What is the cheapest way to get into air? (no jokes please)

[[email protected]]

I want to get airborne with as little building involvement as possible.
The cheapest way. And with little maintenance as possible.
What are the possibilities?

I mean building a gerobee could take years and lots of money and this
rotax motors are 'spensive.

Building a wooden woodhopper could be fun and take lots of hours or
maybe years and lots of scrap wood.

There is also a storage concern, takeoff space, transportation of the
aircraft.

Maybe powered paragliding is the easiest way to get closer to the
skies?

Any hopes and/or ideas?

K.

[Bill Daniels]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I want to get airborne with as little building involvement as possible.
> The cheapest way. And with little maintenance as possible.
> What are the possibilities?
>

You just described buying a used sailplane. Lots of flying hours, lots of
fun and little money or maintenance. If you absolutely need to go from A to
B then this won't be the best choice, but if just fun flying is your goal,
soaring is far more fun for far less money. Go see www.ssa.org.

Bill Daniels

[Bob O'Rilley]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I want to get airborne with as little building involvement as possible.
> The cheapest way. And with little maintenance as possible.
> What are the possibilities?
>
> I mean building a gerobee could take years and lots of money and this
> rotax motors are 'spensive.
>
> Building a wooden woodhopper could be fun and take lots of hours or
> maybe years and lots of scrap wood.
>
> There is also a storage concern, takeoff space, transportation of the
> aircraft.
>
> Maybe powered paragliding is the easiest way to get closer to the
> skies?
>
> Any hopes and/or ideas?
>
> K.
>

Powered Paragliding (paramotor) is great. I'm a Paraglider and Powered
Paraglider Pilot and I own a plane as well. For me the biggest buzz is
unpowered paragliding. You take your aircraft out of a back pack and set it
up, run off a nice mountain and catch some thermals to cloud base. As your
skills progress, you can fly for several hours at a time and cover many
miles without an engine (just like the birds do). For no hassles go
anywhere fast flying, my plane is best and I love flying it almost as much
as my paraglider. Paramotoring is fun but once you have grasped the basics,
there is not much of a challenge. I recently sold my paramotor as it was
not getting any use after purchasing my plane. I would give paragliding a
go for absolute adrenalin rush and bird like flying.

Regards,

Bob...

[Richard Lamb]

Bob O'Rilley wrote:
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
>>I want to get airborne with as little building involvement as possible.
>>The cheapest way. And with little maintenance as possible.
>>What are the possibilities?
>>
>>I mean building a gerobee could take years and lots of money and this
>>rotax motors are 'spensive.
>>
>>Building a wooden woodhopper could be fun and take lots of hours or
>>maybe years and lots of scrap wood.
>>
>>There is also a storage concern, takeoff space, transportation of the
>>aircraft.
>>
>>Maybe powered paragliding is the easiest way to get closer to the
>>skies?
>>
>>Any hopes and/or ideas?
>>
>>K.
>>
>
>
> Powered Paragliding (paramotor) is great. I'm a Paraglider and Powered
> Paraglider Pilot and I own a plane as well. For me the biggest buzz is
> unpowered paragliding. You take your aircraft out of a back pack and set it
> up, run off a nice mountain and catch some thermals to cloud base. As your
> skills progress, you can fly for several hours at a time and cover many
> miles without an engine (just like the birds do). For no hassles go
> anywhere fast flying, my plane is best and I love flying it almost as much
> as my paraglider. Paramotoring is fun but once you have grasped the basics,
> there is not much of a challenge. I recently sold my paramotor as it was
> not getting any use after purchasing my plane. I would give paragliding a
> go for absolute adrenalin rush and bird like flying.
>
> Regards,
>
> Bob...
>
>
I guess I've gotten jaded in my old age.
An adrenaline rush is the absolute LAST thing I want from flying!
:)

Richard

[[email protected]]

I'm a Powered Paraglider pilot. We have no mountains to run off of so
the PPG is the way to go for me. I can unpack my equipment from the
back of my car and be in the air in under 10 minutes. I'll motor for a
while and then catch a few thermals with motor off. I can restart the
motor any time which means I am NOT at the mercy of the winds.

There are many cheap second hand units on the market but DO NOT BUY
unless you can get it checked out be an instructor. Go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppgbiglist and join the forum. It's free.
There you can ask as many question as you like and some one will reply.
In fact, many folk will answer you.

Some folk have built their own PPG units and been very sucsessfull.
Again, ask at the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppgbiglist

Hope this helps. Please feel free to email me if you have any
questions.

Phil Clark.

[[email protected]]

Bill Daniels wrote:
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> >I want to get airborne with as little building involvement as possible.
> > The cheapest way. And with little maintenance as possible.
> > What are the possibilities?
> >
>
> You just described buying a used sailplane.

Hmm, it seems to me he just described joining a gliding club.

No building, no buying, no maintenance and probably discounted
lessons as well.

