How many give up flying GA due to cost?

[tonywob 4,778]

Same here. I did lessons in England, but the cost was really expensive. Not only that, but I spent most of the lessons waiting for jets to land and just sat in holds. Wish I'd chosen a better area. At 20 pounds a landing, it was far too expensive

 

I really regret I didn't continue. At the moment I'm saving to continue in Poland

[henri5 16]

Heck I never even got started due to the cost! I can barely afford a $50 addon for FSX once in a while... :unsure:

 

Henri

[Mickel 42]

I gave it away when I realised that the MECIR just wasn't going to happen because the cost of getting it wasn't worth the risk of trying to get a job with it against people nearly half my age. I would have carried on (stopped about 20 PIC hours short of my CPL hours, which was probably only another 8 weeks along) if I hadn't met my now wife and started a family because before that I would have been the only one taking a risk on a five figure sum of cash. The wife wasn't against it, but reality bites.

 

I don't see the point in doing three touch and goes every 90 days just to stay current, and do a bit more just around BFR time. You're not actually using your licence then - you're merely maintaining it. So the once a month is more practical.

 

Might sort out an RPL one day.

[n4gix 4,965]

Although I have slowly over the years managed to put enough away to afford pursuing a PPL, I've been reluctant to "blow the wad" so to speak, since I couldn't possibly afford to rent, much less own an aircraft...

 

...that would be an awful lot of money just for what to amount to nothing more than "bragging rights." :unsure:

[PieEater 10]

"Special Offer" at my local flying club 5 x 1 hour lessons with 5 landings for £995 = $1544(us)

Another "Special Offer" pre book 50 hours self fly hire in a C172 or Piper Warrior for £175 ph = $272(us)

 

Can I afford that - No.

[747-fan 19]

One hour at my local club is around 350 AUD. But then again, everything is expensive up here, so we get reasonable salaries too in Norway. A teacher may earn up to 100000 AUD and engineers 140000 AUD and upwards.

 

I could afford glider lessons which are half as cheap, but I don't have time to hang around in the hangar polishing stuff waiting for air time every other weekend for as long as I'm active. Too much BS and too little air time.

[fppilot 4,439]

I still maintain an AOPA membership and I have to say, based on the predominant content in recent issues of the member magazine I'd have to recommend they digest this Avsim topic. Their highest priority is to protect and perpetuate the growths and rights of those in GA (PPL), and sustained life of supporting airports.

[elche 5]

2004 - YSBK - Started flying in when an hr in a Traumahawk was $89...

2007 - YSBK - Stopped flying after losing my job. Twins were still relatively cheap (BE76 @ 245p/h dual airswitch), and had roughly 135hrs TT and 40ME

2009 - YSCN - Back into flying - Had to do a bi-annual review and decided to do a Seneca endorsement while at it (PA34 II @ 400p/h dual rate), a week later I did a P68 Endo, same price as the Seneca.

By this time a 172, or Archer was around $250p/h wet on tacho and it just got way too expensive to keep current mainly as I wanted twin time.

2012 - YSCN - Looked at prices - PA34/PN68 - $430 solo and $470 dual.... Add fuel surcharge, landing fees and all the other crap CASA throws in and a 3hr x-country will cost around $2,000....

2013 - Saving money to fly 2 months non-stop in the USA in 2014!!

 

There has been plenty of personal hardships endured, many opportunities in other fields, and other aspects of life not taken because I wanted to fly....

 

It's a hard road but I will do what it takes to achieve a life long dream!

[ethanhawx 3]

I got my CPL Lic back in 2009 from Canada. I also converted the Lic to Indian DGCA CPL Lic. Around 2002 there was a huge boon for pilot jobs in our country , and so anyone and everyone was doing CPL training. Now there is nothing.... Only a handful of my batchmates actually made it ,but nearly all of them had good connections and strong political or financial backgrounds.

 

Its sometime sickening to know that there are over 12000 unemployed pilots in my country alone, many of them having to pay back bank loans with huge accumalated interests..which is not only slowly killing a dream, but just destroying a persons career... Aviation is certainly not for the weak hearted. : (

By the way did I mention ..One of my friends has type ratings on both the A320 and B 737 , which he paid for himself and is still sitting idle....

