Art VanDelay
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Well then he shouldn't fart around with little stuff he should get a 787 !
Path from 0 hours to Jet?
- Thread starter Flyer9966
- Start date
Well then he shouldn't fart around with little stuff he should get a 787 !
orange
Line Up and Wait
don't hold your breath.We're eagerly waiting for the "I bought this"-thread!
just another wet dream thread.
Good advice. I do have something in my medical history but I think I'll be ok if I just stop taking some meds and get a Dr. To say I'm ok. Also, I looked up the academy in Denton. It does look pretty good. It looks much like the academy near Portland which has 36 152's in its fleet. I wouldn't mind being close to Dallas either. Thanks for mentioning it.
As a non-PPL? He can't log any required solo time in the jet until he's typed as a SP, which he can't even sit for the check-ride do because he doesn't even have a PPL. Catch-22.
Shawn
En-Route
Step one...go get a Class 1 Medical before you devote another ounce of brain power, time or money to this endeavor. Really.
mtuomi
En-Route
Do note I replied to James_Dean, who actually has the ways and means to buy that plane.
The OP is just a dreamer and will never get anything, not even a certificate.
AggieMike88
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Flyer9966 said:
Class one medical can wait until later and you have decided to continue on your journey. Your plans and interests might change or life could intervene. So starting with a third class will be a decent start. Second and First Class medicals can happen later as they are needed.
However, the statement about a history that has you stopping some meds and getting the doc that put you in the meds to agree with that will have me advising to read up on what the FAA has to say in your medical history and medications BEFORE you start training or going to see an Aviation Medical Examiner. You need to make sure there are not any issues that are showstoppers. Even if they aren't, some medical items declared in the wrong way will crate a massive delay in approval or create a possibility of denial. And If denied, your flying dream is 100% well and truly dead.
items that can trip up new applicants are
- History of alcohol or drug related encounters with law enforcement, including DUI's
- Past diagnoses of ADD/ADHD
- Past diagnoses of psychological issues where SSRI meds were used to treat
- Cardiac issues
- Central nervous system issues
- Cancers
- And a few others.
SUMMARY: Before you step foot into the AME's office, have everything figured out in advance and in an organized file so you know with 100% certainty that you will be issued that medical. If there is any question, do not present yourself for a "live" exam, only go for consultations.
You said you looked at the online info for US Aviation. If you come to town to check them out, let me know and I'll buy ya dinner and share some stories with ya.
James_Dean
Pattern Altitude
Mike, thanks again for the advice. Yes, I will not pursue this any longer if I can't get a medical. You mentioned SSRI meds. I do take Zoloft - something I've been taking for about 13 years. I also take Wellbutrin, but I heard both of these are not automatic denials and that they are considered on a case-by-case basis. If I were to pursue this, it wouldn't be for another 6 to 8 months - at which time I would stop taking my meds. I think I could quit taking all my medicines right now and would be fine. I don't know the differences in the different medicals but I will research what the FAA has to say. I really hope I could fly, but I know these things happen. Well I just might take you up on your offer for dinner! I took a second look at US Aviation and they have 38 152's and a bunch of 172's too - more than the school I've been looking at near Portland. I hear great things about the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and Denton looks like it's not too close or too far from there. I'll let you know when I can come down to take a look at things. Look forward to meeting you!! Thanks again! Van
I'm jealous!
So if you're not able to pursue this any further, would you be able to purchase that dream airplane of mine with all of that settlement money you have laying around?
starglider
Pre-Flight
Hmm, this all sounds a bit troll-ish (or perhaps just fantasy), but hey I’ll bite since I’ve got flying on the brain and not enough time to do anything productive before we need to leave for dinner.
First, get your medical stuff sorted out. Talk to an experienced AME about your past, and get that all squared away BEFORE you start filling out MedXPress forms. Bruce Chien posts here a lot and is going to become your best friend soon. The whole “I can just stop taking some meds” comment makes me think you might be one of the “lifestyle SSRI/Xanax/Adderall” types (we have a lot of them out here in Seattle). The problem is that your psychiatrist (or, insanely, primary care doc) needed to make up some kind of diagnosis in order to get insurance to pay for those drugs. So sure it might all be BS, but it’s in your history, and people who ACTUALLY have those conditions are often unfit to fly airplanes. You’ll need to convince the FAA that it’s not a big deal. That’ll take some time (and cash). BasicMed requires an initial medical, and you’ll need an ongoing one anyway since you want to fly the big stuff up high.
