Looking to buy an aircraft in the near future

[YoungAviatior]

Hi,

 

I have my RPC and am currently studying for my PPL/CPL/ATPL and I'm looking into the possibility of purchasing my own aircraft (Raaus registered) rather than hiring all the time.

 

I'm not looking for anything in particular but being a student and only working in retail I don't earn a huge amount. I'm just after any advice or information the community can throw at me.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[apm]

Advice to me from an old pilot many years ago, wish I took his advice.

 

If it F***ks, Fly’s or Float’s = hire it, only buy if money is not an issue.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Buying a plane is not the issue, its maint it and the ongoing costs. I note you added ATPL in yr desires? Good we need more commercial drivers but to get such a ticket you need hours, big bucks right there! Everything about aviation revolves around one thing, MONEY, any mug can fly that's the easy part ( no skill other than being keen) just make sure you have a plan B, the rest will be what it will be, good luck, career wise & buying a plane wise, the latter I often wonder whether it's wise!

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I started flying when I was 18 and it took me until I was 60 to buy my first plane. But now I wish I had done it sooner. Still, I could not have afforded it when I was young and that's why I rented.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

I started flying when I was 18 and it took me until I was 60 to buy my first plane. But now I wish I had done it sooner. Still, I could not have afforded it when I was young and that's why I rented.

Ditto. Family, kids, divorce ( smartest thing ever!) a few other careers along the way to get into the Airlines and multiple properties to make money from all took a toll till I finally did the dumbest thing I've ever done, bought a plane!

 

[cscotthendry]

When I was young I had lots of time and no money. Then I started my career and I had money but no time. Now I'm retired, I have the money and the time and I'm spending like there's no tomorrow. My philosophy is in two parts

 

1) We're here for a good time, not a long time

 

2) He who dies with the most toys wins!

 

Life is not a dress rehearsal. Make the most of every minute you've got.

 

 

[Soleair]

Look for used rag & tube type planes. They sometimes come up for sale at $10,000 or below. But make sure you either know what to look for, or take someone with you who does, when making a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

 

 

[Yenn]

Don't listen to the nay sayers. If you want to buy, go ahead and I am sure you won't regret it. I bought my first plane far too late in life. now I have two, one for sale but GA Experimental, the other a single seat tail dragger so hard to even contemplate selling. Just enjoy flying.

 

 

[408059]

YA

 

I use the concept of 'mission' when making these sorts of decisions. If you want to just potter around for an hour or two every other Sunday then hire. If you want to do aerobatics, fly waterways, or simply fly fast, then you should consider buying.

 

If you want to buy then consider the commitment. Yes there is a financial commitment but there are others as well. There is a committment to finding your new pride and joy a home, to using the aircraft (mechanical things need to be used and not left to rot), and to organising and doing maintenance (it'll be up to you to fix that flat tyre miles from home). I've owned gliders, single seat aircraft and larger and have never regretted it.

 

Cheers

 

 

[spacesailor]

Or Do someone else a favour.

 

Find a builder, and buy in to get it finished quicker, A old guy's two seater will tale take the two of you to places cheaper than doing it all your-self.

 

Theres an awful lot of unfinished aircraft around.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Don't listen to the nay sayers. If you want to buy, go ahead and I am sure you won't regret it. I bought my first plane far too late in life. now I have two, one for sale but GA Experimental, the other a single seat tail dragger so hard to even contemplate selling. Just enjoy flying.

It's not about nay Sayers, anyone contemplating buying a plane needs both sides of the coin exposed to them not just a one sided coin!!

[alf jessup]

When I was young I had lots of time and no money. Then I started my career and I had money but no time. Now I'm retired' date=' I have the money and the time and I'm spending like there's no tomorrow. My philosophy is in two parts1) We're here for a [i']good[/i] time, not a long time2) He who dies with the most toys wins!

 

Life is not a dress rehearsal. Make the most of every minute you've got.

In reference to number 2 Scott, he still dies

[spacesailor]

And, WHO, is to get the "goodies"

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

My plane costs me about $50 a week just sitting in the hangar. That's insurance, hangar costs, rego, licence etc. But, I can afford it because I bought my plane in my mid fifties when all other things were behind me.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

My plane costs me about $50 a week just sitting in the hangar. That's insurance, hangar costs, rego, licence etc. But, I can afford it because I bought my plane in my mid fifties when all other things were behind me.

I gotta move there, $50 a week is incredible inc hanger !

[Jabiru7252]

I gotta move there, $50 a week is incredible inc hanger !

I own my hangar.

