Any pilots here?

[johnjohn320]

My dad's a pilot, he really wants me to become one, I'd like to, but I don't really have the time lately. So, just out of curiosity, any other pilots here? I'll post pics of our plane a little later, it's a 1948 Cessna 195. Tail-dragger with a 400hp radial Jacobs engine. *drool* I love it.

 

[XMan]

Johnjohn, one of my buddies owns his own plane and flies it pretty much everywhere - he hates to drive, LOL. The closest I've gotten to flying has been buying 100 octane airplane gas off of my buddy and using it in a snowmobile. WOOHOO!

How do you go about getting a license? I know the planes are actually not as expensive as you would think - I know my buddy Dan only paid like $50K for his Cessna, something like 8 years ago. People are buying trucks for that much now.

It's obviously an expensive hobby . . . but it's a cool expensive hobby.

 

[Azraele]

I heard somewhere that to get your wings, you have to put the plane into a dive/spin (?) and be able to pull it out safely. Any truth to that?

 

[ilkhan_v4]

It depends on the license you want to get. A basic VFR, single engine, private license (i.e. no charging your friends for flights) takes a minimum of 40 hours not including ground time, exams, etc., and the place I went to charged about $60 an hour. So, that's at least $2400 right there, not including books and other equipment. Other licenses go up from there. Training includes basic flight, stalls, spin awareness (I never actually did spins), ground reference (flying around a point), radio navigation, and a lot more.

You only need to practice recovery from a spin to get a CFI (certified flight instructor) license (and maybe an airline transport license). Otherwise they just tell you how to recover without actually doing it (although some sadistic instructors will make you do it anyway). I got up to my third or fourth solo flight (half of those 40 hours are time flying by yourself) before I had to move away to college, so I don't know much about taking the exams or doing cross-country.

 

[GTaudiophile]

I was a private pilot for three years. I soloed at 16, but never got my license as time ran out.

 

[Ultima200]

My grandpa owns a plane, and his friend flies it.

 

[XMan]

LOL!

I guess Russia really is strapped for cash - they're selling surplus jets on the Internet!

YAK-40

Wow! You can get used Cessnas for around 30 grand . . . maybe I'll buy an airplane instead of a new car . . . What's the cost of operation for a plane? Insurance, fuel, maintenance, storage? Anybody know?

 

[troglodytis]

i am currently getting my financing together in order to become a professional helicopter pilot. i'll probly be ready to go in about 6 months. i've got 3 different schools that i am trying to decided between. looks like it will cost me about $45k to get the ratings i need to barely get my foot into the heli industry. most of that will be in the form of loans. i'll be paying it off for the rest of my life, but i'll be flying helicopters!

look out world, this bird is gonna fly!

 

[konichiwa]

My dad is a pilot, he flies a Cessna...something.

 

[PinchyTheLobster]

You could always join the Air Force

 

[huanaku]

My best friend is in flight school right now, has his private pilots and is working on becoming a CFI. He is in a skywest program. It's expensive for the schooling, but he loves it, and looks like it pays well once you get everything done.

 

[Dunbar]

I've got my private pilot's license along with an A&P (mechanic) license and aircraft dispatch certificate. Unfortunately I got the license and pretty much stopped flying. I'd still like to build an airplane one day. My dream plane is an F1 Rocket, 250mph cruise and 4000fpm climb rate along with jet-like flying qualities. A Cessna 195 is a neat airplane, not many radials left out there.

As far as getting the license I'd figure more like 60 hours of total flying and $5k for everything (books, medical, checkride etc.) Best thing to do is go take a few lessons, make sure you're interested in finishing and than immediately get into ground school to take the written. The knowledge for the written will allow you to finish up quicker. I would recommend flying as much as you can, it will be cheaper and less stressful to finish up. Trust me, it took me years of on-and-off flying and I quit many times. As far as planes, they may not be expensive to buy to to insure and maintain they can cost a small fortune.

 

[crab]

I'm a pilot. In fact there's a runway in our backyard. We have a Maule MX7, and a Super Decathlon. The Super Decathlon is for sale, if any of you guys are looking to spend $60,000

I started out flying a Cessna 152, and worked up to the twin engine Piper Seneca. I also worked out of KPHL doing the "dirty" work on Private Jets such as the Falcon 50 (N718DW), Gulfstream IV (N401JL), and a turboprop KingAir B200. I spent many hours at the airport and on airplanes, I love it more than life, but suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury and cant be around planes much anymore.

Our Super Decathlon FOR SALE
Me doing preflight on the Seneca (N28HE)
Me sitting in a Cessna 152 (N4662Q)
Satellite image of our home and the 1500ft grass runway

 

[crab]

anyone else?