Hi All

[Guest mickb]

Hi All. I have finally decided to take the plunge (actually, hope I don't plunge) and get myself a PPL. I have wanted to do so for years but so many people I know have sat their PPL and then funding has caused them to give up flying. My son has just turned teenager and is determinned that he will be a commercial pilot so now I have the justification I need to spend the money on both of us.

 

Can anybody shed any light on a couple of questions I have?

 

1. It appears that there is a shortage of pilots therefore is it worth me going through to commercial rating either to do some part time charter work or work as an instructor (i have a roster that would be friendly for this), the logic being that I could at least part pay for some of my flying hours.
    
    
   
2. Is buying a plane and sitting it at the airport or even cross hiring an option that makes flying cheaper once a PPL has been gained as there are two of us that will want to fly.
    
    
   
3. Any idea of hourly costs in fuel and maintenance for say a Jabiru size aircaft.
    
    
   
4. Heaps of questions I know with potentially a thousand answers but I am trying to gather as much info as I can before I begin.
    
    
   

 

 

 

 

[TAA Student Pilot]

Can anybody shed any light on a couple of questions I have?

1. It appears that there is a shortage of pilots therefore is it worth me going through to commercial rating either to do some part time charter work or work as an instructor (i have a roster that would be friendly for this), the logic being that I could at least part pay for some of my flying hours.
    
   

You could work you way through but don't count on making money from a commercial, up until the last twelve months people were actually paying to work to get hours. That's changed slightly but don't know for how long. You will spend $60,000+ to get a commercial only to make **** money if you actually get paid. People with 1500 of so hours are flying something like a Metro for less than $45,000 a year. Dash 8 captains with regionals are only getting around $65,000. It might change but it hasn't in the last thirty years.

Is buying a plane and sitting it at the airport or even cross hiring an option that makes flying cheaper once a PPL has been gained as there are two of us that will want to fly..

If your going to do a fair bit of flying, it could be cheaper.

 

1. Any idea of hourly costs in fuel and maintenance for say a Jabiru size aircaft.
   

2. Between $50 and $100, maybe more depending on all sorts of variables.
    
    
   

 

 

 

 

1. Heaps of questions I know with potentially a thousand answers but I am trying to gather as much info as I can before I begin.
   

   Talk to everybody you can and don't believe everything that's said