For those who own an airplane

[1978elcamino]

Just curious if anyone on this board owns or is part owner in an airplane. Im curious to why you own an airplane and what do you use it for? I think it would also be cool to know how long you have owned one and what was the final decision that made you actually pull the trigger and actually begin the process of buying one?

 

[wings&wheels]

Yes, a Piper Dakota and before that a Piper Tomahawk, before that was a share of a Piper Cherokee Cruiser.

Why? I love flying, was obsessed since a very young age and I partially credit that feeling with getting me out of the situation I grew up in.

I started actually flying right after college when my Uncle lent me his business airplane, a Cherokee, to get my license and I then became his somewhat indentured servant occasionally flying packages around. Fun.

Bought my first airplane because I found a nice one, it was the height of the tech boom and I was getting married soon...have to beg after that

 

[Cujet]

Here's my Cessna 177RG. I've owned it for 14 years and it's my second plane. The reason I own a plane is to travel and that's what I use it for. Of course I love to fly, but that is not my reason for ownership, as I get to fly all sorts of cool stuff in our flight department, stuff that is orders of magnitude better than my plane. I also use the airplane for work. Not because the boss requires it, he does not, but I can easily travel to where I'm needed, much faster than driving, and often arrive well before an airline could get me there. As the airlines might not have a flight until 2pm tomorrow. My boss does not cover any of my travel expenses, whether car, airline or personal plane, hotel or rental car. So why not use the plane, be efficient and so on. I find it costs about the same as driving my F150, and is often about half the cost of the airlines. Even when including FBO parking and silly high fuel prices.

Example: F45-SAV (a typical flight for me) takes 2hr 15 mins and 21-22 gal. Or 6-7 hours driving, depending on traffic/stop for fuel/food. A flight to Savannah on Mon AM, back Fri PM leaves the weekend free. OR..... I could drive up on Sunday starting at 2PM and return the following Saturday arriving at 2PM, resulting in 24hrs and one night home instead of 3. Quite simply, it is a time-machine.

Driving that trip in the 2009 F150 consumes 29 gallons, and the Ecoboost consumes 22 gallons. So from an energy use point of view, it competes well with a modern pickup truck.

I do "like" the Cessna, but it's cruise speed is no faster than 143kts. I would really like to be 180Kts or so. Headwinds affect slow airplanes more than fast ones. I've done a lot of light aircraft flying over the years, and it's become my "opinion" that over 180Kts (and flying long legs) is the point where an airplane becomes practical.

One of our latest toys!

 

[MRC01]

... Im curious to why you own an airplane and what do you use it for? I think it would also be cool to know how long you have owned one and what was the final decision that made you actually pull the trigger and actually begin the process of buying one?

I own a 1980 Cessna 172 with an upgraded O-360 engine. I fly it 100 - 150 hours per year, a mix of short local hops for breakfast/lunch, flying with my bicycle for multi-day events, cross-country family trips, and fun vacationing trips - I've flown it up through Canada and Alaska.

I've loved airplanes since I was 5 years old, used to build & fly R/C airplanes, then finally got my PPL about 15 years ago. I've owned this plane for about 15 years. Getting my PPL and owning an airplane changed my life. After 15 years and a couple thousand hours it never gets old, still puts a big smile on my face every time I fly.

Why a 172? It's not the best at anything, but it does a little bit of everything. Efficient cross-country cruisers like the Mooney M20J would be much faster for the long trips, but it doesn't do short, turf or gravel strips that my 172 can. A taildragger cub variant would do the short backcountry turf & gravel better than my 172, but it's so much slower on the cross-country. Also, the 172 is the most produced airplane ever made on planet Earth, one of the simplest, safest airplanes, everyone knows them inside & out with great parts availability.

Owning vs. renting: renting is less expensive than owning in the long term, but it can be a PITA. You have to get in line with everyone else to get time, which can be especially difficult in good weather. Renting for extended periods - a week or more - can be difficult to impossible especially for certain kinds of planes. And you never know what the condition of the airplane will be. I wouldn't have been able to make half the flights I do, if I were renting. And as an owner, I always know exactly what condition my plane will be in.

 

[tomcat27]

We got our 150 18 months ago - primarily for my son who is tracking to be a commercial pilot. We've put almost 200 hours on the plane, so the fuel savings is significant, over the Piper Warrior that we were using. Literally half the fuel usage. For me, I just love to fly, so its a hobby for me. and you know about hobbies.... $$ While we have unlimited access to the Piper PA28, (for the cost of fuel) it is 3 hours away. Just after the two of us solo'd, we started looking at 1/2 to 1/3 shares in a larger plane, and also looked at larger planes to buy, but the 150 worked out great for us: it had low hours, we knew the owner, it's cheap to fly. We can also take it wherever and whenever we want, vs. a rented or shared plane.

