Student pilot plane question

[RRman]

I posted this question in the Hanger talk section but it looks like this might be a better place to start.

I am new to this forum so thanks for your input.
I am a student pilot that is more than halfway through my license requirements. I am training in a 172 but have flown a 182 as well.
I will have to move to California from Oregon for work. My family is staying in Oregon. I am looking to purchase an airplane that will satisfy my needs to commute from California home to Oregon about 450NM a couple of times a month. The project will last about 2 - 3 years so I will be flying back and forth quite often.
We also have a son that lives in McCall Idaho we would be visiting as well.
My plan is to complete my PPL and continue to receive my instrument rating.
My budget would be in the $50K range.
What are your thoughts.
Thanks

 

[saracelica]

Continue to rent. That's not much for repairs and incidentals. The $30k will go alot farther if you just rent.

 

[wpierce]

Well, I would recommend purchasing or finding a partnership (which would be difficult to buy into and then sell when you move back to Oregon) If you can afford the plane and if an emergency engine rebuild would not cripple you then go for it. A good first airplane would be something that the legs are stuck down and at least 180 hp. I fly a Cherokee 180 and it's a perfect first time owner plane. (I'm actually in a partnership with 3 other guys that hardly ever fly... it's perfect)

 

[Dave2]

Train in the 172, but if you are already comfortable in a 182 I'd recommend that especially for flying in ID

 

[jtheune]

Given the distance your flying and I'm going to guess you would be going home for the weekend you might be better off renting. You won't have to worry about minimum hours on the rental as a 450 mile trip will take between 3 and 4 hours. The bigger problem will be the time to get your instrument rating as that will be almost a requirement for any kind of reliability for your trips. I would look up a school in your destination area and try to build a relationship with them. I don't know your time frame but if you an finish your private at home on Oregon now and then start working on your instrument at a school in CA then it might work out well. You will have time to work on your IA while your family is up in OR and might be able to work out a good deal with the school to take the plane up there for the weekend. If your a regular customer for training then they will likely be more amiable to letting you take the plane up to OR for the weekend. Until you get your IA done there will be times that you can't make the trip up there or back and if your stuck up at home in OR for a few days waiting out unforeseen weather it better to have a understanding FBO who hopefully won't ding you for a lot of extra charges for being late.

Now all this being said, be prepared for a lot of missed trips. Flying GA on a schedule can be vary dangerous especially for a new pilot who might be tempted to go in marginal conditions because of get-there-itus and not have the skills in their back pocket to back them up. Will your new gig be ok with you working from home sometimes? that might help a lot in keeping you from making a return trip when you should not. I'd be more worried about your desire to go home to see the family. That's a lot harder to put off. At least the trip home can be done by car if you have to. Not fun but doable. Good luck with all this.

 

[Steve Foley]

Now all this being said, be prepared for a lot of missed trips.

+1

A friend of mine owned a camp in Maine and lived on the airport property in Mass. It was a two hour flight or a five hour drive.

He drove as often as he flew. When he flew there and drove back, he was forced to drive the next available time to get his plane back.

 

[RRman]

Thanks for your input I appreciate it.
It looks like the smart move on my part would be to continue to rent until I complete my private as well as my instrument training. As was said it would not be wise to count on a schedule without having the necessary training and even then I would need some flexibility.
I think I will try to pick my weekend trips when the weather is nice and drive when there is a question.
Again thanks for your council.

 

[pilot117]

I'd look into the rental fleet options where you'll be in CA before I give up on buying a plane. You may find a good plane with decent availability at a friendly FBO and everything will work out nicely. However, you may not find a plane that serves your mission well, or an FBO willing to let a plane be out for a long weekend because it's when the largest part of their training revenue is generated.

For $50K you can find 182's, older M20's, Comanches, & Cardinal's (FG or RG) just to name a few that will serve your mission well. The biggest advice I have is to understand all of the other ownership costs associated with any plane. Insurance for any of the above mentioned planes will likely run between $800 - $1500 annually. Annual inspections, should average $1000 - $2000 for any of them. A big question to answer is weather you rent a hangar or tie down. Hangar and tie down rents vary drastically based on geography it seems. The only way to know how much those things will cost you is to call around to airports in the areas where you'll be and ask what they are. It's pretty easy to find a decent hangar in my area for $100 - $200 per month, but I've heard of plenty of people in more populated areas paying $600 - $800 per month.

I personally don't set aside $$ for incidental maintenance or engine overhauls. Many do and that's fine but I don't operate that way with respect to anything else I own so I don't feel the need to with the airplane either.

In short, from someone who owns an airplane, I would advise you to purchase a reasonable plane that's been well taken care of by it's previous owner and that fits your mission. I think you'll be sorely disappointed if you go the rental route due to scheduling conflicts and dispatch reliability.