Second, 172s and the like aren’t used as trainers just because they’re inexpensive; they’re actually the best type of aircraft to learn in. Low wing loading, tough, pretty simple, benign handling, etc. Financially, you’re way better off just renting these. Training in a jet (or even an SETP) doesn’t make any sense. Even setting aside cost, it’ll just be inefficient and pointlessly challenging. It’d be like learning how to drive stick in a Ferrari; you’re just tearing up a beautiful machine that isn’t meant for that.
Third, once you have the minimum ratings you need to fly a jet (just MEL and IA), I think you should just go get the jet. I’m not sure you really need to bother with this step-up stuff. Get a good mentor pilot to fly with you for several hundred hours. You’ll spend a lot of money getting a TBM and then a King Air and then a Mustang. If you can afford it, just get the Mustang and hire a full-time pilot to fly around with you. Insurance is going to want to see massive time-in-type for anyone with low total time.
Speaking of insurance, insurance requirements are going to be much more stringent than the FAA’s. Which is totally fine, and you can work inside of that. Get a good mentor pilot, get typed in the jet, start logging hundreds of hours of PIC time together with that mentor, and then whenever insurance sees enough hours to cut you loose, you’re set. Do real trips with that mentor pilot. Fly long distances, fly in weather, fly in low visibility, fly in some icing, make a trip to KASE and fly the missed there, do some 2AM departures and arrivals. Use the airplane like the transportation machine it is while you’re training, and you’ll be a more skilled pilot than the thousand-hour CFI who zooms around the pattern all day in a Seminole in Arizona.
Now one big caveat: you probably don’t know exactly what you want now. It’s easy when you’re coming into this world with no experience to pick pretty much the most capable aircraft on paper that you can afford (more on that below) and say: “BINGO: THAT ONE.” But there are a lot of missions where something like a TBM or a King Air (or even a piston) are actually better suited. Take short field performance, for example, where most jets struggle. How long is the runway at the airport closest to your home? Are the hangars big enough for the wingspan of your bird? Would you trade 50 knots to have a fifteen minute commute to the airport instead of 90 minutes to the bigger field? Turbines aren’t great for short trips, because you need to climb them every time. Some of the really fast planes have terrible range, and if your trips are longer, you might do quite a bit better in what seems like a “lesser” aircraft. A B200 is going to beat a Mustang on a 1,700nm trip, because the King Air driver doesn’t need to stop to tank up. My point is that there are a ton of variables here that you probably haven’t had a chance to think through yet.
You’ll learn a lot of this stuff as you progress through ratings, so don’t get your heart set on too much airplane too soon.
Now, on the money front, be sure you really understand what you’re getting into. The initial acquisition cost is basically a down payment. With a jet (but any airplane, really) the true cost comes later. An overhaul of a turbofan engine is about a quarter-million dollars, and you’ll have two of them. I think you’re probably going to be at about $3,000/hr not including your mentor pilot. So assuming you fly 100hrs/year, you’ll have purchased the entire airplane again after ten years. I’m not saying you can’t afford this, but writing the check to the dealer is just the beginning. If you got a $10mm settlement from MS, don’t plan to work again, and think you can afford sole ownership of a jet, I think you’re making a terrible economic choice here.
A few pieces of misinformation seemed to sneak into the thread: you don’t need a commercial cert or a first class medical or anything like that. A third class medical and a private are all you need if you’re not doing this to make money. Your type rating will be to “ATP standards,” but you don’t need an ATP (nor will you get issued one without the requisite experience).
