New here…pressing question, need help

[Drexus]

Hey, new to the forum. I’ve had plans to work on my private pilot license for a while now. Life happened. I got my intro flight and 1 lesson and then had to move and have been on hold since then.

 

Currently I have a very unrelated aviation question I really need help with. Sorry in advance if this is not in the right section.

 

Anyways, I find myself wanting to track down an affordable private pilot to fly me from far west Texas to the central Texas area and back. I can not for the life of me find anything of the sort online. All I come up with is jet charters. I just need a reliable pilot in something like a Cessna who can save me from a 8 hour drive each way from time to time.

 

Can anyone help me figure out how to track someone down? It would be greatly appreciated, especially since I need to be able to get back to the big city for doctor visits over heath concerns.

 

Thanks!

[Jerry_Atrick]

Hey Drexus,

 

This is predominantly an Aussie flying forum, but a few international memebers are abouts.

 

Where abouts in West Texas are you from?

 

I haven't been there for years, but there are a couple of things you want to think about first:

• You may want to read the FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations). They will give you an idea of the rules of aviation. Although, paying a private pilot for a flight can only be done under a cost sharing arrangement (https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-285).  So you will have to find a PPL who will want to share the cost with you, or you may be risking his or her licence and they may not be very comfortable with it.
• I am guessing the request is not to fly you to your flying lessons (El Paso has some great schools - I flew there about 28 years ago). My advice would be to get your PPL ASAP and fly yourself (of course, when you have got enough hours and experience post PPL, and when the weather permits). You can go to a flying school and they may have an AOC (when I flew there, the schools had to have an AOC, but they may no longer be requied to). Note, I flew as a PPL; nothing commerical. They may fly you but it will be commercial rates; but at the end of the day, the US commercial rates are usually not bad compared to many other countries. But of all things, remember, a licence is a licence to learn - you start with a full bucket of luck and empty bucket of experience, and hope the experiencce bucket fills before the luck bucket runs out.

 

If you want to try and track someone down to see if they will cost share, getting to a local club or school may yield results - depends on the school, club, or FBO  (note, if some agrees and theyt aren't instrument rated, you will be at the mercy of good weather, and even if they are, your risks in a single pilot IFR, single engine private  flight in inclement weather increases sginificantly). I would recommend watcing some of Pilot Debrief's vids on youtube - this bloke is an ex USAF safety investigator and you want to go into such an arrangement with your eyes wide open: https://www.youtube.com/@pilot-debrief/videos

 

(BTW, fellow forumites, his last video is the missionary aviator who used to post clips on these forums.. interesting stuff).

 

 

 

Best of luck with your flying. You are in one of the best countries for PPL flying. You have a plethora of airspace and airfields and, as my US aviation medical examiner said, "where else in the world does the taxpayer willingly subsidise what we love doing?" The FAA, like every regulator has its foibles, but what other regulator publishes and provides for free, the theory required for virtually all of its licences (not sure about the ATPL, though). Here is the PPL theory: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak

Edited September 1 by Jerry_Atrick

[Drexus]

I am not aware of the details but I was under the impression that a private pilot was someone who could be hired, as in chartering their plane and paying them to fly you where you needed to go. Almost like calling a taxi, just very expensive and in the air.

[Drexus]

And for the record I’m out in the Terlingua area, around Big Bend National park.

[pmccarthy]

No, a private pilot cannot fly for hire or reward. You need a commercial pilot, who is trained and tested to a higher standard.

[Drexus]

Ok, that makes sense. I guess my lack of knowledge is skewing my definitions. So what I would be looking for, if such a thing or person exists, is some with a small single prop piston plane (affordable flight) that is a “commercial” pilot. Or am I looking for something that doesn’t really exist?

It’s sounding like “private pilot” is just a class of legal operator for their own uses, does that sound more accurate?

[Jerry_Atrick]

The internet is a wonderful thing these days. Rio aviation at Terlingua airport may do something for you, but I think you may want to take a wander (or mosey) to Lajitas (I am guessing pronounced La-Hitas) as theere may be an FBO there that can help.

 

A private pilot is just that - someone who can fly privately - not commercially.. Consider us PPLs, amateurs - in my case, a rank amateur...

 

[Drexus]

I actually called Lajitas once about their flights but they were very clear that they only provide airport access to their “resort guests”. I will try and look up Rio Avaiation and see what they can do. Otherwise I guess I’m stuck with going out of Midland International on an actual commercial flight.

 

Thanks for the help, you learn something new every day. Hopefully I’ll be back with technical questions to help me get through flight school next time 🤞 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Hey, this is like Hotel California - you can check outm, but you can never leave 😉

 

Stay and participate with the forums - they are more light sports than PPL, but you learn a hell of a lot, as I have (I am based int he UK, although an Aussie). And the forumites are friendly..

[440032]

Drexus - look here (y'all...)

 

Angel Flight America - Home Page. Providing free flights to those in need.

 

 

I spent a month in Texas one day six weeks ago....... stuck in Houston for a few hours....