Comparing aircraft rentals and training costs.

Thanks!

As I'm chasing the PhD degree, I expect to be a student for 4-6 more
years. As I can hardly wait to fly a powered plane, I'd rather not go in
for glider-training before graduating to a powered plane.

I plan to start training in October, and I'll check out the aircraft and
instructor availability, and its effects on my training at each place in
greater detail.

At the university, I can choose any instructor; and there are two planes:
Cessna 152 and the Piper Warrior. It seems that members can rent out
planes for one weekend per semester. Members are expected to return
the aircraft with at least 3 billable hours for each 24 hour period
scheduled.

At the Northampton airport, there are six instructors, and 5 aircraft:
Cessna 152, one Cessna 172, Two Piper Warrior II's, one Piper Arrow. (It
seems that they plan to get a light sports plane in the near future.)
Some aircraft may be scheduled for longer than 24 hours here, but, there
must be between two to four minimum flight hours.

But, either website does not mention anything about checking out pilots
before renting out aircraft for ambitious flights. Is it a common thing?

--
Vishvas Vasuki

Vishvas Vasuki wrote:
But, either website does not mention anything about checking out pilots
before renting out aircraft for ambitious flights. Is it a common thing?

oh that's not what I meant. All I meant was that if you train and graduate
at some operation A, and then wants to fly with another operation B, said
operation B will want to check you out first; that's very common; actually
I don't know of any operation which will hand over the keys without any
kind of checkout, no matter how impressive your credentials might be;
the time required for said check out will depend on your experience,
the local policy, the type of aircraft, etc.

The point I was trying to make is that you want to plan ahead and take
into consideration the kind of flying you'll want to do when you graduate
with your private certificate; availability of aircrafts for more
ambitious flights, possibilities to undertake more advanced training
(instrument, commercial, etc.)

Note that flying can also be quite a time intensive activity; I have
been a graduate student for a few years, I don't recall having much
free time :-)

all the best in both endeavor,

--Sylvain