First, get your medical stuff sorted out. Talk to an experienced AME about your past, and get that all squared away BEFORE you start filling out MedXPress forms. Bruce Chien posts here a lot and is going to become your best friend soon. The whole “I can just stop taking some meds” comment makes me think you might be one of the “lifestyle SSRI/Xanax/Adderall” types (we have a lot of them out here in Seattle). The problem is that your psychiatrist (or, insanely, primary care doc) needed to make up some kind of diagnosis in order to get insurance to pay for those drugs. So sure it might all be BS, but it’s in your history, and people who ACTUALLY have those conditions are often unfit to fly airplanes. You’ll need to convince the FAA that it’s not a big deal. That’ll take some time (and cash). BasicMed requires an initial medical, and you’ll need an ongoing one anyway since you want to fly the big stuff up high.
Second, 172s and the like aren’t used as trainers just because they’re inexpensive; they’re actually the best type of aircraft to learn in. Low wing loading, tough, pretty simple, benign handling, etc. Financially, you’re way better off just renting these. Training in a jet (or even an SETP) doesn’t make any sense. Even setting aside cost, it’ll just be inefficient and pointlessly challenging. It’d be like learning how to drive stick in a Ferrari; you’re just tearing up a beautiful machine that isn’t meant for that.
Third, once you have the minimum ratings you need to fly a jet (just MEL and IA), I think you should just go get the jet. I’m not sure you really need to bother with this step-up stuff. Get a good mentor pilot to fly with you for several hundred hours. You’ll spend a lot of money getting a TBM and then a King Air and then a Mustang. If you can afford it, just get the Mustang and hire a full-time pilot to fly around with you. Insurance is going to want to see massive time-in-type for anyone with low total time.
Speaking of insurance, insurance requirements are going to be much more stringent than the FAA’s. Which is totally fine, and you can work inside of that. Get a good mentor pilot, get typed in the jet, start logging hundreds of hours of PIC time together with that mentor, and then whenever insurance sees enough hours to cut you loose, you’re set. Do real trips with that mentor pilot. Fly long distances, fly in weather, fly in low visibility, fly in some icing, make a trip to KASE and fly the missed there, do some 2AM departures and arrivals. Use the airplane like the transportation machine it is while you’re training, and you’ll be a more skilled pilot than the thousand-hour CFI who zooms around the pattern all day in a Seminole in Arizona.
Now one big caveat: you probably don’t know exactly what you want now. It’s easy when you’re coming into this world with no experience to pick pretty much the most capable aircraft on paper that you can afford (more on that below) and say: “BINGO: THAT ONE.” But there are a lot of missions where something like a TBM or a King Air (or even a piston) are actually better suited. Take short field performance, for example, where most jets struggle. How long is the runway at the airport closest to your home? Are the hangars big enough for the wingspan of your bird? Would you trade 50 knots to have a fifteen minute commute to the airport instead of 90 minutes to the bigger field? Turbines aren’t great for short trips, because you need to climb them every time. Some of the really fast planes have terrible range, and if your trips are longer, you might do quite a bit better in what seems like a “lesser” aircraft. A B200 is going to beat a Mustang on a 1,700nm trip, because the King Air driver doesn’t need to stop to tank up. My point is that there are a ton of variables here that you probably haven’t had a chance to think through yet.
You’ll learn a lot of this stuff as you progress through ratings, so don’t get your heart set on too much airplane too soon.
Now, on the money front, be sure you really understand what you’re getting into. The initial acquisition cost is basically a down payment. With a jet (but any airplane, really) the true cost comes later. An overhaul of a turbofan engine is about a quarter-million dollars, and you’ll have two of them. I think you’re probably going to be at about $3,000/hr not including your mentor pilot. So assuming you fly 100hrs/year, you’ll have purchased the entire airplane again after ten years. I’m not saying you can’t afford this, but writing the check to the dealer is just the beginning. If you got a $10mm settlement from MS, don’t plan to work again, and think you can afford sole ownership of a jet, I think you’re making a terrible economic choice here.
A few pieces of misinformation seemed to sneak into the thread: you don’t need a commercial cert or a first class medical or anything like that. A third class medical and a private are all you need if you’re not doing this to make money. Your type rating will be to “ATP standards,” but you don’t need an ATP (nor will you get issued one without the requisite experience).
