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JD if you can rebuild a boat, you can build a plane. If you want an open
cockpit, so much the better. You can't do it for under a thousand, or at least I wouldn't. You can do it pretty cheaply though. The more time you put in, the less it costs. "J D Bulter" Caveman941 at AOL.com wrote in message ... Here's a non-pilot checking in and throwing in my $.02. I bought my 22' cuddy cabin for $750 then sold the blown engine for $300 (scrap/parts) and bought a used trailer - $400 So now I'm into it for $850 Making a long story short, I rebuilt the entire structural system of the boat myself (try that with the FAA) with the pay as you go program in the back yard. Bought a used engine and new hydraulic steering for $2500 (2 year loan @ $140/mo) Forty hours into service, engine develops a sound. (not good) After some research and quiet $20 bills to professional mechanics it is determined that pistons are stretched. (common problem) I had the bores resized .010 over and did the rest of the overhaul myself with non-factory FORGED pistons. (try that with the FAA) Parts cost $850 So now I have boat that is tougher than new (Not prettier) and a fresh engine with better than new (OEM) parts. The loan is now paid off. Total time from initial offer to paid off loan... less than 4 years. Plus I got the use the boat in various stages of completion (try that with the FAA) Government involvement- 1 trip for title transfer and yearly registration for hull & trailer $50 So--- getting back to your questions..... Here is why I am not flying (and I DO want to)(badly) Owning-- from what I am seeing, 50 grand might get you into something ready to go without impending doom looming overhead. Now I NEED insurance as a loan requirement. (for 120 months) For comparison, my boat's full coverage insurance is $35/mo Renting-- not even in the works. I want to use the plane as a form of transportation, not for a quick look around. Try leaving a rental in the Bahamas for three days (idle) and see what happens to the vacation budget. Flight time to and from would be less than 2 hours. Most of the uses I have for a plane involve not operating it for a few days at a time. Storage-- While not nearly as nice as the back yard, tie-downs seem to be reasonable, but it's still spending $$ for no enjoyment for as long as I own it. Lack of use-- not an issue.. weekends off and more when I plan for it. Long weekends and vacations USUALLY involve a boat. About 1 out of three weekends involve boating. Insurance- Problem #1: If I bought a plane, it would have to be financed. Financed = required insurance. For the duration of the loan. Problem #2: Damn near every mishap with a plane renders it unflyable to the FAA until repaired. Repairs are so expensive that one can't afford NOT to be insured. Catch 22 Maintenance-- I WANT to become thoroughly knowledgeable of every aspect of a piece of equipment I trust my life with (boats included). I take the time to learn how to do EVERYTHING myself- properly. From an outsiders viewpoint, it seems like the FAA is taking that away from me; or forcing me PAY someone else to inspect MY work when it is MY ass on the line. For the inspector, it is a job on the line. As an automotive mechanic of 8 years, I can count, on one hand, the number of engine failures that were not the result of poor basic maintenance (or overcomplicated engine control systems) The engines that are coming through the dealer these days are good for at least 200,000 miles with nothing more than oil changes and basic tune-up components. Why are aircraft engine not capable of the same without frequent inspections? Granted, cars are DOR (dead on road) more often, but the modern car has more computing responsibilities than the Apollo that went to the moon. (really) Strip off all that technology and replace it with some robust stuff that wasn't made by the lowest bidder and you have an engine that can go and go and go and go for years on end. Fear of flying-- I think you may be on to something there. Talk about being responsible for your own actions and abilities. And yes... at my current blue collar job, I would not feel good about an airplane I could afford. Now some other observations from an outsider..... When poking around the local GA airport there is a feeling of intimidation I get that makes me want to high tail it out of there before I get arrested and cavity searched. Boating is easy to get into.. just sign here. Anything that has to do with aviation is centered around the airport (remember the scary factor, above) and the airport is usually out of "normal" town. For boating, there is several places scattered through town and stretching along the coast to lure you in. (Vero Beach, FL) Chicks dig a new boat more than a 40 year old plane that needs paint. (can you paint one without the FAA holding your hand?) Now for a more abstract view.... enclosed cockpits are the demise of aviation (GA). The problem is, when I spend a weekend or even a day out on the water, I almost always show up for work on Monday with a sunburn. Sunburnt people are always questioned about "what did you do this weekend?" and I am more than happy to fill them in on the weekend's adventures and sights. Aviation just doesn't get enough "exposure" Ok ... I'll quit rambling now. Just gonna sit here and fly around on the X-plane simulator for a while....... JD in Vero Beach *** Sent via http://www.automationtools.com *** Add a newsgroup interface to your website today. |
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