 

[y_p_w]

I don't own one, but years ago I interviewed at a company that owned a small aircraft manufacturer. They also owned an home appliance manufacturer. When I had my discussion with HR, the employee discounts were brought up. For the appliances I think it was to just buy one at retail and then get a rebate afterwards. But for the planes it was a direct sale at a specific discounted price, with a price list right there in the packet though I'm sure it changed all the time. That would have been interesting, although I believe a used plane would have likely been a better price than a brand new one.

 

[xgmad]

Does this count?

 

[wpod]

I love aircraft from a Cessna 152 to a 747 and anything in between . A Helo you betcha Helos are so cool . I wouldn't consider owning one just because $$$$ I hate spending money.

 

[wings&wheels]

We got our 150 18 months ago - primarily for my son who is tracking to be a commercial pilot. We've put almost 200 hours on the plane, so the fuel savings is significant, over the Piper Warrior that we were using. Literally half the fuel usage. For me, I just love to fly, so its a hobby for me. and you know about hobbies.... $$ While we have unlimited access to the Piper PA28, (for the cost of fuel) it is 3 hours away. Just after the two of us solo'd, we started looking at 1/2 to 1/3 shares in a larger plane, and also looked at larger planes to buy, but the 150 worked out great for us: it had low hours, we knew the owner, it's cheap to fly. We can also take it wherever and whenever we want, vs. a rented or shared plane.

I struggle to think of anything at all bad about the 150/152, providing you fly w/ folks you don't mind literally rubbing shoulders with. Loved every minute I've spent in one.

 

[wings&wheels]

My fav pic of our bird;

 

[MRC01]

... A Helo you betcha Helos are so cool . I wouldn't consider owning one just because $$$$ I hate spending money.

There are lots of vintage airplane conventions and fly-ins. But I've never heard of a vintage helicopter fly-in.

That reminds me of a guy I knew who flies people for hire in his vintage tandem open cockpit biplane. It is his pride & joy, meticulously maintained, absolutely gorgeous airplane that looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. One day a family bought a ride for their mom. She was a nervous flyer and the conversation went like this:
"What kind of airplane is that?"
"That, ma'am, is a 1929 Travelair."
"1929? Was that the year it was made? That sounds very old. Is it safe?"
"Of course, ma'am, how do you think it got so old?"

 

[Taildragger]

 

[wings&wheels]

View attachment 67741View attachment 67742

You own a Bulldog?? One of my dream airplanes...came oh so close on one a while back.

 

[Taildragger]

 

[GooseGestapo]

1968 Piper 140B “Cruiser”.
Im a free lance flight instructor. I use plane for my own use (recently a trip to Hilton Head SC for weekend), and to allow plane to pay for itself. Otherwise I’m retired. The Cherokee has been outstanding. After I sold the 150, I paid balance off on the Piper. I’ve added an autopilot, and speed mods.

I sold my 1966 Cessna 150 “Commuter” after purchasing the Cherokee from a student who needed to capitalize a business venture. I’d owned the Cessna for 15yrs.
The Cherokee has actually proven to be somewhat cheaper to operate! Insurance has been less, and costs associated with the 12,000hr Cessna airframe have mostly been absent. It’s also a LOT better than the 1964 Cessna 172 I owned 1991-1996. The O-200, and O-300 Continental engines EAT cylinders compared to the EverReady bunny Lycomings... fuel consumption isn’t much worse at 6gph vs 8gph for the 150hp Piper.
Neither of my daughters cared anything about flying, but two granddaughters (and counting) are crazy about it!

 

[Cujet]

Does this count? View attachment 67717

Upendo, is that you?

 

[E365]

If I didn’t fly for a living, maybe I’d be interested in owning one? But in general I’ve always thought having a $75,000 sports car would be way more fun and less hassle to own than a $75,000 plane.

 

[wings&wheels]

If I didn’t fly for a living, maybe I’d be interested in owning one? But in general I’ve always thought having a $75,000 sports car would be way more fun and less hassle to own than a $75,000 plane.

..and nicer!

 

[MRC01]

If I didn’t fly for a living, maybe I’d be interested in owning one? But in general I’ve always thought having a $75,000 sports car would be way more fun and less hassle to own than a $75,000 plane.

As a former amateur SCCA racer, I like cars but my feelings go the opposite way. Slow airplanes are more fun than fast cars. A LOT more fun. And flying is much more family-friendly than racing or driving cars.

 

[Cujet]

If I didn’t fly for a living, maybe I’d be interested in owning one? But in general I’ve always thought having a $75,000 sports car would be way more fun and less hassle to own than a $75,000 plane.

Having done both extensively, they are very different games and both are superb ways to spend money. I like both kinds of "toys" and do waffle between them. Don't ask me to choose......