Rent or Buy(this one is interesting)

For a person looking to get into flight training they almost always think that they will have to rent an airplane to do their training in. However I've started thinking that there might be a better option. Of course the key word here is might, depending on how things work out it could actually cost you more money.

So the question is "I'm looking to start my private pilot training, would it be better for me to rent an airplane for the duration or possibly purchase an aircraft?" I'm going to do my best to break it down for you. I in no way am certain with my figures, they are my rough opinions based on information I've gathered. I'm sure there are associated costs that I'm unaware of.

Renting (assuming minimum times)
35 hours dual
15 hours solo
5 hours ground instruction
flight kit
----------------------
$6,000 - $10,000.

Buying (assuming minimum times)

Average price for C152 - $30,000
35 hours dual @ $40/per hour - $1,400
15 hours solo @ $0/per hour - $0
5 hours ground instruction @ 40/per hour - $200
Gas for 50 hours @4.00 - $200
Inspections/hanger fees - $3,000
Flight kit - $329
--------------------------------------------------------
$35,129

So now your saying, okay this guys a moron how could he even thought that this could be cheaper than renting. SO in my defense here are the kickers, notice I said kickerS. How many people who want to learn to fly have talked about it with someone else who was also interested. I would guess most. In fact I would bet you could head to your local FBO and run into someone interested on a nice weekend day. Okay so lets reconfigure now with kicker number 1.
$35,129/2 = $17,564.50

Okay so cheaper but still, at best, your only saving $7,500. So here comes kicker number two. If your only planing on using your private sporadically and would actually prefer to rent an aircraft a couple times a month here is your chance to get your money back and possibly even make money. Remember what you payed for when you bought the airplane originally? $30,000 right, okay lets assume the market for Cessna 152's has gone down. Now you can only sell the airplane for $25,000. Lets do the math:
$25,000/2 = $12,500. $17,565.50 - $12,500 = $5,064.50 (Cheaper then renting)

But wait, lets assume the market for your plane actually got better. You now are able to sell the plane for $40,000. Lets do the math:
$40,000/2 = $20,000. $17,565.50 - $20,000 = +$2434.50 (you just got your private and made $2500.)

Find another friend and your costs go down. Just something to think about.

Forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward

I'll start this one off with two copy pastes:
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." -- Leonardo da Vinci
KGFK 110100Z 35029G36KT 1/4SM -SN BLSN BKN002 OVC018 M21/M23 A3019 RMK AO2 PK WND 34036/0058 TWR VIS 1/4 P0000

KGFK 102341Z 1100/1124 36028G38KT 1/4SM -SN BLSN OVC001
FM110600 34022G28KT 1/2SM -SN BLSN OVC003
FM111000 32017G25KT 1SM BLSN OVC015
FM111400 31015KT 5SM BLSN BKN015
FM111800 30013KT P6SM SCT250

When you choose the career of a flight instructor in the Midwest in the winter when the clouds come your flying opportunities are severely limited. Sure you can go up and buzz around below the clouds but good luck getting into the clouds(unless you likeice). So when this blizzard decided to roll into the state of North Dakota I knew I was going to be in for a few long, boring days.

So while I was trying to find something to do today I noticed myself continually glancing out the window looking up at the sky. WHEN WILL THIS END! Last night when I woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water before I turned on the light in the kitchen I glanced outside to see if I could see the stars, "traffic not in sight".

This quote has forever been a favorite of mine because it is so true. Show me one pilot, or person who's been in a small plane, that when they hear a small plane fly over doesn't look up to the sky. EVEN though we know that that plane puttering above is a Cessna.

So as I sit here waiting for the blizzard to clear I will continue to look out the window hoping to see either stars(tonight) or blue sky(tomorrow).