AggieMike88
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For Aeromedical advice on how to proceed with your history of Zoloft and Wellbutrin, contact Dr. Bruce Chien via his website, www.aeromedicaldoc.com. He is one of the four AME's who authored the SSRI authorization protocol, so he knows the what you need to know, and can provide you the proper how too guidance on how to proceed and what you and your doctor need to prepare for the FAA. Do note, that he has heard it all, seen it all, and has multiple hangars full of the T-shirts from people who try to lie (intentionally or by omission) and shortcut the system. He will help you, but only if you are humble, honest, and willing to listen.
Regarding which school has more airplanes, that really doesn't matter that much. The better criteria is do they have instructors that are good fits for the way you learn. The size of the fleet does help for dispatching, as in if 4 aircraft are off the line today for some reason, there are others similarly equipped and ready.
A few other things you can be working on now...
Learn the differences between the Part 61 and Part 141 schools. US Aviation and the other professional pilot mill operators are Part 141. Independent instructors are almost always Part 61. The differences between the two are worth knowing and might factor in to which you use for primary training.
Start your ground school knowledge work. The simplest way is to search the FAA.gov website for the free versions of Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) and the Airplane Flying Handbook. Download this as PDF's and start reading. There other ground school systems to choose from (King Schools, Gleim, Sporty's, ASA) too. But the free FAA books cover the required material and are a good start.
I hope this helps.
AggieMike88
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I'll add "INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE" (also referred to as IFR) rating to this list.
I agree commercial pilot isn't required, but it can be a worthwhile rating to obtain as it really exercises your knowledge, decision, and pilot skills.
mtuomi
En-Route
I expect to see a "I bought a Citation" thread within a year or so
I wish I wasn't a 100k and a multi short, your previous plane would fit my mission perfectly!Wow, yeah that does help a lot. I'll email Dr. Chien asap. Good idea, I'll get those books and start studying. I do appreciate all your help Mike. Thanks again, Van.
Rykymus
Line Up and Wait
I would advise the OP to NOT skip all the stuff between zero to jet. And screw renting. You've got the cash. Just buy what you want, and step up as your training and experience warrant. You will learn SO much along the way, every bit of which will be helpful when you reach the point of jet ownership. And if you skip all those steps, you'll not only be missing out on all that experience, but also all of the FUN.
@starglider, thanks for the advice. I have a really strange medical history. Ive been misdiagnosed a couple times already and even had a doctor tell me to quit taking the Zoloft but that was a few doctors and a few years ago. I'm just going to be persistent and do everything I can. Also, I'm not totally convinced I need a jet but I really like the king air. This is all a bit of a fantasy for me. I've dreamt of f!Ying since I was a kid but never had the means until now that I'm 45. Well, thanks for your input. I really do appreciate it.Hmm, this all sounds a bit troll-ish (or perhaps just fantasy), but hey I’ll bite since I’ve got flying on the brain and not enough time to do anything productive before we need to leave for dinner.
First, get your medical stuff sorted out. Talk to an experienced AME about your past, and get that all squared away BEFORE you start filling out MedXPress forms. Bruce Chien posts here a lot and is going to become your best friend soon. The whole “I can just stop taking some meds” comment makes me think you might be one of the “lifestyle SSRI/Xanax/Adderall” types (we have a lot of them out here in Seattle). The problem is that your psychiatrist (or, insanely, primary care doc) needed to make up some kind of diagnosis in order to get insurance to pay for those drugs. So sure it might all be BS, but it’s in your history, and people who ACTUALLY have those conditions are often unfit to fly airplanes. You’ll need to convince the FAA that it’s not a big deal. That’ll take some time (and cash). BasicMed requires an initial medical, and you’ll need an ongoing one anyway since you want to fly the big stuff up high.
Second, 172s and the like aren’t used as trainers just because they’re inexpensive; they’re actually the best type of aircraft to learn in. Low wing loading, tough, pretty simple, benign handling, etc. Financially, you’re way better off just renting these. Training in a jet (or even an SETP) doesn’t make any sense. Even setting aside cost, it’ll just be inefficient and pointlessly challenging. It’d be like learning how to drive stick in a Ferrari; you’re just tearing up a beautiful machine that isn’t meant for that.
