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mxalix258

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mxalix258
Hi All,

I'm a fairly new private pilot, and I have been flying out of Manassas. Now that I have got my certificate, I'm trying (like most) to fly the cheapest plane I can find to build hours. Currently I change between a 172R ($145/hr) and a 172SP ($150/hr) and it's just getting too expensive for what I get out of it. The school doesn't have a 152, so I'm looking at moving over to Aviation Adventures across the field.

They have a 152 for $105/hr and a Skycatcher for $110 an hour - is it worth the switch do you think to have to get checked out in a new aircraft for the reduced rates? I will probably almost never have more than 1 other person in the plane with me, so flying a 172 just doesn't make sense to me right now.

Any other thoughts would be appreciated! I can't seem to find any clubs that fly out of Manassas, and nothing else that is really reasonable.
 
Well as a former Aviation Adventures CFI, I can wholeheartedly recommend the operation to you. They're a good bunch of folks. A Skycatcher checkout (or a DA20 checkout) shouldn't take long.
 
Any time you rent from a new place you will more likely than not have to get checked out in their plane. They're not just going to take your word for it that you can safely fly it.

Also, a 152 is much smaller/tighter than the 172. There is really no elbow room at all when you have two people in it. Also, if you and your passenger are heavier than FAA standard persons (170 lbs?), you probably can't go with full fuel.

Even with full fuel, you're pretty limited in range.

On the other hand, if you just want to blast around the sky by yourself for an hour or two at a time, the two seater is the way to go.
 
I typically fly with my girlfriend, and I'm 170 and she's 130, so that shouldn't be an issue. We just do fun flights on the weekends for the most part. I'm not too worried about the space portion of it, especially since I hear the skycatcher is a little more roomy than a 152.

I just want a little more bang for my buck, and the extra horsepower/space isn't really worth it for me. If I can fly 3 hours in a Skycatcher for the same as 2 in a 172SP, then I'm sold on that.
 
Yeah, too bad Adventures can't instill some common courtesy in their owners and instructors. Bastards had Wartofsky run me out of my tie down so they could have all their planes in a row and then frequently left their planes blocking the pumps between lessons. Maybe they got better after they left VKX with their heads between their legs.
 
Hmm...seems like it may be a good option. I have seen the club before, but got turned off by some of the dues, but maybe I just haven't thought through the long term benefit of it.
 
I got checked out in the DA20 at avad and enjoyed the facilities, the operation, and the aircraft very much.

Another relatively inexpensive plane to rent is the pipersport at Fleming at GAI.
 
mxalix258 said:
Hi All,

I'm a fairly new private pilot, and I have been flying out of Manassas. Now that I have got my certificate, I'm trying (like most) to fly the cheapest plane I can find to build hours. Currently I change between a 172R ($145/hr) and a 172SP ($150/hr) and it's just getting too expensive for what I get out of it. The school doesn't have a 152, so I'm looking at moving over to Aviation Adventures across the field.

They have a 152 for $105/hr and a Skycatcher for $110 an hour - is it worth the switch do you think to have to get checked out in a new aircraft for the reduced rates? I will probably almost never have more than 1 other person in the plane with me, so flying a 172 just doesn't make sense to me right now.

Any other thoughts would be appreciated! I can't seem to find any clubs that fly out of Manassas, and nothing else that is really reasonable.
Click to expand...

my vote is for the Skycatcher! Never been in one but it looks FUN... nothing fun about the 152:no:
 
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