Tag Archives: airports

Buying an airplane to learn to fly.

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Buying an airplane to learn to fly.

Question.

I’m looking at getting a private pilot rating in the next year, and thinking buying an airplane of my own to use during instruction. I have been told it would help me save on rental fees and it does seem, that you can buy more affordably than rent! However, can a student pilot get (affordable) insurance on his personal aircraft while learning to fly? Seems there may be a contradiction here?

Also, I enjoy reading your articles; they are always informative and entertaining.   I would appreciate any information you might provide in response to my question,

Answer.

I do think buying can be a good way to go. Ownership frees up the planes schedule and you can get it whenever you want. No overnight charges if you take a trip. You know the maintenance history and as an owner, you get comfortable with the aircraft.

But, the biggest problem is buying something that might not be what you want at a later time. Surprisingly, the wants and needs get mixed up, so what you want, might be different than what you really need. If possible fly a few different models of aircraft. That might mean going to a few different FBO’s and getting in their aircraft. But after you get a few hours, you will be able to tell the difference between a Cessna 150 and a Cherokee 140. You know, high and low wing, landing, visibility, all these factors are important to every pilot in some manner. Make sure you try them all out before you purchase.

After the decision, a lot depends on what is “affordable” to you. If you were to buy a $25,000 Cessna 172 or Cherokee 140 you would probably spend about $1,000 a year in full coverage insurance. A Cessna 150 would be a little bit less because of only having two seats. A tail-wheel aircraft would be a little more.

Cessna airplane

Cessna 172

EAA STATEMENT ON FAA RELEASE OF THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL REFORM RULE

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EAA STATEMENT ON FAA RELEASE OF THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL REFORM RULE

FAA’s BasicMed will take effect on May 1, 2017

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (January 10, 2017) — Years of effort by EAA and AOPA culminated on Tuesday morning as the FAA announced regulations that will implement the aeromedical reform law passed last July. The regulations will be published Wednesday as a final rule, to take effect May 1, 2017.  According to the FAA, no changes have been made to the language in the law.

Because it is final, the rule – named “BasicMed” by the FAA – will not go out for a typical public comment period. The FAA also said it would publish an advisory circular describing the implementation of the rule later this week.

“This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, as the provisions of aeromedical reform become something that pilots can now use,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO/chairman. “EAA and AOPA worked to make this a reality through legislation in July, and since then the most common question from our members has been, ‘When will the rule come out?’ We now have the text and will work to educate members, pilots, and physicians about the specifics in the regulation.”

Tuesday’s announcement finalized the highly anticipated measure that was signed into law last July as part of an FAA funding bill. That was the ultimate success of a long effort by EAA and AOPA to bring significant aeromedical reform to pilots flying recreationally and eliminate the time and expense burdens on those holding third-class medical certificates.

The law guaranteed that pilots holding a valid third-class medical certificate issued in the 10 years before the reform was enacted will be eligible to fly under the new rules. New pilots and pilots whose most recent medical expired more than 10 years prior to July 2016 will be required to get a one-time third-class exam from an FAA-designated AME.

The FAA was required to implement the law within 180 days of its signing, or this Thursday (January 12). Since AirVenture 2016, FAA senior leadership has been assuring EAA that the 180-day deadline would be met. Despite the release of the regulations as a final rule, EAA will be reviewing the language carefully to ensure it fully reflects the language and intent of the law.

EAA has updated its Q&A and will continue to update them to provide the latest information. EAA is also working with its aeromedical and legal advisory councils to provide resources that will help members and their personal doctors understand the provisions of the new regulations.

About EAA

EAA embodies the spirit of aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 200,000 members and 1,000 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.

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Using the FAA B4UFLY drone app

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B4Uflyscreen

Using the FAA B4UFLY drone app.

First off, if you are not using the FAA B4UFLY drone app (https://www.faa.gov/uas/b4ufly/) on your smart phone or tablet, go download it. I understand that the app is not definitive answer to where you can fly, but it is a nice way to get a quick reference.

A friend of ours asked if we could take aerial video of a small gathering of people she is organizing. Since we do not have our 333 Exemption yet (should be soon…), we can’t do anything for hire but thought it would be a great way to get more experience.

In our case I entered the address of the field our friend wanted the video taken and let the system pick out the location and overlaid the nearest airports.  In this case we were outside the five-mile radius for a commercial airport but inside the five miles for a small private field, although, that small field doesn’t exist anymore. So the data might be a bit behind, but at least it reminded us where we should be concerned.

FYI, I looked at a couple other airports that I knew were gone and they were still on the map, so it is important to know your area. Don’t rely just on this application.

The next step was to get permission from the facility owner and potentially the city.  I called the city and they informed me that they are relatively unprepared for drone activity, but they have attended a few conventions and training programs where drones have been discussed. At this time the city has a few model aircraft rules in place which will cover the operation of drones for the time being.  Those rules do not allow models on public city land or parks.

But since we were flying on private ground we would need to talk to the owners. Will let you know how the whole thing goes, weather permitting.

Take a look at the screen short for the B4UFLY app. The purple pin is where the address put us compared the two airports. Kind of cool