multi-engine but I don't think that will change my course much.

I currently own a company with family so I have the time and money to do it now, I might not later and the business were in is more unstable than the airlines (IMO)

I do not come from a family of pilots so I have no one to talk to me that will cut the BS, thats where you guys come in. Thats my plan for now, poke it full of holes and let me know what you think.

I just hope that I am not making a huge mistake and blowing tons of money. I will not be buying a plane until I get my private at least so I will still enjoy it as a hobby if nothing else.

Mike
Hate to say it, but if you think you're going to get a Cessna 310 or a Baron (the word has only one "r"), for $50K, you need to take a closer look at the market. The very oldest C-310s are in that price range, and the oldest Barons are typically $25K more -- and this would be for old dogs with rough paint, rough interiors, rough engines, obsolete avionics, and possibly spotty damage history, questionable records, and iffy structural condition.

I'm also somewhat unconvinced of the economy of buying an airplane for training. Training airplanes get the [expletive deleted] beat out of them, you may have insurance issues on the airplane, you may have difficulty finding a good instructor to give training in a private airplane, if (heaven forbid) your instructor gets injured in your airplane you could have some REAL insurance issues . . . I think you're better off using a flight school's airplanes and buying your own after you have a better idea about what you want and need.

You also need to do a little research about what's needed in the year 2010 to "start a charter". . . .

We all joke that flying is much better than working for a living, but I think you'd better get your head into the game a little further before you start spending money.
Oldog is offline  
Old 07-05-2010, 12:00 PM
  #34  
Gets Weekends Off
 
SomedayRJ's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: BE50C (A), BE95 (A), C172S (B)
Posts: 349
Default

For training, it is always preferable to beat the (you know) out of someone else's airplane and engine(s) than your own.

Get your private, get 100 or so hours (and your instrument: you are NOT safe without an instrument rating these days), and see if you really like it.

Regarding twins: Twin owner here...I sure like having one. I know the airplane's limitations and know what it can and cannot do on one engine. But it's not for everyone and not for the maintenance faint of heart. Expect to drop big bucks when things go mechanically awry.

SkyHigh is sort of wrong, sort of right when it comes to buying a twin. In fairness, many general aviation twins are equipped with two engines so that one may be used to arrive at the scene of an accident (this is said tongue-in-cheek). They do NOT have the dramatically improved safety record that you would think having twice the powerplants would have. (To be fair to the airplanes, there's nothing wrong with them: there's something wrong with their pilots...and their pilots' training.)
SomedayRJ is offline  
Old 07-05-2010, 07:34 PM
  #35  
Line Holder
 
NoseUpAttitude's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Aug 2009
Position: Private Pilot
Posts: 53
Default

Originally Posted by Oldog View Post
you may have insurance issues on the airplane, you may have difficulty finding a good instructor to give training in a private airplane, if (heaven forbid) your instructor gets injured in your airplane you could have some REAL insurance issues . . . I think you're better off using a flight school's airplanes
What about flying club owned airplanes? Reason I'm asking is because I joined a private flying club to get access to a IFR Cessna 172N (160hp) for $69/hr and a IFR Cessna 182 (235hp) for $95 wet, Hobbs time. Plus $80/mo dues. My FBO that I found my CFII at is renting a 172SP (180hp) for $125 and a Cherokee 140 for $100/hr. I like the club because I can actually take the plane and some friends on a week long cross country trip with no daily minimum of flown hours if I wanted to. Couldn't do that with the FBO planes.

I joked with my CFII that I should be paying him cash under the table instead of going through the FBO. I'm sure he is fine with flying in a privately own airplane or otherwise he wouldn't be doing it. And the FBO charges $1 extra per hour for instruction if you bring your airplane instead of flying one of theirs.
NoseUpAttitude is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
CANAM
Hangar Talk
116
10-19-2011 09:35 PM
johnso29
Major
188
08-12-2010 04:06 AM
JetBlast77
Regional
44
07-19-2009 01:19 PM
vagabond
Hiring News
4
04-08-2009 08:03 AM
flyboyjake
Part 135
40
12-19-2008 12:20 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices