Flying can be CHEAP!

The goal of this article is to convince you that you could probably afford to pursue general aviation as a hobby.

I’m sure the first thing on your mind is about how I am wrong. Aviation is the domain of rich people, or at least the very top of the middle-upper class. That's understandable considering the prices of so-called “entry level” airplanes for example:

Cessna Skyhawk $274,900*

Piper Arrow $292,400*

Cirrus SR20 $539,900*

These are the cheapest planes these well known manufacturers make, and even then these are the base prices, meaning your final bill is probably going to end up a lot higher. Unless you are a millionaire how could anyone hope to afford this hobby?

There are two different types of pilots license, Private Pilot (PPL) and Sport Pilot (SPL), the difference being that Sport Pilots have a few more restrictions on where, when and what they can fly. For example, Sport Pilots do not have the privilege of flying at night and cannot get additional certifications like Commercial or Instrument ratings. This is because to be eligible for a PPL you have to pass a very strict medical evaluation, while for the SPL all you need is a valid driver's license.

Light Sport certified aircraft have to be under a certain dry weight, have only two seats and they cannot be able to fly faster than 134kts (nautical miles per hour) straight and level. There are some really cool examples!

Arotrek A220 - $89,950

Lightning LS1 - $119,000

American Legend Cub $138,900

I hear you say, “yes these are cheaper but I don’t have $100,000 to spend on a toy!” and I feel for you, I really do - I don’t have a hundred grand lying around either. The interesting thing about aircraft is that they retain value very well. Aircraft have to be inspected prior to every flight and any little thing is noted and anything that might make the flight unsafe will have to be fixed before the wheels leave the runway. Imagine if every year you had to take your car into the mechanic to get inspected (an Annual for aircraft), and then every so many miles you had to have the engine removed, disassembled, cleaned and inspected… your car would last forever! And that is why there are plenty of very good Airplanes flying today that were built decades ago.

There are two special classic planes that meet the LSA rules that I want to talk about.

First the Aeronca Chief:

On Controller.com there is a “like new” restored 1946 Aeronca Chief for 34,950. Something a little less pristine can be found anywhere from $10,000 - $20,000. These little planes are cheap to buy and fun to fly. They are super safe and reliable and that is why they have survived so long.

Second the Luscombe 8A:

Another small plane from yesteryear. These little guys are notoriously good performers and unlike the Areonica the Luscombe’s are all metal and thus will suffer less wear if tied down in the open instead of kept in a hanger.

On Controller.com there is a beautiful Luscombe 8A for $16,500. You will find these planes in a similar price range as the Chief’s, they might be a little more expensive for comparable quality.

There is a lot to aviation that most people generally don’t know. I am not going to lie - Aviation is “expensive” but really only if you consider it an expense. Money spent on aviation should be measured in satisfaction gained and if you are an aviator it’s priceless.

I aim to use all my Steemit rewards in pursuit of my aviation ambitions. If you got this far thanks! Leave a like and if you have any criticisms leave a comment.