On 19 Dec 2003 23:15:53 -0800, (Eastward
Bound) wrote in Message-Id:
:


What are the true costs of owning your own airplane?

It depends on the location where it is based. Figure ~$70.00/ hour
given ~200 hours of use per year.

How risky is the flight from Maine or West Virginia to Alaska?

Probably about as risky as automobile travel along that route.

How about from LA,CA to Maine?

Considerably less risk than Alaska depending on the season of the
year.

Don't Turbochargers shorten the life span of the Engine?

Not appreciably, but they provide their own additional potential
points of failure.

Is it noisy inside the cockpit of a cessna?

Yes. It's so noisy, that hearing protection is standard equipment.
Headsets with electronic active noise reduction circuitry provide a
very comfortably quiet environment.

Approx how long is the flight training to get your license to fly one
of these?

An average student will obtain his/her airman's certificate in 50 to
60 hours at a rough cost of ~$130.00/hour. The Sallie Mae loan
program can be used to fund your instruction:
http://learntofly.com/faq.chtml#13

It's difficult to estimate how much piloting experience will be
required before a newly certificated private pilot will be competent
to travel between Main and Alaska, but I would expect ~100 hours
minimum.

Purchase a copy of an aviation magazine at a newsstand to get more
information: http://www.flyingmag.com/
http://www.planeandpilotmag.com/
http://www.privatepilotmag.com/
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/


If it looks like something you desire and you feel you possess the
potential for accomplishing it, take a $50 demo flight. You'll be
hooked. :-)

Here's the first step:
http://www.beapilot.com/indexfl.html
http://www.beapilot.com/hotlist/index.html
http://learntofly.com/
http://learntofly.com/faq.chtml
http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/

Aircraft information:
http://www.newpiper.com/faqs/index.asp
http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/beec...onanza_a36.htm
http://www.commanderair.com/index.html