Micro and ultralights are a blast for just flying, but if your plan is to train in them, maybe buy one, and then transition to "real " airplanes like Cesners- er, I mean Cessnas, in the end you will spend a lot more on training.
If you ever want to actually travel as a pilot, you'll need at least a Light Sport category aircraft. And even LSA pilots are quite limited in where, how, and when they can fly, although it seems a very popular option right now.
As far as rich airplane owners go, you might be surprised how many options there are for ownership: living in an "airpark", joining a flying club or partnership, etc... sure it costs more than keeping a little "kite" in your garage, but it's not as outrageous as you might think. Even having a strip on your property is not reserved for the super-wealthy: some people have a little strip and an old 150 in an old barn next to a house that could use some paint, and drive to work in an old beater, and for the same money some folks have a big nice house, a pool, two cars, etc...
As an example, I will be joining a flying club in the next few months: $5K to get in (which is high for a club but worth it- and fully refundable plus interest); $90/month dues, and about $90/hr wet
tach time, not Hobbs time, on four IFR-and GPS-equipped Cessnas.
there are about 45 members in the club, but only half are active at any given time. that figures to 5 members per plane, roughly.
So, assuming I only fly, say, five tach- hours a month... over the course of a given year, not including the deposit, I'll spend about $5500, with the ability to fly almost any time I want, from an airport 15 minutes from home, holding the plane for a week if I want to (for long trips).
No out-of pocket expenses for storage,maintenance or insurance, and a pool of pilot-friends to share trip costs when desired, not to mention a club pool of CFIs (I plan to do my IR training through the club). And oh yeah, everybody pitches in to wash and wax the planes a few times a year...
I make an average of about $50K a year, no family, cheap rent, crappy car... so that's easy for me to afford. Even over 100 hours a year would not beat up my wallet too much. right now the only thing holding me back is scraping up the deposit to pay that all out in one lump.
Tough, but not as bad as forking over a similar down payment then being saddled with several hundred dollars a month in payments, plus all the other stuff that goes with sole ownership.
Not as sweet as walking out to my own hangar by my house to go flying on a whim, but pretty damn close, and cheaper.
It'll do until I buy 20 acres in the woods somewhere, a tatty old Champ, and a double-wide...
by archamedes » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:00 am 
