The PFA way, yes or no?
This board has been very critical of the PFA. I do not think it is a perfect organisation but…..
I started out with 50% of a 1978, 180hp 4 seat CofA machine which I had flown for a long time. I am 2/3 of the way to finishing a modern Carbon fibre a/c which will cruse at 125k+, and lift two people out of a short strip with baggage and 4 hours fuel. The a/c has a partial glass panel and if I wanted the equivalent from a new CofA machine it would cost me £150,000+, which I do not have.
The running costs are so much less that I will have saved the full cost of the aircraft over 10 years of operation, and the second-hand value is currently very good indeed. The down side is 750 hours (ish) of hard graft. The up side will be that I can afford to fly a well equipped, new aircraft for a very long time using £12 of fuel per hour!
The project is registered with the PFA: I would give them about 8/10 for service until now and I feel the engineering and inspection side is working very well, in my case.
The finished a/c will spend lots of time touring France and will handle far better than its heavy metal brothers.
So, am I mad, or is this a very good way of getting an new executive express for the cost of a 25 year old family hatch?
Rod1