Is a Private Pilots License WORTH it?????

Question

I mean, you spend like close to $10k..... so you can fly on your own (and depending if you want to be instrument rated also you spend a little more).....

and then what..... it's really expensive to OWN a plane.... so where can you go use your newly acquired pilots license?????? (or CERTIFICATE as some of you will SURELY correct me!)

I know you can join clubs or rent planes.... but what if you want to fly out of town for a weekend..... obviously plane rentals are hourly, what if you want to go somewhere for a few days.....

Here's my situation. I live a MILE from an airport (Dupage Airport in the chicago suburbs) so it's EASY to get my license..... and easy to access the airport......

say I want to fly out to Denver, or to the Outer banks instead of driving..... would it cost me a TON of money to do something like that if I don't OWN a plane?????

Answer 1

Well, just because you live close to the airport doesn't mean your license is going to be easy.  I studied for a while before even enrolling into flight training and I live down the block from an airport.  It takes getting used to the plane and don't think you're just going to jump into it and drive it like a car.

But you get charged by the hour the ENGINE IS ON. The fees for parking are cheap, gas is pricey, and most rental places make you pay per day (minimum like 6 hours engine time).  Its not like a three day trip is 72 hours times $100.

Answer 2

You can probably learn to fly for less than $10K, but maybe not a whole lot less.

Owning a plane isn't terribly expensive, but it can be depending on what you own. I've owned a Bonanza (single engine), a Baron (twin engine) and I now own a Jabiru light sport airplane. The Jabiru costs only about $20/hour for fuel. Insurance, hangar rental, registration, and maintenance have probably been about $7000/year. My Baron cost about $250/hour to fly; insurance was about $12,000/year, and maintenance was easily $30,000/year. Suffice to say I no longer own the Baron (a freakin' fantastic plane but very expensive to maintain).

If you flew a Bonanza to Denver it would take about 5 hours. So if you were renting it for, say, $250/hour you're looking at $1250 one-way. If you took three people with you it might be cheaper than flying commercially. But when you get to Centennial Airport in Denver there's a guy who runs out to your plane with a red carpet and another guy who drives your rental car up to your plane. You get out of the plane, they help you load luggage into your car, and you drive away and head for the slopes. Way cool. Much nicer than the airlines.

You can fly on the cheap if you want. You can buy a really nice airplane for $50,000 (older model, maybe not as up-to-date and well-equipped as a new one, but very functional) and get by. I'm looking at Piper Senecas (twin engine) in the $90,000 range. But you can also rent. You'll have to ask around to see what's available. I've found a place that has a couple really nice airplanes they'll rent to me that aren't on the list for normal people to rent -- a Columbia (now Cessna) 350 and a Baron. They have GPS, on-board weather, etc. Very nice.

You won't "save" any money by flying, but you will have fun!