Costs RA vs GA

[Jaba-who]

Markproa I would say that GAExperimental would be cheaper. No rego, or RAAus fees. Medical RAMPC for GA costs whatever your GP charges. I got one last week for no cost, being a pensioner. The unknown is cost of BFR, which varies with instructors. For me I paid about 400 dollars for a GA review last year. That covers me for RAAus, but flying a single seat RAAus plane, I have had several free BFRs, but have also hired a Jab and paid about 200.So there is not much in it, but I would go the GA route if I was you.

Are you saying your GP did your RAMPC at no cost ( to you or anyone else -strictly speaking that means at the GPs cost) or are you implying he/she did it and charged it to Medicare so did it for a cost but just not to you?

 

 

[Yenn]

Jaba

 

My GP didn’t charge me this year. The doctor was not my usual doctor and I left her saying thanks and all I have to do now is pay. She seemed surprised and when I got to the desk they didn’t ask for payment. Surprisingly I didn’t query their decision.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

That’s good for you. Little surprising though. Maybe the fact it was a locum meant they were happy to break the rules for someone else’s practice.

 

Under Medicare law it is illegal for a doctor to bill Medicare for any form of medical examination for licences, insurances etc. the full cost of the examination etc has to be covered by the patient ( or sometimes insurance companies cover it for insurance medicals).

 

Medicare is only to cover doctors costs where medical problems are suspected and/or found.

 

If the doctor gets caught it is really really big time badness. Medicare audits the doctors practice at the doctors expense then requires repayment of every suspect Medicare payment and then charges the doctor for every offence and will usually take the doctor to court for fraud. They may then be struck off the register for some period of time and usually get some form of restriction of billing when that period of penalty is finished.

 

DAMEs ( and almost all DAMEs are GPs) have no specialist level billing for medicals so when CASA make out that the new basic Class 2 which they are saying will only need a GP will be easier -it will only be easier to find a doctor but not any cheaper.

 

Of course there is much debate as to whether you should keep your own GP who knows what your real ( aka important) health out of any loop which involves CASA. So even if you decide to use a GP not a DAME for a Basic class 2 you probably should seek out a seperate GP anyway.

 

My own philosophy being that it is so well proven that your real health bears no relationship to flying health that you should keep them very very seperate. You don’t want the testing GP being privy to irrelevant stuff which will stop you getting a pass tick in every box.

 

 

[Yenn]

Not a locus, just another doctor in the practice.

 

I think I would be better served using my normal GP, as they usually comment upon how fit I am.

 

 

[facthunter]

Don't they add "For your age"? You can tell ME. I won't let others know. Nev

 

 

[kaz3g]

You will save the cost of your membership in just 15 or so landings at places that charge landing fees.

 

Good on RAAUS holding firm on non-disclosure of members personal information.

 

Kaz

 

 

[poteroo]

The unknown is cost of BFR, which varies with instructors. For me I paid about 400 dollars for a GA review last year. That covers me for RAAus, but flying a single seat RAAus plane, I have had several free BFRs, but have also hired a Jab and paid about 200

I'm really curious about your quoted BFR costs.

$400 would be a bit below average for GA I'd think, unless it was done in a 2 seater. Anything less than 1.0 hr flying time would be arguable, I think, = $280 dual ? For a C172, probably charged out @ $330/hr dual. Add to this another 1.0 hr 'instructor' time doing either a written test, or an aural one, plus some time for a pre-flight briefing. 2.0 - 2.5 hrs of an instructors time.

 

An RAAus BFR in a Jab for $200? Recently?

 

Lastly, a 'free' single seat BFR? Never heard of one. Surely it required the aural or written test, a pre-flight briefing with instructions as to the sequences to be flown in full view of the airport, plus an hour watching you?

 

Anyway, as I mentioned, I'm curious, because I couldn't get within a bulls' roar of operating for what you've (fortunately) been able to negotiate.

 

happy days,

 

 

[Markproa]

You will save the cost of your membership in just 15 or so landings at places that charge landing fees.Good on RAAUS holding firm on non-disclosure of members personal information.

Kaz

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you saying they can't charge you because they don't have your details?

Mark

 

 

[Yenn]

An RAAus BFR costs whatever the instructor wants to charge. I have never had any written or aural test. Maybe it depends upon wether or not the instructor knows your abilities.

 

I did once ask an instructor who happened to be with a CASA rep if Ye could do me a single seat BFR. I was told what to do, went off and did it and I assume that they both could have followed me.

 

The GA was in a club aeroplane and I got some discount.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

I've got my first BFR coming middle this year in over 38 yrs driving planes, hope I don't have to study too much -:)

 

 

[turboplanner]

You might be subjected to this new aural test....

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Hope it tastes alright! Over 30 yrs of commercial driving they can't do much else to me!

 

 

[kaz3g]

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you saying they can't charge you because they don't have your details?Mark

Yes.

