Having your own aircraft

[Bandit12]

My goal is to build my own. Still looking for the time, and physical space (too many bikes in the garage), but the start may not be too far away. It will probably only be a single seater, and not flash. But my theory is that if I can fly something at a reasonable cost most of the time, I can always hire something a little more fancy when needed.

 

 

[Mick]

Why do people want to get there so fast? Don't they like flying? Nev

Part of the reason I want the speed is that the quicker you can get there the less exposed you are to unforseen weather. The longer the trip the more likely conditions will change.

 

The most common trip I do takes 6-6.5 hours at 115kts, done in two stages with a fuel / food stop on the way. For me that is more than enough flying for a day. At say 80kts it would be well in excess of what I want to do in a day.

 

Yes I do really like flying, but I am always wary of the fact that with flying you have to be at your best at the end of the trip to land at a not so familiar strip in conditions that will not always be as nice as when you left home. This when you are starting to risk battling fatigue.

 

When it comes to flying for fun I can stooge around at 75-80kt, but when travelling it is nice to get there quick.

 

 

[J170 Owner]

If I sit in a plane (Jabiru) for more than about 90 minutes you have to get me out with a shoe horn.

 

 

[djpacro]

I'm with you J170, the Pitts lacks some comfort features especially with a chute. The majority of flights throughout my life have been about 20 minutes. Majority of my flying hours are with 1 hr flights. Occasional cross-country but I get bored or scared easily. I'm nearly as happy polishing the spinner as I am flying and that is one benefit of ownership that rental doesn't provide.

 

 

[petetheprinta]

If I sit in a plane (Jabiru) for more than about 90 minutes you have to get me out with a shoe horn.

That's because you are getting old and arthritic and seize up lol. (that's interesting, no smileys on an iPad) Ian...IAN aha... There they are

 

 

[Admin]

(that's interesting, no smileys on an iPad) Ian...IAN

Just one of the many limitations of an Ipad and the "norm" of everyone else...the new Samsung 8.9 4g pad is scoring some good points and being the first 4g pad out there, and Android as well

 

 

[djpacro]

People used to complain that I never used smilies, they should make allowances for people like me who use iStuff.

 

The iStuff works very well in one's own airplane, I must say.

 

 

[Admin]

what you can do is go to the "Help" on the main menu, select smilies and see the code to enter in your post for the smiley you want...it is a : word followed by another : and that smiley will be inserted this post with the smiley is being entered from my Ipad

 

 

[dazza 38]

I meant more like this http://www.p1international.com/homepage.php

There was a club in Brisbane years ago.People joined the club, then the could hire the exotic cars which the club owned.They had things like a Porche 911, A Shelby Cobra replica.I think they may have had a Farrari as well. I think the porche was on the weekend $500 for the day.Less during the week.This was around the mid ninties.

 

 

[andrew1975]

Hi every one, very interesting posts. I guess it matters little wether you own or hire, as long as flying is attainable to us poor average Australians. At least rec pilots can run our planes on mogas and not pay a carbon tax on it yet!

 

I have a Brumby 610, pretty cheap to run, but I don't pay to shed it and can land it on my farm so that helps. Insurence is about 2300, and then reg and depreciation etc.

 

Don't actually want to add it up really. Best not to know and just have fun. I do use it a fair bit for work and in my mind it is saving me time and money ( at least that's the official line to my better half) and she loves flying with me!

 

As for all those guys with creaking bones and bad backs, I recently took my 95 year old grandmother for a fly in it. My wife is an occupational therapist and knew the best technique forgetting her in the plane, but my grandmother loved it. She did comment at the time that she had had a long life and didn't mind if it ended in a plane crash.... Glad to see she trusts my flying!

 

 

[Herm]

I had a good friend of mine pass away some years ago. His family wanted me to have his hangar and I wanted to own it. I agreed to purchase it in shares with another friend.

 

I don't think the club would let me keep one of thier planes in my hangar, so I just had to get my own......

 

No only partly true, I just like having my own stuff that I know has been taken good care of. I simply trust myself more and putting polish on my plane is far more fun than on the car

 

Mardy

 

 

[eightyknots]

Ah righteo Mick, yeah going back to 80kt would be a bit frustrating then!

NO!! It's a great speed!

 

 

[eightyknots]

Its the first model Autocar - I think they have 130hp - later ones had the more powerful one

IanR: have you ever seen the Auster Autocar in the Darwin Aviation Museum? It was owned by a Salvation Army captain who flew it around the outback for many years to minister to the faithful all over the country. After many years of operation, it was replaced by a more modern aircraft and the Autocar went into this museum.