Third, once you have the minimum ratings you need to fly a jet (just MEL and IA), I think you should just go get the jet. I’m not sure you really need to bother with this step-up stuff. Get a good mentor pilot to fly with you for several hundred hours. You’ll spend a lot of money getting a TBM and then a King Air and then a Mustang. If you can afford it, just get the Mustang and hire a full-time pilot to fly around with you. Insurance is going to want to see massive time-in-type for anyone with low total time.
Speaking of insurance, insurance requirements are going to be much more stringent than the FAA’s. Which is totally fine, and you can work inside of that. Get a good mentor pilot, get typed in the jet, start logging hundreds of hours of PIC time together with that mentor, and then whenever insurance sees enough hours to cut you loose, you’re set. Do real trips with that mentor pilot. Fly long distances, fly in weather, fly in low visibility, fly in some icing, make a trip to KASE and fly the missed there, do some 2AM departures and arrivals. Use the airplane like the transportation machine it is while you’re training, and you’ll be a more skilled pilot than the thousand-hour CFI who zooms around the pattern all day in a Seminole in Arizona.
Now one big caveat: you probably don’t know exactly what you want now. It’s easy when you’re coming into this world with no experience to pick pretty much the most capable aircraft on paper that you can afford (more on that below) and say: “BINGO: THAT ONE.” But there are a lot of missions where something like a TBM or a King Air (or even a piston) are actually better suited. Take short field performance, for example, where most jets struggle. How long is the runway at the airport closest to your home? Are the hangars big enough for the wingspan of your bird? Would you trade 50 knots to have a fifteen minute commute to the airport instead of 90 minutes to the bigger field? Turbines aren’t great for short trips, because you need to climb them every time. Some of the really fast planes have terrible range, and if your trips are longer, you might do quite a bit better in what seems like a “lesser” aircraft. A B200 is going to beat a Mustang on a 1,700nm trip, because the King Air driver doesn’t need to stop to tank up. My point is that there are a ton of variables here that you probably haven’t had a chance to think through yet.
You’ll learn a lot of this stuff as you progress through ratings, so don’t get your heart set on too much airplane too soon.
Now, on the money front, be sure you really understand what you’re getting into. The initial acquisition cost is basically a down payment. With a jet (but any airplane, really) the true cost comes later. An overhaul of a turbofan engine is about a quarter-million dollars, and you’ll have two of them. I think you’re probably going to be at about $3,000/hr not including your mentor pilot. So assuming you fly 100hrs/year, you’ll have purchased the entire airplane again after ten years. I’m not saying you can’t afford this, but writing the check to the dealer is just the beginning. If you got a $10mm settlement from MS, don’t plan to work again, and think you can afford sole ownership of a jet, I think you’re making a terrible economic choice here.
A few pieces of misinformation seemed to sneak into the thread: you don’t need a commercial cert or a first class medical or anything like that. A third class medical and a private are all you need if you’re not doing this to make money. Your type rating will be to “ATP standards,” but you don’t need an ATP (nor will you get issued one without the requisite experience).
Yeah I'm dying to FLY anything right now! I think your advice is right on. Thanks for your help.
James_Dean
Pattern Altitude
I expect to see a "I bought a Citation" thread within a year or so
I promise it'll be more than a year! I just have to figure out how to tell the Boss and SWMBO that I need a block of 20+ days away to get the PIC type and the single pilot waiver for a legacy Citation.
exncsurfer
Pattern Altitude
If your dream is to fly, you don't have to give up if you can't get a medical. As long as you don't submit the paperwork and get denied, you still have the option of Sport Pilot. You'd have to give up your personal jet dream(unless you want to pay a pilot), but you could still fly for fun in a light sport airplane. Fly for fun, charter a jet when you want to travel with all that money you save.
AggieMike88
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@Flyer9966, I want to emphasize this bit of advice.
As I said earlier, don't submit anything to the FAA until you know with 100% certainty you will pass and walk out of the AME's office with the medical. A denial because you let your emotional dream take control over rational patient mind will take away any chance of being a pilot, even in the smaller light sport aircraft.
