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I'm still saving up for my first airplane purchase, so there's not much I can add other than this: Talk to a lawyer before signing any important contract. A good attorney will be able to help you avoid some of those "gotchas" and understand the agreement better.

Nice! The 195 is on my list :) Such a gorgeous plane, I can't help but wanna fly one when I look at 'em.

Yeah, twins are tempting me, too. There are some incredible deals out there ... but knowing the fuel/insurance/maintenance costs makes me want to stick with single engine, fixed gear most likely. That's bound to keep the twin market depressed.

I just Googled to answer my own question: converting a certified airplane to experimental comes with all kinds of restrictions. Should have known it wouldn't be so simple :) Yes, I'm a fairly new pilot. I got my PPL 11 months ago and have around 140 hours. This will be my first plane. My...

Yeah, four-seat experimentals will be out of my price range. And Cherokee Six would be a stretch, I know. Trade-a-Plane lists several under $60k, but Lord knows what kind of shape they're in. So how do you convert a certificated plane to experimental? That sounds like a great option for me.

I'm still building up my airplane savings fund with the goal of buying something in the $40k-$60k range in the next 18-24 months. It would go a lot faster if I could bring myself to stop flying so dang much in the club rental! :) I've been leaning towards certificated for lots of reasons. I'm a...

So, as a future airplane owner, I'm curious what you guys spent on these upholstery jobs? Seeing $1,452 for a seats package makes me wonder why every aircraft doesn't have new upholstery! Seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the operation/maintenance costs I'm expecting someday ...

Thanks for the replies! Several thoughts ... 1. I'm not offended at all. I wouldn't have posted the question if I didn't expect honest criticism. Not all fresh pilots are thin skinned :) 2. I'm not forgetting how to do landings by the numbers. Most of the time I fly 66 (or a bit slower...

I've had my PPL for 10 months and have 117 hours in my logbook ... so I'm still a pretty fresh pilot. I'm getting a much better feel for landing the plane in different conditions now, and I'm developing a preference for landing a bit faster than what the book says. Not crazy...

And here's the SkyVector link, for anybody else who's curious: https://skyvector.com/?ll=32.991263707362116,-106.96829841174763&chart=26&zoom=3

Yep, you were right! I knew the PofA mind hive could figure this mystery out :) It's definitely Spaceport America. It's got a 12,000-foot runway with a crazy looking terminal building on the center taxiway. Here's a better aerial photo than my fuzzy iPhone shot...

On a commercial flight from Dallas to L.A., I looked out the window to see this: http://imgur.com/uFPUxTI It was what looked to be a very, very long runway in the middle of nowhere, most likely in southeastern New Mexico (I'm not exactly sure where the plane was at the time). I'm assuming...

All I know is, whoever named it "Greater Green River Intergalactic" is probably somebody I'd like to hang out with :) That's just funny.

It's a marketing stunt. If Amazon was serious about it, they'd be pouring a HUGE amount of capital into it and not talking about it to keep from tipping off competitors. Instead, they're spending a tiny amount on supposed R&D for the project and getting a gigantic return in the form of free...

In fact ... I'd be more interested to see how income/plane prices have diverged since the 1970s. I don't think a new 172 is different enough from a '70s 172 to justify the crazy, crazy price hike. But that's just me :) I think you could tie a big chunk of that price hike to lawyers and...

I'd be interested to see those numbers, too. I'm not sure how much they'd mean because a basic 1920s plane is dramatically simpler and has fewer bells and whistles than even the most stripped down new Cessna trainer. I agree that today's ultralight cost would probably be a better comparison.

Yes, the average family can afford to own and fly an airplane, if ... and this is a BIG if ... they're willing to make the sacrifices to do so. I bet very few people at the median income level ~$60k/year would be willing to make the deep sacrifices it would take to own a plane, like living in a...

OK, the initial results are in from our (admittedly very unscientific) survey! I plugged the numbers into this Google spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UYYSeu-gdOzMolLXqJL7FcjkgTcuMsV1TwuuY5U2ajs/edit?usp=sharing I deleted two entries. One person reported an annual income of...

Twenty responses so far. Keep 'em coming!

I'm in the process of saving up money for my first airplane, and I know aviation is a hobby that can eat up your entire income (and then some) if you let it. Airplanes are 'spensive! So that made me wonder ... what percentage of annual income do airplane owners spend on their planes? I set up...