 

(The first model aircraft I ever built was an Auster Autocar so I have a bit of a soft spot for them)

 

 

[boingk]

My other half always says in her argument, when i mention buying a aircraft.It is more expensive to own than hire.I simply say.You are right.I cannot argue with that.But your dead for a long time and you cant take money with you.

I used to be charged $185/hr (I think?) for hiring a Gazelle, including all landing and fuel costs.

 

Now I pay $50 a week hangar rent, $105 on the loan for the plane and the remaining $30 would make up my fuel & oil cost for an hours flying. If you factor in maintenance at $10 an hour then all I need to do is fly more than one hour a week to make parity with hiring... so why not own the aircraft?

 

Do the math. Buying can certainly be an unexpectedly reasonable option.

 

Cheers - boingk

 

 

[eightyknots]

I used to be charged $185/hr (I think?) for hiring a Gazelle, including all landing and fuel costs.Now I pay $50 a week hangar rent, $105 on the loan for the plane and the remaining $30 would make up my fuel & oil cost for an hours flying. If you factor in maintenance at $10 an hour then all I need to do is fly more than one hour a week to make parity with hiring... so why not own the aircraft?

 

Do the math. Buying can certainly be an unexpectedly reasonable option.

 

Cheers - boingk

Another factor, not really talked about much in this thread, is that some aircraft owners get a thrill from putting together their own plane.

 

It's impossible to place a dollar-value on the sheer joy of aeroplane construction (and the sense of completion that follows) for some owners.

 

 

[Mick]

Do the math. Buying can certainly be an unexpectedly reasonable option.

Cheers - boingk

In a good year I will do 80+ hours and my wife will do close to 50. When doing those sort of hours it is definitely worth owning. However the last couple of years have not been like that. I am about to do an annual and in the last year the Skylark has only done 39 hours.

 

But where we live there are no RAAus aircraft available for hire so it is still worth owning or we would not have flown at all.

 

Also in alot of cases it is not easy to hire an aircraft to go away for a week or 2.

 

Justifying ownership is definitely alot easier when the minister for finance flies too! Ok, I mean the Prime Minister as the only port folio's I hold are the minster of aviation & transport.

 

 

[IanR]

IanR: have you ever seen the Auster Autocar in the Darwin Aviation Museum? It was owned by a Salvation Army captain who flew it around the outback for many years to minister to the faithful all over the country. After many years of operation, it was replaced by a more modern aircraft and the Autocar went into this museum.(The first model aircraft I ever built was an Auster Autocar so I have a bit of a soft spot for them)

No - have not seen that one - years since I have been there.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Now I pay $50 a week hangar rent, $105 on the loan for the plane and the remaining $30 would make up my fuel & oil cost for an hours flying. If you factor in maintenance at $10 an hour then all I need to do is fly more than one hour a week to make parity with hiring... so why not own the aircraft?

Cheers - boingk

Hi Boingk, can I ask what the purchase price of your aircraft was?

Cheers,

 

Mark.

 

 

[boingk]

Hi Boingk, can I ask what the purchase price of your aircraft was?

You can! PM sent.

 

- boingk

 

 

[Guest nunans]

I'm very glad I bought my own plane (even though it's only a little two stroke) It's been slow going doing the TW, LP, 2S endorsements, building a hangar, making a strip etc. But i'm now looking forward to doing many hours of the cheapest powered flying one can do.

 

I'm also looking to buy a 912 powered 2 seater when I find the right one, then I can baby sit my daughter and go flying at the same time. So much fun to be had..

 

What a lucky group we are indeed.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I used to be charged $185/hr (I think?) for hiring a Gazelle, including all landing and fuel costs.Now I pay $50 a week hangar rent, $105 on the loan for the plane and the remaining $30 would make up my fuel & oil cost for an hours flying. If you factor in maintenance at $10 an hour then all I need to do is fly more than one hour a week to make parity with hiring... so why not own the aircraft?

 

Do the math. Buying can certainly be an unexpectedly reasonable option.

 

Cheers - boingk

I hire tecnams for $155 PH, $185 sounds steep for a gazelle.

 

 

[Tomo]

$185 sounds steep for a gazelle.

Can hire a C172 for cheaper than that! With fuel!

 

 

[Compulsion]

ASC if member Jabiru 170 $106/hour. FK9 $130/hour both wet.

 

 

[dazza 38]

ASC if member Jabiru 170 $106/hour. FK9 $130/hour both wet.

That is good.Real good

 

 

[petetheprinta]

ASC if member Jabiru 170 $106/hour. FK9 $130/hour both wet.

Sshhhhh. Don't tell everyone!!!