PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - On acquiring an aircraft for my own PPL training and later use
Old 11th Mar 2018, 06:59
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StickWithTheTruth
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
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There are PLENTY of people out there now doing exactly what you are proposing, it's how many flying schools survive as they can't afford their own aircraft.

I would broaden your choice of aircraft though. I'm personally not excited about the Sling after I saw that 4 seater literally crushed in a landing accident (there's a thread on it here), they were lucky to survive
and the pilot was badly injured. As for the Black Shape Prime, I haven't heard of any being sold yet and $260k+ for a 130? knot tandem aircraft? Certainly tandem aren't brilliant for an-initio training so your aircraft might not get much use except for licenced pilots and at the huge capital outlay that it is, the hire rate will suffer accordingly.

Flying schools need workhorses, not modern showpieces. The 40 year old Cessnas are moderately bullet-proof and the costs are very well known. They burn more fuel but you can buy a decent 182 for well under $100k these days.

Workhorses in raaus are Jabiru's, Foxbats and other entry-level aircraft. The high-end imports like some Tecnams and the exotic European composites are great for private owners to hang onto and use privately.

One euro composite worth looking at is the Pipistrel Alpha trainer.... much the same airframe as the electric model that's been causing a lot of hype about lately. They have built this aircraft to be an affordable trainer and there are examples already of them operating successfully in Australian flying schools.

Perhaps also look at Soar, the flying school with some 30-40 aircraft in Moorabbin and Bankstown - they operate pretty much exclusively Foxbats and Bristells.

Last edited by StickWithTheTruth; 11th Mar 2018 at 07:13.
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