How Many Licensed Private Pilots here?

[Machias]

[kselkhunter]

One of my hunting partners has his own plane.  Bought it cheap for like $10K (and old Piper TriPacer), but it's like 50 years old.  Still flies great though.  The hard part is making sure you have hangar space for it.  I'd love to get my license and a plane that I could also use for my business trips, but hangar space is impossible to find right now where I live. 


It is pretty cool though as my buddy flies into the nearest mountain air strips where we are hunting and I drive and pick him up.  Sometimes he takes me up for scouting trips for elk before the season starts so we can get a general idea.  I've taken the controls many times once up in the air.   Fun times.   He flies quite a bit for fun.   


If it's just a plane for enjoyment and not trying to haul a moose out, the light sport aircraft are pretty cool and are likely what I'd buy.  They sip gas, and many that run the Rotax engines can run on either avgas or ethanol-free automotive gas (ie boat gas).   They just have the downside of a specific weight limit to be classified as an LSA.  They have lighter pilot restrictions too (no medical, etc.).   But I'd still get a regular pilots license so I could at least rent a larger aircraft sometime if I needed it.   


My wife took her pilots lessons in a Cirrus SR20 back when we lived in Boise (there is a great flight school there).  Man those things are fast, and more difficult to learn on especially take off and landing.  I went up a few times with her and the instructor, very cool plane.  I'd suggest a regular old Cessna to learn on. 

[Taco280AI]

Very cool Taco280AI, hope you get the A320. I like the leg room configuration of the A320. United's 737 configuration is awful, my femurs do not fit in economy seats.

I did get the Bus and am flying again. LAX to Chicago then Phoenix tomorrow. Then a 30 hour Lihue overnight the next day in a 321NEO, before going back to LA. Nice flying plane, comfortable and quiet. Had a 737 jumpseater with us who commented how quiet it was in comparison, and roomy up front. I like it so far 

[jackson7]

 plenty of flying clubs with planes, as well as guys selling shares in planes. get some time out flying with other pilots.   Enjoy the journey.
 

[C-Money]

Very cool Taco280AI, hope you get the A320. I like the leg room configuration of the A320. United's 737 configuration is awful, my femurs do not fit in economy seats.

I did get the Bus and am flying again. LAX to Chicago then Phoenix tomorrow. Then a 30 hour Lihue overnight the next day in a 321NEO, before going back to LA. Nice flying plane, comfortable and quiet. Had a 737 jumpseater with us who commented how quiet it was in comparison, and roomy up front. I like it so far 

Thats great to hear!! Glad you are flying, what a great job to have. The A321 is really nice! Agree, the Airbus is very quiet. I am a American made guy through & through, and should look forward to riding in a Boeing, but Airbus really makes some nice airplanes that are very comfortable. I'd even ride anywhere on a CRJ-200 before I ever wanna get on a United 737 again!!

[Taco280AI]

Very cool Taco280AI, hope you get the A320. I like the leg room configuration of the A320. United's 737 configuration is awful, my femurs do not fit in economy seats.

I did get the Bus and am flying again. LAX to Chicago then Phoenix tomorrow. Then a 30 hour Lihue overnight the next day in a 321NEO, before going back to LA. Nice flying plane, comfortable and quiet. Had a 737 jumpseater with us who commented how quiet it was in comparison, and roomy up front. I like it so far 

I'd even ride anywhere on a CRJ-200 before I ever wanna get on a United 737 again!!

Let's not get carried away now 

[jackelope]

@Born2late

[Born2late]

Not a licensed pilot but learned enough to fly my best friends 185 and his bird dog.
grew up in the aviation industry building kit planes for customers.
Have built a bunch of glasairs 1,2s and 3. Also have built glastars ,fiberglass floats for 185s and 206s, built composite propellers also.
If i was going to get a plane of my own it would be a sportsman if a kit plane ,quality kit and very forgiving to fly plus you can trailer it home so you don't have to have a hanger to keep it in
.For a certified plane i'd get a birddog because they are just awesome to fly and cool history behind them. look on you tube their is video of a guy with his whole family stuffed in one landing it on a carrier after fleeing vietnam.

[Machias]

Born2late, this one?  https://www.kitplanes.com/glasair-sportsman-kits-available-again/

[Born2late]

Machias, yes thats the one. They are made in arlington.
Fun to build and really fun and easy to fly.
You can put the heavy gear on it and run the big tundra tires or run it on floats or have the nose wheel on it for the 3rd option of gear set ups.
My Good friend has one that is probably one of the most heavily modified made and the thing is awesome.
What is cool is you can do all your own work building it and can set the plane up to suit what you will want to use it for.

[Naches Sportsman]

Still looking at getting mine before 35. Had a conversation with “pd” (Daniel) on here in October about par 61 schools and his business. If any of you are thinking about getting yours and are in the Seattle area, get in touch with him.

Since the people in my career field are getting a 50% pay increase, it is  in the back of my mind to look at my commercial fixed wing and rotor licenses some point and saving my body from being beat up for the next 20 years.

I’m working in the Aviation sector this winter to gain experience and can say that there is a pilot shortage.

[LongBomb]

Still looking at getting mine before 35. Had a conversation with “pd” (Daniel) on here in October about par 61 schools and his business. If any of you are thinking about getting yours and are in the Seattle area, get in touch with him.

Since the people in my career field are getting a 50% pay increase, it is  in the back of my mind to look at my commercial fixed wing and rotor licenses some point and saving my body from being beat up for the next 20 years.

I’m working in the Aviation sector this winter to gain experience and can say that there is a pilot shortage.

Not to derail but 50% wage increase?.....what career are you in??

[KFhunter]

burger flippers got a 50% wage increase 

but they ain't buying airplanes

[Naches Sportsman]

Still looking at getting mine before 35. Had a conversation with “pd” (Daniel) on here in October about par 61 schools and his business. If any of you are thinking about getting yours and are in the Seattle area, get in touch with him.

Since the people in my career field are getting a 50% pay increase, it is  in the back of my mind to look at my commercial fixed wing and rotor licenses some point and saving my body from being beat up for the next 20 years.

I’m working in the Aviation sector this winter to gain experience and can say that there is a pilot shortage.

Not to derail but 50% wage increase?.....what career are you in??

USFS/federal wildland fire. Near a 50% increase that was included in the infrastructure  bill that was passed. still not much but at least I won’t be making the same as a burger flipper for a few years.

[luvmystang67]

I finished my private pilot back in... wanna say 2015.  Haven't flown a ton since finishing.  My wife got hers as well.  We lived in the UK for a while, so not a lot of flying action there, and she's pregnant with our first child as we speak, so perhaps not a lot of flying in my very near future either.  She just got current over the summer, I'm still out of current, but did just renew my medical.  I'd love to be a part owner in a 182 at some point.  I know it makes a lot of sense to rent on paper, but I'm the kind of guy who will USE it if I own it.  I also don't get much joy out of flying around in circles, I like to go places and maybe spend a couple of nights, hard to do with rentals.

I do think it could be fun to fly around in circles in a powered parachute... I might try to get training in that one of these days.

I learned in a C140 at Arlington.  Fun learning plane, great guy there, Jerry Painter at Wild Blue Aviation