Interesting points, Helen. And good ones. Getting my PP didn't seem that bad. If it has become so, then we are doing something wrong. I looked in my logbook and I had 39.4 hours when I was recommended for my checkride and I had 40.5 when my license was issued. I did it in 4 months and had a blast. I see people come to me for checkrides who have enough hours in their logbook to get a PP and I can't help thinking, "Dude, a couple hours under the hood and a night x/c and you'd be taking a PP checkride right now." And that hood time can be combined into the dual x/c so you aren't just spending money droning along in a straight line so it doesn't really cost extra.JimFrom: Helen WoodsSent: Friday, April 20, 2012 6:01 AMSubject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group LSA for rent without renters, or renters...I personally think that everyone should start off with a SPL for two reason. First, an LSA forces you to learn better stick and rudder skills than what you learn on a larger GA plane. Second, and one of our examiners first pointed this out to me, when a sport pilot student passes his checkride he is excited to be a pilot. When a private pilot student passes his checkride, he is relived that his training is over. Flight training is tough - tough on your wallet, tough on your work and pesonal life, and often tough on your family relations. The extra time and effort it takes to fill all of the requirements for private when starting from scratch can really take a toll on students. Sporty's Flight Accademy that has one of the highest retention rates in the country has seen this and has been making Rec Pilot a requirement for years just to give their students a much needed break on their way to Private. We all know that Sport is a much more useful rating than Rec and I'd argue that it should be the stepping stone rating for students seeking PP in general.
Helen
On 4/19/2012 12:51 PM, Jim Bair wrote:My son bought an IFR equipped 150 for under $20k. He plans on getting an instrument rating in it and instructing in it. There is no way he could have paid 80 and up for a plane. ROI, yes, much better.The license itself... I totally recommend to students that if they can get a medical, they are much better off with a PP over a SP if they have any idea of eventually upgrading. Way more options on where and what they can fly. I have had guys come back to me later wanting to upgrade to PP so they can fly at night, or fly a C-172 and haul 4 people, etc. I always tell people that if they are absolutely sure that they will be happy flying within the limits of SP that it is a good way to go, but if they think they might want more in the future, they will have to study again for another written, more dual, and pay for another checkride. There is only 5 more hours of dual time required for a PP anyway. Don't get me wrong, it is a real license, it just has limitations. If you don't mind those limitations, then no problem.I really haven't been following the used LSA market. I'm sure some are out there now. What are they bringing on the used market?JimFrom: ron_d_hillSent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 5:18 PMSubject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group LSA for rent without renters, or renters...Well, one simple thing is a 150 can be bought for 20k and the current crop of LSA's are 80-100k.
If I were looking to buy an aircraft and get ROI.... ROI is going to be better on the Cessna 150.
Another issue with sport pilot is it is not seen as a 'real' license. The CFI's don't see it that way, the industry does not see it that way, the FAA sorta does not see it that way, and most pilots do not see it that way.
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