What is the general state of GA?

[Bill Watson]

So for us, economics noted, this is just an admitted lifestyle. We fit our economics to our desired living values, not the other way around. To each their own.

That’s all I’ve been able to figure out with regard to the current state of affairs; you have to want it to do it.

Trying to figure what happened and why is interesting. But it’s happened, the markets have spoken and we are where we are. More accurately We should realize, “ it is happening and the markets are speaking as they always do.”

We can all do our part to promote our little hobby by bringing more young’uns in. A few of us have the wherewithal to make significant moves such as a Richard VanGrunsven and his 10,000+ flying kits. But the price points are where they are and our ability to afford them varies according our ability to thrive in this (world) economy.

The thing it seems that we all struggle with is some combination of envy, ambition and desire that causes us to want what is just beyond our reach. Personally I fly a home built that emulates a Cirrus but I dream of a Pilatus.

The trick is realize the dream that you can fulfill and enjoy it. Building a plane and flying it is one of the most fulfilling achievements of my life. The Cirrus is a fine machine that I can’t afford. But I would never own one if I could because it’s just too common (no offense intended). Flying almost any taildragger does more for my ego. If I could afford a Pilatus it would probably be a Porter rather than a PC-12, along with something less exotic for self transport.

I’d love to have 5,000 feet of hardtop as part of the homestead adjacent to a glider port, but I’ve settled for 3,400’ of rough shared grass. It has lights, fuel, no gliders, and 2 resident herds of deer and it’s home. You do what you can and try to enjoy it.


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[woodchucker]

For private license ... or any rating I suppose ... it’s about location more than anything else. What’s available to the individual.

I earned my ppl on a teacher salary, and my wife working as a payroll clerk. I guess a bit under 6-figures at the time, and with two children. It can be done, but it took two years.

But it can be done cheaper if you can buy into a club with Cfi’s available. The hourly rates in a standard flight School are $150 or so, with Cfi’s around what, $80? Most of that goes to the flight school.

In a club ... it varies also ... but my current club you can fly for <$50 dry and cfi $25. Basically less than half I would estimate. I wish they had been around when I did my ppl.

Sorry for the random capitalization, my autocorrect had gone rogue

 

[Crashnburn]

[QUOTE="woodchucker, post: 2585921, member: 22284

In a club ... it varies also ... but my current club you can fly for <$50 dry and cfi $25. Basically less than half I would estimate. I wish they had been around when I did my ppl.

Sorry for the random capitalization, my autocorrect had gone rogue[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the idea of a flying club to cut learning to fly to cut costs, and I love this quote: "Sorry for the random capitalization, my autocorrect had gone rogue"

I plan on appropriating it with a minor tweak.