--

FF

[Mike Gaskins]

Indeed. I haven't ever tried it myself, but looking around at some
local clubs the prices look very reasonable. Cheaper than renting a
powered plane for sure. I think I'm definately going to look at adding
the glider rating after finishing up my PPL (which I should be done
with in another 2 months. Of course, I said that two months ago, but
the weather has been horrid around here :)).

[wright1902glider]

Ditto. Powered paraglider. No need for a hill or a thermal. It packs up
better than any other aircraft. Initial investment is fairly low, and
so are training and maint. costs. And its an expanding sector of the
aviation market. Its kinda like the dark side of "the force" for me,
since I'm already committed to HG's and my pioneer-era machines. But it
definately meets the set of requirements you posted.

You might also be interested in taking a look at:
www.ushga.org

Harry

[Steve Foley]

So does a trampoline :)

"wright1902glider" > wrote in message
ups.com...

> But it definately meets the set of requirements you posted.

[Ron Webb]

My approach was to find a 1983 vintage Quicksilver ultralight and rebuild
it. The motor was fine, as were the sails, but several tubes were
damaged/missing.

Including lessons, I imagine I was in the air - in a powered aircraft, for
about $3K. - Afterward, I sold it for $3K - so the flying was free - sort
of!

[Big John]

Better than that.

Climb on toilet and flap your arms and jump off.

No construction.

No cost of building or buying.

Can be done without leaving home.

No cost of operating.

Short flight until on the ground but if you can't afford to fly longer
don't.

Somebody had to take the straight line and run with it :o)

Big John
`````````

On 9 Feb 2006 10:01:33 -0800, wrote:

>
>Bill Daniels wrote:
>> > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>> >I want to get airborne with as little building involvement as possible.
>> > The cheapest way. And with little maintenance as possible.
>> > What are the possibilities?
>> >
>>
>> You just described buying a used sailplane.
>
>Hmm, it seems to me he just described joining a gliding club.
>
>No building, no buying, no maintenance and probably discounted
>lessons as well.

[Montblack]

("Big John" wrote)
> Climb on toilet and flap your arms and jump off.

> Somebody had to take the straight line and run with it :o)


You're on a roll now. <g>


Montblack
"...turn on the FAN!"

[Rich S.]

"Morgans" > wrote in message
...
>
> Shame on you! You, like me chose to lay out the truth. I did the same,
> only a little "tougher love," to another poster, and I had people jump me,
> for that.

But Jim - we *like* him.

Rich S. :))

[Morgans]

"Big John" > wrote
>
> Climb on toilet and flap your arms and jump off.
> Short flight until on the ground but if you can't afford to fly longer
> don't.
>
> Somebody had to take the straight line and run with it :o)
>
> Big John

Shame on you! You, like me chose to lay out the truth. I did the same,
only a little "tougher love," to another poster, and I had people jump me,
for that.

Whatever, I believe like you. If you have to ask how much gas a boat burns,
you can't afford the boat. A lot of truth holds over to airplanes, and
flying.
--
Jim in NC

[Mike Gaskins]

That's not a very welcoming attitude to have. For whatever reasons,
there are a lot of people who don't have a lot of extra cash. Some
just don't make as much money as they'd like; others make plenty but
have bills to pay. Regardless, the guy didn't come online trying to
find out how to buy a Cirrus. He came truly asking about getting into
the air with the resources that are available. If he truly wants to
fly, he can look for a way to make it happen.

It's saddening to see such elitism creep into what, for the most part,
is a very friendly community. Maybe he'd make a better "pilot" buying
a $200,000 dollar airplane and leaving it in a hangar for years at a
time.

Mike Gaskins

Morgans wrote:
> Shame on you! You, like me chose to lay out the truth. I did the same,
> only a little "tougher love," to another poster, and I had people jump me,
> for that.
>
> Whatever, I believe like you. If you have to ask how much gas a boat burns,
> you can't afford the boat. A lot of truth holds over to airplanes, and
> flying.
> --
> Jim in NC

[[email protected]]

Morgans wrote:
> "Big John" > wrote
> >
> > Climb on toilet and flap your arms and jump off.
> > Short flight until on the ground but if you can't afford to fly longer
> > don't.
> >
> > Somebody had to take the straight line and run with it :o)
> >
> > Big John
>
> Shame on you! You, like me chose to lay out the truth.

What truth was that?

It looks to me like he told not truth nor any lies.

Suppose the truth is that the cheapest was to get into the air costs
$200,000. Then the truth is, the cheapest way costs $200,000.

But OP didn't give us a dollar figure or any practical information.
He just made fun of the question.

> I did the same,
> only a little "tougher love," to another poster, and I had people jump me,
> for that.
>
> Whatever, I believe like you. If you have to ask how much gas a boat burns,
> you can't afford the boat. A lot of truth holds over to airplanes, and
> flying.

Are you _sure_ he can't afford a membership in a gliding or flying
club?

Are you _sure_ he can't afford hanggliding, ultralight, PPG, or gliding
lessons and a used but servicible wing?

What is the basis for your conclusion?

--

FF