On Sat, 03 Apr 2004 14:46:26 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Personally, I would recommend renting a wide variety of aircraft for a short
time -- six months to a year -- after getting your ticket. Expose yourself
to as many different makes and models as possible, before you decide to
purchase one.

Actually, this is what my instructor is recommending as well. I think
it's great advice. On the other hand, 6 months will come and go
before a blink of an eye and I'd like to get started on the planning
part of this before hand. I believe it's going to take some time to
work out the partnership arrangements, find a mechanic, decide on the
home field etc. In the meantime, I will take you up on your
suggestion and fly different kinds of aircraft. First on the list is
the FBO's Piper Arrow.

You may find that you prefer something different than what you trained in,
and purchasing the wrong plane can be expensive. (Although it's hard to go
too wrong with a 172. You can always sell it for darned near what you paid
for it.)

Exactly what we were thinking: Purchase a forgiving airplane for
learning instruments that will not be too hard to sell later on and
that won't lose much of its value.

As for finances, do NOT try to justify your purchase financially. Owning an
aircraft can be done for convenience, or business, or enjoyment, or a hobby,
or training, or a billion other reasons -- but it cannot be done to "save
money."

I know! But try selling that to my husband. The numbers need to
work at least mythically before we sign on the dotted line for a hobby
of mine. Going for me is the fact that we signed on a similar dotted
line for his hobby a few years ago: a very painful check for a golf
club membership. Now, if there's a hobby expense that makes less
sense financially than airplane ownership, it must be golf club
membership. (Conduct business out there?... Oh, um, uh-huh. )

That said, I wouldn't trade it for the world. The knowledge that I can go
from Iowa to Florida in 6.5 hours -- at a moment's notice -- provides a
great deal of "value" to me -- especially in winter. :-)

Jay, that's the lure indeed. Thanks so much for your post!

--
Kay
Student Pilot
email: remove "ns" from "aviationns"









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