"I have a really strange medical history. I've been misdiagnosed a couple times" -- Another "you don't know what you don't know" item is that these diagnoses, even if truly incorrect, are still part of your medical record, and the FAA is going to take the stance that they still apply to you until you have an FAA recognized doctor/psychologist examine you and says they don't apply. You saying the doctors were wrong, or your general practitioner with a minimal time in a psych rotation saying it is wrong won't wash. It has the be someone the FAA knows. Do know that this won't be easy, and it won't be low cost.
And even then, there is no guarantee. But working with someone such as Dr. Bruce Chien and following his guidance will increase your odds.
But going into the AME's office and submitting the a "live" exam unprepared and unable to properly explain or document your history???? Bad ju-ju and high chance of denial. Once the AME starts the live exam, there are only two outcomes: issue the certificate, or denial.
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Blueangel
Line Up and Wait
Buy a used Cirrus SR22 do the private and IFR ratings in it then sell/trade for a Cirrus Vision Jet. Do type rating in it. You now have and can fly a small jet! That seems the easiest least experience route. No need to do multi rating.
MassPilot
Cleared for Takeoff
How long is the waiting list for a Vision Jet?
citizen5000
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A sensible route. Better to buy the SR22T though. The performance and cockpit layout and operational characteristics of the SR22T are present in the SF50 (side stick, stall characteristics, Perspective checklists, parachute). The wait for an SF50 is two years min. This is enough time to get 200 or 300 hours in an SR22T before upgrading. The Cirrus factory training is tailored to moving owners from their piston singles to the jet.
gsengle
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I would go with something more complex than the SR22 if you wanna fly more than Cirrus' VLJ.
Get your medical. Rent a primary trainer, 172 or Cherokee to get your private. You won't need a trainer that long to bother buying one. Then buy a complex airplane like an Arrow or a Mooney to do some time building and cross country flying and to get your instrument in. Then do commercial and multi after you gain some traveling experience around 500 hours and upgrade to something like a Baron or DA62. Fly that a while. Then you'll be ready to move up to a jet.
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Get your medical. Rent a primary trainer, 172 or Cherokee to get your private. You won't need a trainer that long to bother buying one. Then buy a complex airplane like an Arrow or a Mooney to do some time building and cross country flying and to get your instrument in. Then do commercial and multi after you gain some traveling experience around 500 hours and upgrade to something like a Baron or DA62. Fly that a while. Then you'll be ready to move up to a jet.
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@AggieMike88. I'll contact Dr Chien soon, but like u said I won't submit anything until I'm sure I won't get denied. Thanks again.
Stingray Don
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I just read the Examiners Guide and I'm not feeling too confident about getting a medical
You could still go for sport pilot and forgo the medical. Of course an LSA is a far cry from a jet, but at least you are flying.
AggieMike88
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That's the "black letter" details. But as with anything, there is always additional paths. And Dr. Chien is the right navigator for the job.I just read the Examiners Guide and I'm not feeling too confident about getting a medical
Also, I don't think you ever shared what your real need to fly is beyond you want to.
What do you see as your typical mission? Where to where, how many times a year or month or week, just you or will there be others, how fast do you need to get there, and any other parameters that helps us understand your motivations and needs for aviation.
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starglider
Pre-Flight
You know, don't discount LSA. Flying isn't like driving. With driving, the most fun cars to drive are generally the high-performance expensive cars. Most car nuts with unlimited budgets end up in a Ferrari, top-of-the-line Porsche, or something similarly exotic and expensive. Flying really isn't like that. The best and fastest aircraft really aren't the most fun to fly. In fact, they're often the most boring.
I've got an Aerostar. Awesome airplane, and I love her. She's about the fastest non-turboprop you can buy, and I can outrun some King Airs. It puts a stupid grin on my face to be up at 25,000' doing 240 knots. She's actually a joy to hand-fly, but she's a go-places machine. You're always IFR, and you're on autopilot for 95% of the flight (not that you have to be, but there's not much "fun" in handflying IFR for three hours). My hand spends quite a bit more time on the PTT switch and twisting Garmin knobs than it does on the yoke in my typical SF trip. In your jet, you'll be _required_ to have the autopilot fly the entire cruise portion of your flight.