 

 

[foxworker]

I think it depends on a number of things, how much money you have to buy one, where you're going to keep it and whether it's registered RAA (numbers) or GA (VH - - -). Is the aircraft factory built or homebuilt, can it be flown in controlled airspace, and so on. Personally I think it is a good idea, as long as you can log the hours you fly in it towards your GA licence. You can pick up a Gazelle around 25-30, it's certified JAR-VLA, factory built 2 seater, able to be flown in controlled airspace, very cheap to run, certain maintenance you can do yourself, and they're ridiculously easy to fly albeit as slow as a wet week. It can also be trailered and stored at your house. This may be well out of your budget but much under that you're severely limited in what you can get for what you want to do.  Cheers

 

 

[Downunder]

I think it depends on a number of things, how much money you have to buy one, where you're going to keep it and whether it's registered RAA (numbers) or GA (VH - - -). Is the aircraft factory built or homebuilt, can it be flown in controlled airspace, and so on. Personally I think it is a good idea, as long as you can log the hours you fly in it towards your GA licence. You can pick up a Gazelle around 25-30, it's certified JAR-VLA, factory built 2 seater, able to be flown in controlled airspace, very cheap to run, certain maintenance you can do yourself, and they're ridiculously easy to fly albeit as slow as a wet week. It can also be trailered and stored at your house. This may be well out of your budget but much under that you're severely limited in what you can get for what you want to do.  Cheers

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cranbrook/miscellaneous-goods/aircraft-skyfox-gazelle/1179191780

 

 

[spacesailor]

QUICK

 

There's a cheap (and I mean super cheap) Jabiru with a crook motor on ebay at the moment.

 

Have a look as it could be a dream come true.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[spacesailor]

That's a Really cheap Jabiru,

 

$9,990 for a repaired frame-work & the engine with new parts in a box,  Pity I couldn't bid on it,  but such is life, 

 

It's the second $ 10grand Jabiru I missed out on, the 1st was in a hanger fire that scorched the top of the wings, new owner bought new wings & went flying.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[poteroo]

I'm not looking for anything in particular but being a student and only working in retail I don't earn a huge amount. I'm just after any advice or information the community can throw at me.

I can appreciate your position - many of us began our careers that way.  Firstly, you need to  'get the horse before the cart' as the old saying goes.  While buying your own aircraft sounds 'logical' - given that you are  only perceiving the advantages it offers you for future training - don't do it.

 

You should firstly consider just what type of flying you'll need to help attain your RPL>PPL>CPL. Only 100 hrs of RAAus flying is allowable when looking at the 200hr CPL. So, RAAus isn't going to be the answer. And, you would require an aircraft with full panel instrumentation to do your RPL and PPL IF experience. For CPL, you'll need an aircraft with accepted navaids, at least up to NVFR level, and capable of 120KIAS and with CSU. That means you need an aircraft worth over $100,000 by my calcs - not worth it.  In any case, as an owner of 11 consecutive aircraft since 1977, I can tell you that they cost far more to operate than the salesman will tell you. Unless you fly an aircraft 300 hrs pa, the overheads/annual charges are going to bury you.

 

In order to learn your flying in aircraft of increasing complexity, you'll need to hire them. There are many ways to achieve good deals, including negotiating with a flying school, or joining an aero club with well equipped aircraft, or finding an owner who is prepared to hire to you for specific blocks of flight. eg, to increase the cross-country hours you need for CPL, you might negotiate the dry hire of an aircraft and take 2-3 passengers with you for a good long inland or northern winter flight. With a hired aircraft - you can have certainty of cost. Cost sharing is a legal and perfectly acceptable way to split the costs of any aircraft flight and this is easily verified when you use a hired aircraft. If you do 20-30 hrs of cross-country flying, yet only pay 1/3rd the total cost - your budget stretches so much further for the other required dual training.

 

Another solution which may/may not work for you is to join in a group ownership scheme. There are quite a few around. Here, you buy a share, which might cost you anywhere from $3000 up to $20,000 - depending on owner numbers and, the value of the aircraft. Then, you fly that aircraft privately whenever you can - the more you fly, the lower becomes the 'overhead' component of each hours flying. Group aircraft are usually insured for training, and so are usable for your higher licence training - but remember that flying schools tend to scale up the instructor rates on outside aircraft. I became a member of the earliest Brisbane flying group in 1964, and did 100s hours in their Victa and C172 - leading on to my CPL.  It worked well for me because I easily onsold my share of $500, (what's that worth now?).

 

I was also very active in trying to meet each and every aircraft owner on Archerfield. I picked up a few 'ferry' flights that way, and also got to fly a Maule M5-210 for the local agent. You don't have to brown-nose to achieve this - a bit of talk, perhaps some help with the aircraft or in the hangar? It goes a long way to proving your character. Owners judge more on character than on what hrs you might have in your logbook. That's life.

 

Good luck in your flying, happy days,

 

 

[spacesailor]

You didn't get the $10 G Jabiru then ?. was hoping you had been the successful bidder.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[skippydiesel]

Without any shade of doubt the ATEC range will give you the best "bang for your buck"

 

Low stall  (all axis control right down & through to stall)

 

STOL capability (TO under 100m)

 

High cruise (low fuel consumption)

 

100L fuel capacity (great range)

 

Low air frame maintenance

 

All Rotax 912/914 options

 

Can now be fitted with Bolly Prop

 

Great cabin comfort & space for two adults (adjustable seats and can be optioned with adjustable peddles).

 

Very quiet in & out (no neighbour complaints)

 

Great safety record.

 

Can be optioned with a ballistic parashoot

 

Australian dealership/support

 

www.atecaircraft.eu/en

 

www.atecplanes.com.au/