Looking for options to get a plane to fly

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Alex K

Filing Flight Plan
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May 21, 2020
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Alex
I have a private pilot license and I live in Austin, TX. I flew just over 130 hours and I tried different airplanes. Most of the hours I put on Katana DA20, then I really like Dimond Star DA40 however didn’t have a chance to fly many hours but I did my longest cross-country in it. Then, I flew many hours in Cessna 172 and now flying Piper PA-28-161. I have a few hours in some other planes. I really like flying. Unfortunately, there is a big problem with renting airplanes. Flying around is fun, of course, but I would like to use an airplane to fly places. I would like to take it for 3 - 4 days, fly somewhere, spend time there and come back. That means that in many cases it will be around 3 hours to a place, then 3 hours back but the pilot schools where I rent planes charge minimum 2 or 3 hours a day, which is understandable but doesn’t look good for me. So, I’m looking for a way, for ideas, how to fly for less. Maybe there are people out there who don’t fly much anymore and they will be willing to rent a plane to me charging only flying time or lower rate than those pilot schools or we would come up with some sort of an agreement. Maybe there are other options I didn’t even think about. I definitely don’t have money to buy a plane. Maybe there are options to lease it on let’s say monthly or weekly basis but that very depends on conditions. Shortly, I’m looking for ideas and even better for propositions. The best airports for me are GTU, EDC, RYW is worse but can work, 3R9 and T74 are sort if inconvenient but again depending on the conditions it might work.
 
Finance a 30k plane like a C-150 or PA-28-140, if you have a few grand and good credit.
 
Join a club. Get to know what is involved with keeping an airplane flying. Then, when you're ready, have kids and postpone flying for 20 years. After that, by all means buy that plane.

Ok, so the later is tongue in cheek but the former is real advice.
 
Are there places listing flying clubs or people willing to rent their planes besides AOPA?
 
Some thoughts:
  • I suspect some of the central Texas flights schools will see a drop in business activity. Some have specialized in training future airline pilots and that business may slow for a while. They might consider a better deal on a multi-day rentals for an aircraft that isn't being flown much. The rules are changing to fit the times.
  • A young friend with limited resources recently purchased a good C150 for $20k. Finance rates are at historic lows.
  • There weren't many flying clubs in the Austin/San Antonio area a few years ago when I was looking. Two that were listed had been defunct for a few years and another folded just as I was contacting them. Not sure if that's a trend.
  • You might consider co-ownership. It can be tricky, but a solid agreement is important.
  • Talking with the local airport managers, FBOs, and flights schools may also connect you with an owner who isn't flying much and willing to dry lease a hangar queen to you.
  • Consider putting up an ad on the pilot lounge bulletin board at all your local airports.
Best of luck to you on this.
 
My flight school did the "3 hour minimum per day" thing with their fleet. Like you, after getting the PPL I loved going to actual places and landing and spending some time there, including overnight. So I made an art out of choosing destinations that were 1.5 hours away for day trips, 3 hours away for an overnight.

During instrument training, I met a guy who would become my "training buddy" at the flight school. On occasion, we'd do the thing where I'd fly us from A to B and he'd fly the plane back, and then a few days later the reverse to pick me up. So maybe you could find out who the instrument students are at a school near you? They'll all have PPL's and might want to take a break from IR training every so often.

Once I reserved a plane for 10 days for a thousand-mile trip, what at the time would have been the longest and most adventurous flight I'd ever attempted. I ended up returning the plane after 8 days, flying just about every day and having an absolute blast, far from home. I don't remember whether I logged enough hours to make it "worth it" at 3 per day -- I think I fell short by a few hours -- but it hardly matters, and I would happily have spent the extra money for having all that fun. Of course, it took planning, was expensive, and I only did it once with a rental.