If I were to get a second airplane, it wouldn't be a Mustang or a King Air; it'd be a 185 or an Extra 300. I got the A* to take me on business trips, and she does a fantastic job of getting me from Seattle to San Francisco in less than three hours, and I look forward to every trip. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a TP or even a jet, especially if I can afford one that could get me nonstop to Chicago. But when I retire and want to fly for fun, I'm buying a 185 and flying my wife and me to every grass strip within 300 miles that has good hiking. Or maybe an Extra and doing some amateur aerobatic competitions. Busting out a CJ3 to go bore holes in the sky holds little interest.
There's a lot more to flying than just being up in the flight levels and going 400kts. If you're not working and want to fly for fun, I'm not really sure a jet is where your head should be anyway. Some of these little LSA are reportedly a joy to fly.
I've got an Aerostar. Awesome airplane, and I love her. She's about the fastest non-turboprop you can buy, and I can outrun some King Airs. It puts a stupid grin on my face to be up at 25,000' doing 240 knots. She's actually a joy to hand-fly, but she's a go-places machine. You're always IFR, and you're on autopilot for 95% of the flight (not that you have to be, but there's not much "fun" in handflying IFR for three hours). My hand spends quite a bit more time on the PTT switch and twisting Garmin knobs than it does on the yoke in my typical SF trip. In your jet, you'll be _required_ to have the autopilot fly the entire cruise portion of your flight.
If I were to get a second airplane, it wouldn't be a Mustang or a King Air; it'd be a 185 or an Extra 300. I got the A* to take me on business trips, and she does a fantastic job of getting me from Seattle to San Francisco in less than three hours, and I look forward to every trip. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a TP or even a jet, especially if I can afford one that could get me nonstop to Chicago. But when I retire and want to fly for fun, I'm buying a 185 and flying my wife and me to every grass strip within 300 miles that has good hiking. Or maybe an Extra and doing some amateur aerobatic competitions.
Busting out a CJ3 to go bore holes in the sky holds little interest.There's a lot more to flying than just being up in the flight levels and going 400kts. If you're not working and want to fly for fun, I'm not really sure a jet is where your head should be anyway. Some of these little LSA are reportedly a joy to fly.
AggieMike88
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2010
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- Denton, TX
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- The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
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- KDTO (Denton Enterprise)
Young, dumb, and no hours in the log book: Wanna go fast and fly up high...
Old, wiser, and more than one logbook completely filled out: Want to go low, slow, and fly without the doors.
Well I looked at the medical examiner guide again and considering the decision making process they do take into account previous aeronautical experience. I'm thinking about getting an LSA and fly that around for a year or so then applying for the medical certificate. I can show that I'm stable after stopping the meds for a period of time. I was looking up LSA models and some look pretty good.
AggieMike88
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2010
- Messages
- 20,803
- Location
- Denton, TX
- Display Name
- The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
- Home Airfield
- KDTO (Denton Enterprise)
Question for the group.....
Is a student pilot's license required to solo in an LSA? If possible, provide the FAR citation that answers this question so I can add it to my knowledge bank.
Is a student pilot's license required to solo in an LSA? If possible, provide the FAR citation that answers this question so I can add it to my knowledge bank.
Stingray Don
En-Route
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- Dec 21, 2014
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- Indianapolis, Indiana
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- Stingray Don
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- KUMP
I started down the sport pilot road and just needed to provide a drivers license. Eventually transitioned to PPL.
Shawn
En-Route
I thought LSA was just Driver's License Medical all the way through, not student pilot with third class.
Keep in mind if you fail a medical you no longer qualify for Light Sport. Better to never try and be 100% sure you will pass before going down that route.
Everskyward
Experimenter
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2005
- Messages
- 33,464
- Display Name
- Everskyward
This...
Yeah I want to be 100% sure I can pass. I can work it all out during my year or so of flying the LSA. I do want to move up to better aircraft at some point though. Any suggestions on an LSA model? Flightdesignusa.com is supposedly the best model. Oh for now I just want to fly for pleasure but it would be nice to use it for business. I do expect to travel quite a bit after 2018.
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