Is this video a real depiction of aircraft ownership?

It is grossly inaccurate. The owner's visits to the labor department with checkbook in hand were not included.
 
When I could afford it, I preferred owning my own airplane. It beats the heck out of jumping through a bunch of hoops when you want to fly. No scheduling, no airplane that smells like puke on a hot day, you know the mechanical condition.

When I could no longer afford it, it started sucking the fun out of the whole thing.

I can not say that I was all that happy when I sold it, but it did take a very large burden off of my shoulders.

If you can afford to do it, owning is the only way to go. If you have to carefully work it into your budget, and think you can pull it off, I think you would be better off renting or joining a club.

When things break or go bad on your airplane, it is not like owning a boat, you can not put it off until you have the money. Letting an airplane sit will usually bring on even more expensive problems.

If you are going to buy, make sure you have enough squirreled away for when things break, or you have a good line of credit.

If you have to think like that, rent.

-John
 
I can't wait to own but I know it'll be a while until I can easily afford it. Won't do it until then.
 
I liked the progression of his vehicles from MB SUV and ending in about a 1981 Impala.
 
Hopefully owner experimental will become a reality. If it doesn't, in due time all these spam cans will disappear into the history books. The boomers were really lucky that's all I'll say.

I've given some thought to the idea of getting my Powerplant rating, so I can do engine work on my own aircraft. Figured it should be cheaper and quicker than getting a full on A&P seeing how I have a full time job and no time to go to school full time. Judging from my ownership experience the real expensive jobs were always related to the engine, so if I can do my own engine work I could probably save a real amount of maintenance cost.

Of course going experimental would further help that end, but I can't find an experimental 182 equivalent for early 182 prices.
 
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Skip actually going to the airport and just straight to the parts department, that's more like it. Followed by lots of phone calls seeing when said parts will arrive - and then a 5 gallon bucket full of Vaseline for when you get the bill.
 
Not accurate. The guy was driving a Mercedes to start with - he should have bought a Cirrus.
 
They skipped all the bills that come in the mail you have to pay for. Plus the crying late at night for buying the money pit to begin with. :cryin:
 
I have owned the same 172 for the past 25 years. The first 10 years of ownership had me replacing almost all of the gauges, Some of the radios and had all the other avionics worked on. The expense was in the thousands of dollars a year. The last repair was for the autopilot at the expense of $5,500. The last 10 years have been very cheap, I can't think of any major repairs. The saddest day of ownership will be the day I sell it.

Maybe in the nest 5 years.
 
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