 

 

[SDQDI]

If you can taste something they give you aurally you have serious problems

 

While doing my last BFR I did get asked the standard questions while the instructor ticked his notepad. I don't remember doing any written test.

 

 

[biggles]

You might be subjected to this new aural test....

Done by a "locus" ( #29 ) maybe ..... Bob

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Not a locus, just another doctor in the practice.I think I would be better served using my normal GP, as they usually comment upon how fit I am

I would have to say that your reasoning is not correct.The GP or even specialists doing assessments have NO capacity to use their judgement as to how fit or otherwise they feel you are to fly.

 

That’s a big problem part of the CASA system.

 

The doc examines you and fill out a form which has tick boxes or boxes for findings etc. as to what they find when they examine you.

 

They are not allowed to use judgement.

 

When the examination is done if you have got ticks in all the boxes then you pass. If you don’t then the doc ( of whatever persuasion he /she is ) is not able to give you a pass based on their feelings about your capacity - whether they feel you are fit for your age or not.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

I would have to say that your reasoning is not correct. The GP or even specialists doing assessments have NO capacity to use their judgement as to how fit or otherwise they feel you are to fly.That’s a big problem part of the CASA system.

 

The doc examines you and fill out a form which has tick boxes or boxes for findings etc. as to what they find when they examine you.

 

They are not allowed to use judgement.

 

When the examination is done if you have got ticks in all the boxes then you pass. If you don’t then the doc ( of whatever persuasion he /she is ) is not able to give you a pass based on their feelings about your capacity - whether they feel you are fit for your age or not.

All very true. But specialists who do have not dealt with CASA before have a lot of trouble accepting that CASA don’t want their opinion, only the facts. I’ve had a bit of trouble getting specialists to write down more facts and less opinion!

[Guest Guest]

If you can taste something they give you aurally you have serious problems While doing my last BFR I did get asked the standard questions while the instructor ticked his notepad. I don't remember doing any written test.

I think you missed the humor in that one!

[manna]

After holding both the RA-Aus Pilot certificate and a PPL and having the aircraft in RA, I have ended up having the aircraft in GA Experimental and dropping the RA Pilot certificate. I was not going to pay for a membership every year just to hold the certificate and complete a BFR when I do not fly RA aircraft. GA Experimental Registration have given me more feedoms and did open up airfields to which I had no access to in RA. I no-longer pay any registration fees for the aircraft and my Licence is not dependent on paying a yearly membership fee, like RA pilot certificate is.

 

Just my 2 cents worth

 

 

[turboplanner]

This has morphed into a general discussion.

 

The OP had some very specific requirements, such as in Post #5, which I suspect some of the more recent advice wouldn't be suitable for.

 

 

[Markproa]

This has morphed into a general discussion.The OP had some very specific requirements, such as in Post #5, which I suspect some of the more recent advice wouldn't be suitable for.

OP here. It's all been relevant to getting an overview of real world costs of RA vs GA. Thanks everyone. I'm still not sure which way to go and to throw a spanner in the works I've just been offered an unfinished project which is tempting. Same French plane with diesel engine, trouble is I wouldn't have completed 51%.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Most threads drift off, part of the knowledge base that everyone has, we are all different, no one in here is like another, thank God!

 

 

[Erik Snyman]

Most threads drift off' date=' part of the knowledge base that everyone has, we are all different, no one in here is like another, thank God![img']https://www.recreationalflying.com/xf_step/upload/uploads/emoticons/001_smile.gif.bb705e7282f2f19cc33cc5f00844ef33.gif[/img]

Boys and GirlsAfter being a PPL pilot for a long time, and a military pilot for even longer before that, I played with my share of home-builts and various ways of powering them. I returned to GA and bought a C172 for very reasonable money. My LAME is a personal friend, and he maintains the 172 as needed. Now the point: Anual for the plane: AUS$2500. Hangarage: $80/month. And this is the crux:..........Peace of mind.......Priceless.

 

Erik in Oz.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

$80 a month for hangerage? Wow move over that's cheap as chips!!

 

 

[Erik Snyman]

$80 a month for hangerage? Wow move over that's cheap as chips!!

The point is, I see no advantage of RA over GA if I LOOK AT MY OWN COSTS. A medical every two years, which is probably advantageous at my age, anyway. If you fly the average 50 hours per year, a few bucks more for 100 LL fuel. Hangerage costs the same. Plane`s annual....I don`t know what say a Jabby`s annual costs, but if nothing is wrong on the 172, I pay $2500. If you do your own annual, you still have to figure in your time at a price. When I look at prices for RA aircraft, for the price of a VERY average ultralight, I can buy two used 172`s. And I have two extra seats, to boot. The initial cost of the PPL is more than that of a sport pilot, but by the time you have done all the "add-ons" on a RA certificate, like radio, nav, flight in restricted areas, etc. I think the cost will come out about even. I MAY be wrong on the last point, as I can only go on what I hear and read.As always, this is MY OWN findings. Your mileage may vary.

 

Erik in Oz.