As an owner, I would find it hard to start renting. Too old and too fussy.
But the cost and aggravation is quite a bit higher as many have already
stated. To some this is a wonderful mental and financial challenge. To
others, it is a pain in the ass. After 14 years of ownership, I have gone
from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Well said, Mike. As time goes on, I'm starting to see your points.

Example: We've owned planes for ten years now. I do a fair amount of my
own maintenance, and have participated in every annual. I've laid on my
back in puddles of gas and oil, unscrewing access panel and other screws,
I've stood on my head under the panel, poking at loose wires. I've
hand-packed bearings with grease, learned a lot, got really dirty, and had
great fun.

Except now I'm finding these things cause me a lot more pain than they used
to. I'm ten years older, and I grunt and groan and twitch as I contort
myself into small spaces, and I sure don't jump off the front of the wing
anymore. Ibuprofen is my friend, and there were times, during this annual,
that it just wasn't fun anymore.

Flying with my son has re-opened my eyes to the ease of flying rental
planes. Yesterday, my 17 year old son (and new pilot) spent a few hours in
the shop, helping with the annual. I showed him how to take the nose wheel
off the plane, how to repack the wheel bearings, and lots of other little
stuff. My A&P walked him through some other items, and I'm sure he learned
a lot. Then we went over to the FBO to rent the 150 so he could do a few
turns around the pattern.

It was so simple! The line guys even asked him if he'd like the plane put
in the big hangar, so he could preflight indoors! The fuel was topped off
for him, and everything was ship-shape, without lifting a finger. What a
contrast to the effort we had put into our own plane that morning!

Still, we had to haul all of our stuff -- headphones, log books, charts,
etc. That was a pain. And the plane had just been flown by...whom? Was
it landed hard? Rolled inverted on its last flight? Is a control cable
frayed? How many hours are on the engine?

A jillion things that I never worry about in Atlas went through my head as
we rolled out to the runway in that rental... Suddenly the grease under my
fingernails seemed worth it, again.

To the OP: If you can afford it, do it. Owning your own plane is wonderful.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"