Grocery bag savior

On one of my first flights with a student we were up doing ground reference maneuvers, S-turns, turns around a point and rectangular course. With those maneuvers your close to the ground (600-1000' above the ground) and the fact that it was a pretty windy and bumpy day I started to feel a little sick in the stomach. Luckily it wasn't until the very end that this happened and I just had the student head back towards the airport, while I sneakily opened the vents and got it on my face. Thankfully, it never got to a point where I couldn't handle it but it sure reminded me of a time when it did get to that point.

When I was doing my private training we were coming back from a lesson and on short final I felt something coming up. Not having a puke bag and being low to the ground I just let it come up on my lap!

So I started thinking about when I'm training students, what happens if I get sick or the student gets sick? Even though there are "usually" puke bags in the plane they aren't always easily accessible or even in the plane. So I decided that it would be a good idea to put a plastic grocery bag in my flight bag, just in case.

And then it happened. Coming back from a flight where we were practicing Vx and Vy climbs my student told me that he was starting to feel sick. I said okay and took of the airplane and started searching my flight bag for "the bag". Sure enough, the student couldn't hold it in and puked, IN THE BAG!!! SUCCESS!!!

Next came my second question, being that I hate the smell of throw up, would I be able to hold it in if a student puked. The answer....yes! So another new story for me to add to my story book. The life of a flight instructor continues, my head is filling up with story ideas and I plan to get them down here soon!

First Private Pilot Student Solo

Who is more nervous? That is my question, am I more nervous or is my student more nervous? I start to think back to when I had my first solo flight. I remember a small bit of excitement as my instructor jumped out and said "be safe" but that was about it. As I taxied out it was all business as usual, going through checklists, checking all my instruments, carefully listening to my headset hoping I don't miss any radio calls. It never really hit me until I brought full power in and felt like the airplane had a rocket attached to it, however this feeling quickly disappeared as I noticed the airspeed coming up and realized I had to worry about flying the airplane. I remember having the biggest sense of pride as I looked to my right and saw no one sitting next to me on my first trip around the pattern.

Back to my question though, who is more nervous right now? As I jump out of the airplane I say my final words, be safe, and then lock the door. As I start my walk to the tower to watch I start thinking about the previous training that we've done I start to wonder have I done enough? Have we covered everything, what if there is an unexpected emergency, what about wind shear? Sure I would never sign off a student who I didn't feel comfortable with, or a student who didn't feel comfortable in his ability. But still the questions keep coming, what about endorsements? Did I give all the appropriate endorsements, did I write them correctly? I sure hope so!

As I watch from the tower and listen to my student talk to tower with only a few hiccups I begin to feel some of my nervousness turn into a sense of pride! He is doing a great job, his landings look real good, I actually wish that I was on board and could feel the wheels kissing the pavement. Three landings later I'm on my way out of the tower to meet my student in the lobby and I have a huge smile on my face, I can only imagine the sense of pride and enthusiasm that my student is going to have when he finally shuts the engine off. The only person in the lobby with a bigger smile on his face is the pilot who just had his first solo!

Push it forward....

"Alright lets start our turn to final. Nice, good turn, watch that bank. Okay we overshot a little bit lets just work our way back to centerline nice and easy now. Good job, back on centerline. Okay, we are a little bit high, lower the nose. Still high lower the nose. Keep it coming down, lower the nose a little bit. Watch your airspeed, getting a little slow, no don't pull it back push it forward....push it forward. Okay good back on glide slope, good job.....getting a little high, push it forward, forward, forward. Alright good, start your roundout, nice, hold that flare, hold it off. Good, brakes."

An interesting thing that I've noticed flying with pilots who have zero time or even very little time is their tendency to want to stay up in the air and not aim the airplane at the ground. It actually takes some forcing the student to do it until they get used to pointing the nose of the aircraft at the ground when your only a few hundred feet off the ground.

This got me to thinking, in an emergency such as an engine failure, as trained pilots we try and stay in the air as long as possible. Get to best glide speed and stay up as long as possible trying to exhaust all possible options and restart the engine. Is this a natural human tendency or is it just a little bit of fear the first few times?

next to come...scariest moment?