Knot Head

Ok, here it goes. I decided in December that I wanted to become a pilot and I’ve been trying to learn what I can, and work towards that goal. I already took an introductory flight and I’m hooked. I’m 32, just sold my house to make this happen, moved back in with Mom and Dad, have no kids, no wife or current girlfriend. So basically my monthly bills will be almost nothing and I’m free to do whatever is best for the career. I consider myself to be lucky with the situation especially since my home sale ended up being far more lucrative than I expected. As the title states, after the dust has settled, taxes and bills are paid, I will be left with 90k in the savings account free and clear.

This leads me to APC forums. After doing some research, I know I’m not interested in going to ATP. I have many options for small flight schools in my area, I live in Southern California. About 10 miles north of John Wayne Airport, SNA. I am interested in using a smaller school but I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a small plane and possibly having instructors teach me on that instead of paying the full hourly rate. At the very least, use it for any of the hours that I would not need dual instruction. From what I can gather I would not be the first person to do this and it is not completely crazy, but feels crazy and was not received well when I pitched it to my family. Which I anticipated. I’m not dead set on the idea just brainstorming different ways to go about flight school given the situation I am in. I understand that purchasing an airplane carries a lot of risk, but the way I see it, done right and barring any major mechanical issues, it could be highly rewarding.

So I guess here are some of my questions:

If I were to get a plane how early on in training would be a reasonable time to purchase it? My thoughts being the earlier the better so that the savings help pay for the plane.

Would a small plane like a Cessna 150 or a larger plane like a Cessna 172 be a better choice? Not necessarily those exact airplanes but something in a similar class of size and power. Piper variants etc. The idea of the larger plane being able to possibly to freelance CFI with it. The smaller plane I was thinking I could just time build with my own money saved from the cheaper initial purchase price and cheaper cost to run and maintain.

Right now I’m leaning towards completing my private pilots license first. Then picking up a small 150 or piper and as someone else put it, “burn VFR holes in the sky all day”. But I can’t escape the idea of having something with a little more power and IFR capabilities. Or even something like a Taildragger.

I apologize for the long post but I thought the more information the better. My final question, some of the local schools have options for training in a Cessna with G1000 avionics. Is that something that would actually be useful to have experience with before going to a regional? If so how much time would be needed to become proficient?20 to 30 hours? 100 to 200 hours? Not necessary? Thank you for even reading this, if you can answer even one question thank you.

JamesNoBrakes

No question, invest that 90K, get a job that pays decently enough so you can pay your way through flight training, even if it takes a few years.

kettlechips

Don't worry about the g100 stuff. Sure it's cool and nice to have, but I personally felt (and have found out while teaching) that the transition from steam to glass tends to be smoother and quicker than from glass to steam.

I teach in the area, and find that John wayne can be a difficult airport to train out of (come over to KTOA!)

bluesky24

I would check to see how much it costs for tie down fees for a plane at your local airport. What the costs are for aviation fuel 100LL are around your local area. Also you’ll need annual inspections and 100 hour inspections so you will need money to pay for all those. Those costs may be cheaper than paying a flight school for your flight training over time if you purchase a plane-but not by much. If you spend most of your $90,000 on the plane you will still need to spend a lot of money every time you fly so you will need steady income even after purchasing an aircraft. The $90,000 would be better to invest in a mutual fund and then pay as you go through flight training as someone commented earlier. That’s just my advice, but its cheap

TiredSoul

If you have a decent car then Lyft and Uber on the side for living expenses and operating cost of the car so your $90k is only used for flight training and not anything else.
Put it in some sort of account that gives some interest.
DO NOT buy a plane.
It may seem a sensible idea but it rarely is unless you’ve grown up in aviation and you know what you’re looking for and you can find a great deal.
Get some glass experience but do it after your CPL or do your CFI in a G1000 airplane.
You want the dual experience for sure.

takingmessages

*DO* buy a plane.
But not any plane.
I did my instrument, commercial and CFI in my Super Viking.
No regrets.

You won't need 100 hours inspections, for as long as you don't rent it or lease it back (which may not be a bad idea)

There are risks, but if you buy the right plane (and get reasonably lucky), you'll get all your ratings and sell the plane for what you bought it for.

And don't worry about the G1000.
Most VFR new students fly better when the panel is covered with a sectional.
True story...

Tailwheel?
HELL YEAH!!!
Please PM if you need more info, I have bought, trained in, and sold several airplanes. Tailwheel, nosewheel, multi(s), gliders, everything...

FlyinPig

If you’re looking into going into 121 flying as soon as possible, I’d suggest doing your training at an accredited Part 141 school so that you can get an R-ATP. That would make for 500 less hours of towing banners or instructing before making your way into an airline.

viper548

You need to go thru a 4 year college degree program to do that.

viper548

If you decide to buy a plane, I'd suggest you look at 4 seat planes unless you're a small guy. A C-152 with two 200lb pilots doesn't leave room for fuel.
Personally, I would go with a Piper Cherokee that's set up for IFR with the 6 pack set up, or a Grumman Tiger. 172's are great but they cost a lot more to buy.

sourdough44

I’m a bit partial to the Piper line, Cherokee of some flavor or Warrior. That said, I wouldn’t rush into buying a plane anyway. Ownership would be more of a distraction to ‘faster track’ flight training.

Can you go off to a flight school somewhere & move things along in a timely fashion?

When learning to fly there’s little need to push buttons, G-1000 or whatever. A little steam & learning the basics of flying is what you need.