 

I wait and watch for what GOD has instored for me...no idea how things will turn out , I am certainly not going to invest any further without any assuarances...

I feel that the frustration of not getting a job after completing ur flying is 10 folds that of not being able to get a Lic and complete training....

[ahuimanu 50]

I still maintain an AOPA membership and I have to say, based on the predominant content in recent issues of the member magazine I'd have to recommend they digest this Avsim topic. Their highest priority is to protect and perpetuate the growths and rights of those in GA (PPL), and sustained life of supporting airports.

 

You mirror my own sentiments perfectly; with a twist. I don't think that anyone of average (or even median) means can really afford to fly. I barely even read my AOPA pilot mag anymore as it is all just not worth it. I'm on autopayment, so AOPA just persists.

[magentajim 10]

I have not flown in 3 years now because to take a nice cross country costs $300 (approximately 50 US gals @$5.75 gal for 100LL for about 2 hours out and back) bucks in fuel, and $64/hr (or $256) to rent. While I will probably go home my next R&R (I work oveseas) and do some touch and goes my physical is due ($120 plus lab work ($75) because I am 46 and have controlled hypertension. So is my biannual review ($65/hr for the ground, $65/hr for the flight review, $75 for the gas, $64 for the plane). Insurance requirement for the airplane require a checkout in the make and model so If I want to take other than what my biannual was in (becuase I need to carry a little heavier load or better performance), you can double the biannual cost. This is for a 1977 Cessna 172R steam guage airplane. To get into the "Glass Cockpit" Cessna triples all cost and I won't even talk about the multi-engine.

 

So you see why Recreational General aviation for the common man is going away. And this is renting. Owning can be even worse! I have heard the old "it's like golfing or owning a boat" but golfing or owning a boat does not require brutal annual costs ($1000 and up depending on the make, model, complexity or age-EVERY YEAR), biannual reviews, insane insurance requirements and ridiclous (and rising) fuel costs. Clubs and fractionals help, but then but it still is a large loss of disposable income.

 

Suddenly all those addons start looking cheap.

[Taipan 30]

...that would be an awful lot of money just for what to amount to nothing more than "bragging rights." :unsure:

 

Yep this is it, I love to achieve things for achievements sake in general but what do I do with it at the end of PPL!, and this is a deposit on a house amount of money it will take to complete and stay current.

 

I mean I could think of a few trips I could do (but cost a $fortune to do!) after I get my PPL, but with short amounts of time at the same time it's a whole load easier and cheaper to fly Qantas. I think maybe when I'm "financially secure" or retired or whatever I may come back to it.. although at the same time the cost could go up exponentially too.

 

I'm taking a month or two off flying and will think about it. I don't regret it so far as it has been an amazing experience, and given that I love simming it also enhances that knowing what's real and what's not.

I'd like to come and finish what I started but I need to think about it.

[HansRoaming 73]

For me is cost, always not having enough money to start with a family, second one on the way. BTW I earn a good salary so would say forget even average earning people being able to fly. In the YK is very expensive.

 

However in a sim I can fly anywhere or anything I want so not really missing it much. In the future who knows.

[Krister 51]

Flying GA up here in the Nordic countries is utterly expensive not to mention getting the license. My friends at the club who own an old PA28 says their cost for flying is approx 160-170 euros an hours. So I decided my only realistic chance of flying was to get an ultralight license (not the US class, but what we have in Europe). At 80 knots cruise it's slooow but I only pay 50 euros/hour everything included so I can afford going flying anytime I want to. At this point I only crave the feeling of flying, not using it as a tansport so I am fine with that. So right now it's the weather that keeps me grounded!

[henri5 16]

I have heard the old "it's like golfing or owning a boat" but golfing or owning a boat does not require brutal annual costs

 

Well annual cost of beng a member of a gold club can be upwards of $10,000. Of course there are cheaper rates, but the equpemnt costs can add up too.

 

Flight simming is still cheaper than most hobbies (I don't play gold either)...

 

Henri