Steve wrote:
I'm considering taking up flying as a hobby. It's something I've been wanting to do
since I was a kid. The ultimate goal is to learn how to fly lear jets or should I say private
light jets. What flight training classes would I have to take and how many hrs would I
have to perform. I can pretty much fly as many times a week as necessary to get the
training my job schedule is highly flexible. I have noticed that most courses run from 5
to 7 k. To get a private pilots license. But what would it take to have the licensing to fly
a lear. And can those courses be taken right after getting my PPL. I saw where I could
get a PPL for 8,000 and get instrument training for another 6,000. Is there another
course needed to fly a lear and can all the classes be taken concurrently.

You do not fly jets as a hobby unless you have almost unlimited wealth.
Nevertheless, there are some people who do fly jets as a hobby. The
majority of them fly decommissioned military aircraft, but there are
some Lear pilots and others. You will spend a minimum of $75,000
getting all the certificates and ratings, including a type rating for a
Lear, but that is just the beginning of it. You will have to build up
the hours (over a period of years, probably) to be acceptable to an
insurer. After that, figure a good $1300 per hour for operating cost of
the Lear. You will also have to pay another pilot to fly with you, as
most Lears are not certified for single pilot operation. Even if you
find one that is, your insurer will probably make you fly with another
pilot anyway.

It is not that jets are difficult to fly -- the typical military
throttle jock does not have very much flying experience, especially at
the beginning -- but they require considerable support and
infrastructure. Their high speeds require more planning and an ability
to think far ahead of the airplane. The military guy may not have flown
a lot, but he does make a full time job of studying how to fly his
airplane.

Heck, if I could just guarantee that I had the fuel and insurance
concessions, I could probably give jets away for free and still make
money. Maybe an exaggeration, but not that much of one.

Just remember, it is not the type of airplane that you fly that makes
you a good pilot. There are bad pilots flying all kinds of good
airplanes. It is training and experience that make you a good pilot.