Pilot License

[ZoomVT]

Anyone has one?

Im considering going for private pilot license. Being in New England it would be great to just rent a small plane and head to maine or boston or foxwoods and not have to worry about commercial flights, etc.

maybe with some flight experience, venture further south and west. Golfing in South Carolina, or eventually fly myself to vegas

has anyone had any experience? thoughts?

[NightCap424]

Originally Posted by ZoomVT

Anyone has one?

Im considering going for private pilot license. Being in New England it would be great to just rent a small plane and head to maine or boston or foxwoods and not have to worry about commercial flights, etc.

maybe with some flight experience, venture further south and west. Golfing in South Carolina, or eventually fly myself to vegas

has anyone had any experience? thoughts?

I think that would be really cool. Personally, I don't have the time to attain this but I would love to try at some point in my life. I've had a love for flying for quite some time. I think it would be great to pick up and leave for an overnight trip or a week long vacation. How long does it take and how many hours do you have to log in the air before going solo?

[Romanowski]

you dont get a private license and expect to see savings (time or money)

flying yourself around to different destinations

by the time you get the license, log enough hours to do short solo flights, you already invested 15K

then every time you rent your own plane, plus fuel, another lofty sum

not to mention the aircraft you can afford to rent, youre paying a lofty sum

will not be suitable for new england to vegas flights

only reason to attain the license, is for pure joy of the physics behind the power of flight

and a love for the instrumentation, not for convenience

sometimes you will see a few buy a plane as a cooperative, or club

they of course split the time for use, even then its likely a cessna

before beginning with a private pilot license

which basically means you can fly with an instructor as you wont have enough hours in

and spending upwards of 10k for whats boils down to a learners permit

just be clear on all your expectations, and the reality of it all

[ZoomVT]

Romo you make good points but not entirely accurate.

I can get a instructor at 45/hr. And a Cessna 172 for 75/hr. You do about 45 hrs with instructor and another 25 solo. About 8500 total. The you pay fees and books,etc. You can get it for 10k.

At that point you can actually fly solo. Its not a "learners permit " situation. There are restrictions on length and weather but you can earn those with flying time.

As far as the cost. It is fairly comparable to commercial flights. With a club membership you can time share a plane and includes discounts in gas and you can park at the airport for $10 a night and they will even give you a rental.

[GFootsXtreme]

the convenience of taking off and landing when you want is nice

but

not sharing with the public is PRICELESS

fat people, little kids, annoying talkers, irritating old people, foreign languages, smelly people, everybody with colds and flu, airline rules, carryon restrictions GFY!!!!

[ScreaminPain]

I have a Commercial Pilots license with an Instrument rating. And, Yes, it's convenient flying in and out of places without regard to posted schedules.

I persued my flying avocation after my military commitment (Viet Nam) an have a degree in Aviation.....Yep, I'm old....lol

I live in California. Before my current "committed" relationship, I didn't have any trouble finding dates willing to go to Palm Springs, San Diego, Santa Barbara or other semi-local spots for dinner or drinks. We could leave after work, fly for dinner and be home before midnight.....of course if dinner went great and the feeling prevailed, there was inevitable talk of legendary "mile-high club" initiation.

My buddies and I have spent many occasions flying to Vegas for the day and we can be home for dinner. We've gone to Palm Springs for golf and the Colorado river for water-skiing and our wives/girlfriends didn't know we left town.

Aside from the obvious perks, the sheer exilaration of flying and the sights that abound combined with the freedom it affords is, in my opinion, one of the most satisfying things in the world.

Get a license, and you'll never regret it.....

[ghoopin]

I have a couple of buddies that are doing this now. They use a coop plane and have already completed their time with their intructor. They are now just logging air time. One other thing you may be able to do with this if you decide to get your commercial as well is find some part time flying hours for a company. I know a couple of guys that fly a day or two a week for a company out of Cedar Rapids and recooped the cost of their license very quickly.

[iggs111]

Real question is what are we transporting, Zoomer?

[point given]

I did it 15 years ago with some of the same thoughts about how I could zip around at a whim, join the mile high club, and actually save a few bucks over commercial. What I found out is that it creates new problems and ultimately costs a lot of money to stay active. Yeah you can take off on short order after filing flight plans from small airports, but what happens when you reach a destination? You gotta rent a car, get a cab- something to get you around on the ground.

I ended up realizing that I don't have many opportunities to take off and have a golf/casino trip. Haven't flown now in over 10 years and don't really miss it.