[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by NeedSpace

Hmm you know that might be a good idea without jumping in too deep. I should look into that. Are there typically time requirements to joining one? Anything I ahould look for in joining one?

I know owning my own plane is an eventual goal but perhaps this is a step toward it.

I think it’s a very good suggestion. It would allow you the opportunity to ease into it and see if you have sufficient time to actually fly. Which is also a big part of being safe, you have to fly often to stay sharp. I’m sure your club will also have a variety of CFIs available that you could utilize for additional training.

I grew up flying in my grandfather’s Bonanza, it’s my fondest childhood memory. I loved going out for a Saturday afternoon flight and then hanging out in the hanger over coffee with the other local pilots. So the element of sharing it with your son really resonates with me. If he’s interested in becoming a pilot then that’s even better. I work in aerospace because of my grandfather and flying as a kid, it’s quite a gift.

You should also double check your math, if you hanger the plane I suspect the carrying costs will exceed $10k. When my grandfather died I had the opportunity to inherit his plane, it would have cost me between $12-14k per year just to annual and hanger it. That’s nothing for repairs, or accruing for the TBO that was coming soon on his plane. At the time it was all money that I didn’t have and didn’t account for actually flying to plane or flight training. It was also a V35 Bonanza with a throw over yoke, not exactly the best basic flight training aircraft. It went to my uncle and was ultimately totaled by hail because he was to cheap to put it in a hanger.