Kid wants to fly

thito01

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Aug 10, 2020
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Central Florida
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Tony T
I own a '76 Lance (PA32R-300) that is a good IFR platform. 430W, Sandel EHSI, etc. My daughter (age 26) is ready to get her license. I see a couple of valid options:

1) Have her rent the cheapest aircraft available until she gets her private. While she is trainging, let her handle the radio and 430W on trips I make so that she does have experience with some of the newer stuff. (Yes, no logging time for her,) Then, let her get some hours on my aircraft (with me in the other seat for insurance reasons). Then, work with the insurance to get her authorized for IFR training as long as the right CFII is qualified under the open pilot clause or as a listed pilot. Once she is IFR rated, then add her as a second listed pilot. By this point, she could have been legitimately the sole manipulator for maybe 30-50 hours and maybe the insurance may not be so bad, especially if I time the end of her training near the end of a renewal period.

2) I could buy some bare-bones trainer and let her fly it until she has both her license and a bunch of hours afterwards. Eventually, moving her to IFR training in my aircraft and selling the trainer. Expecting that if she has 100 hours before being added to my insurance, the increase in insurance would not be that bad.

While I am normally a proponent of the "buy for training, then sell", I am not sure that it makes sense when she already have access to a better aircraft, just one she can't be insured in until she gets some time. So, I am leaning toward option 1.

Side notes: We have discussed that I want her to plan on 2 days a week, with normally 2 hours instruction each of those times and she is OK with that plan. We live in central FL so winter weather issues are minor. The more time she can spend each week, the less she will back-step between each session. I am sponsoring her because I am almost 64 and I don't know when some medical issue could ground me. She can then be my legal pilot for me to continue flying with her in the other seat.

Thoughts?

Tony T.
 
Go for it. The sooner the better! Lewis Dixon is a really good cfi out of Orlando Exec that has a Cherokee he instructs in. Really good dude and he has a passion for it, so he won’t bail on her in the middle of the process.
 
Sorry. My brain had a twinge when it heard a Garmin 430 referred to as “newer”. The Clinton Administration was some time ago.

At least it doesn’t use crystals.

that said, I prefer option #1. It mirrors some of my upbringing with my dad’s plane.
 
I like buy a c-120 or C-140 for option 2 and let her get her private in it. You might find it fun to fly also.

Brian
 
Sorry. My brain had a twinge when it heard a Garmin 430 referred to as “newer”. At least it doesn’t use crystals.
Have you seen what they have for avionics in the trainers? It's either glass panel ($$$/hour) or it was new when the aircraft came out of the factory when Nixon was in the white house.
ktup-flyer, we are based down in Bartow. ORL is just too far. There appears to be a good set of CFIs at KBOW. We moved from being based in Sanford (SFB) recently.
Tony T.
 
Learned in my dad's Cherokee Six after spending years being in the right seat. Honestly, I probably wouldn't recommend it. It's "fast", heavy, thirsty, constant speed, and in your case retractable. I hate renting anything when I have the means to own.

I bought a Cherokee 180 for the 100 dollar hamburger. It's fun to fly. Slow (a good thing when learning). Light on the controls about half the fuel. Fixed undercarriage. My sister wants to learn and she'll learn in the 180. Hell, my dad learned in a 160 and he likes flying the 180 just because it's so fun and simple.
 
I would buy a bare bones Cessna 150 or Cherokee 140 or something small to get her her PPL as inexpensively as possible regardless of radios etc and sell it once done (or keep it) I started off in 150's and mid PPL switched to a PA28-181 and I was at first overwhelmed with the panel compared with the 150, but by then I had the basics of flying under control and could focus more on learning the Archers systems before my checkride. I wouldnt start her off on a Lance personally.
 
I had a similar issue with an Arrow in the family…bought a Warrior for the Kid to learn and fly…We now just have the Warrior after unfortunately loosing the Arrow…It still fits the need right now and she building hours and loves her Airplane…She works in Aviation for ForeFlight so in reality a good investment all around but bought it four years ago and not in this crazy market…
 
I'm in central Florida and looking to do the same thing as well for my son. Had a Cherokee 6 but just sold it for a 310. I'm a CFI/II so I plan on doing most fo the training. Found an AA5 for a decent price.

Where in Florida are you. Perhaps we could make it a training deal.
 
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