Best of luck,
 
I live in Houston area and my flight school changed the rules recently that all 172s are only available for student training, no renting by the day with minimums... My CFI suggests I join a flight club in another airport nearby for a cheaper rate.
 
for me it's not so much the 3 hour minimum that's the bother..... it's finding the weekend when it's not already partially booked, especially on short notice....
and to a lessor degree it's that it makes me feel bad taking a plane off the line, especially on a nice wx weekend. Those starving flight instructors need the planes to work!

In all the places I've lived I've not had much luck finding clubs, although it seems like good ones are out there somewhere!
 
Send an email to the Texas AOPA "You Can Fly" Ambassador, Pat Brown. He will have a large list of resources for the Austin area.

pat.brown@aopa.org
 
Clubs are great if ones around... shop around if there’s multiple options- sometimes big price differences.

Or think about a $20k plane. You can fly Cessna 120/140/150/152 all day long for that... good prebuy to lower the chances of gotcha issues and they are quite simple to maintain... cheap to run. For what I pay for my c-140 I could only rent a plane for 3-4 hours a month, but I typically fly 10-20 hrs a month. If you own U’ll fly more often!
 
wheaties said:
Then, when you're ready, have kids and postpone flying for 20 years. After that, by all means buy that plane.

Ok, so the later is tongue in cheek but the former is real advice.
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Nothing tongue in cheek about that at all!
How many of us did exactly that!

Or...bought plane, couldn't affort it and kids, sold plane, postponed for xx years, THEN bought plane #2.
 
Look into a flying club,or form a partnership and buy a nice trainer.
 
As I'm getting back into flying.... this is perfect!
wheaties said:
Then, when you're ready, have kids and postpone flying for 20 years. After that, by all means buy that plane.
Click to expand...
Adam Weiss said:
How many of us did exactly that!

Or...bought plane, couldn't affort it and kids, sold plane, postponed for xx years, THEN bought plane #2.
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Yep, count me in on that

Huckster79 said:
Or think about a $20k plane. You can fly Cessna 120/140/150/152 all day long for that... good prebuy to lower the chances of gotcha issues and they are quite simple to maintain... cheap to run. For what I pay for my c-140 I could only rent a plane for 3-4 hours a month, but I typically fly 10-20 hrs a month. If you own U’ll fly more often!
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I keep flipping and flopping on this idea. Realistically it's what I should do probably...I don't know about the OP's situation
but the more I fly..and especially fly like I'd like and as the OP outlined for little mini trips...I'd need more seats than that!

I guess I'm dreaming of something small...but kids are still young so I need to extend my 16 year break out a few more years as Adam suggests
 
Geosync said:
Finance a 30k plane like a C-150 or PA-28-140, if you have a few grand and good credit.
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Fun fact. If you want to know who on this forum paid cash for their plane, mention financing a plane in pretty much any context.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
Fun fact. If you want to know who on this forum paid cash for their plane, mention financing a plane in pretty much any context.
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Arguing about financing for an aircraft is no different than any other discretionary expense item. I know people that lease a 60,000+ Mercedes and then chide others for financing an airplane when they might have a cheap car paid off and want to enjoy flying. It makes more sense to get the loan than to rent in a lot of cases - if you’re really going to fly it.
 
Too bad you're not in the north DFW area... my club has 3 members who wish to sell their share. www.metroflyersclub.com if anyone wishes to see what is offered.
 
Salty said:
Arguing about financing for an aircraft is no different than any other discretionary expense item.
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Oh I didn't say anything about arguing about it. There are those who will finance aircraft and those who will not, we all know this. But there's a thing with the group who will not finance aircraft that seems impair their ability to keep that information to themselves.

Ask for help with the carburetor on your airplane and happen mention that it's financed in the question and you'll at least 4 responses that say 'I never borrow money to buy airplanes...' They have to mention it. Just can't help themselves.
 
Hang around the airport and talk to people----pilots, instructors, mechanics. Good chance you'll turn something up. There are lots of under-utilized airplanes out there.
 
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