PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Buying to hire out
View Single Post
Old 3rd May 2006, 09:18
  #38 (permalink)  
drauk
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 778
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Nay saying

One thing I really dislike about aviation as a hobby is how negative some people are about things. There is too much elitism in it and too many people saying don't do this, don't do that. If I listened to the advice I received I'd never have rented a plane and flown half way across America when I had only just got my PPL in the UK, nor done the various ratings at the times I did them, etc. A bit more altruism would really help the hobby/sport/past-time develop. So I am not generally inclined to be negative. But on this particular topic, I'm with the the nay-sayers 100%.

I've not done it, but I did look in to it. I've never come across anybody who has made money doing it. And after all, how could you? If it was that great then the school wouldn't want to do it. I've met only one person who has done it who recommended it, but he admitted he didn't make any money, plus he was a FI at the school so he had some advantages in terms of taking care of it, scheduling etc. AND he was trying to sell me that exact aeroplane.

But even if you think you could break even on the plane, or even make a small profit, so what? If you have "business interests", a long-term accountant, the means to buy 1 aeroplane yesterday and 2 today, and so on, are you in such a financial position where you want to make all that effort to save, say, £30/hour on your PPL. That's £1,500 on the whole thing. Is all the time and hassle and risk worth that much? And once you've got your PPL you probably won't want to own an aging 152. So what's the point? Big downsides, (perhaps) small upside.
drauk is offline