Rich man's hobby?

John, let’s call him, had his private pilot certificate for a decade and was 90 percent of the way through his instrument training when the cost of flying became prohibitive. He talked about a time when he could rent an airplane for $100 per hour and that same airplane was now renting for $180. He wondered if maybe flying had become a rich man’s hobby. I’m sure many of us can sympathize. Current inflation rates are driving up the cost of everything. Unfortunately for many, that means flying will get pushed to the wayside. You simply cannot give up your meal money for flying, no matter how strong your passion. Luckily, you are speaking to an expert on the subject—a broke college student (at least I was when I learned how to fly). I ended up working with the flight school and taking out a loan through one of their partner banks. I flew every morning, then waited tables at night to pay living expenses. I’ve now worked on the flight training/general aviation side for almost two decades, and here’s what I know:

For one, it is not practical to try to save up a little and fly a little as you get extra money. It’s very hard to progress this way and ends up more expensive. There will be too many pauses in the flight training process, so you will constantly be relearning skills. So, save up enough on the front end, then get started, or secure a loan for the entire rating. Yes, it’s a lot of money. But think of it as an investment in your future. If you are just a recreational or hobby flyer, maybe a loan is not an option for you. Join the Civil Air Patrol or a flying club. I spoke with my local CAP squadron leader, Jim Harris, to find out what that program looked like. This must be aviation’s best-kept secret. Did you know CAP will pay for two proficiency flights a month for adult members? And for their junior cadet program (ages 12 through 18), they cover a large portion of the cost of private pilot flight training after certain requirements are met. For more information, visit the website (gocivilairpatrol.com). Looking for less of a time commitment? Flying club members generally pay a monthly membership fee plus a minimal hourly amount to fly the airplane. With 10 or so people sharing the expense of one aircraft, flying clubs are a budget-friendly way to keep you in the sky. See the AOPA website to find a flight club near you
(aopa.org/flyingclubfinder).

Here’s an outside-the-box option if you have a specific aviation goal in mind and need hours fast. For example, you want to get your instrument rating over the course of one summer, or maybe you need 1,500 hours to get your airline transport pilot certificate and that dream flying job. Buy a slow, relatively inexpensive airplane, fly the wings off that thing, then sell it six months later once you have achieved your goal. I’ve known a couple of flight instructors who have done this. Luckily, airplanes tend to hold their value, especially in this current market.

Or here’s a more common method: Rent an airplane from the local flight school and time build with another person. You have to do this right, though, if you both want to log the flight time. For example, one pilot can wear a view-limiting device and the other can serve as safety pilot, or one pilot needs to hold a CFI rating and the other can receive cross-country training. There’s nothing like cutting your costs in half to help with the aviation budget.

How about a scholarship? There are more out there than you might think. AOPA grants roughly a million dollars in scholarships annually. Many other groups, like Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals and Women in Aviation International, grant generous scholarships as well. For an extensive list of your scholarship options, visit the AOPA website (aopa.org/scholarships).

There will always be an excuse to keep you from pursuing what you really want. I finished writing a novel two years ago and have yet to dedicate enough hours to polish it for publishing. I keep telling myself I don’t have enough time. Kids. Jobs. All that. But if we want something bad enough, we are willing to make sacrifices. Maybe that means getting creative with the schedule or budget to make room to go after what we really want.
So, back to you, John. Please don’t give up on aviation. We pilots are not the quitting kind. Here’s hoping you can start prioritizing your dream and then find the resources to make it happen.

myaviation101.com