A word from the wise?? advice sought on group shares, please.

[Blindside]

Hello

I am seriously considering purchasing a share in a plane, probably a Warrior.

With the benefit of hindsight, what advice would you give to me? Which advice do you wish you had heard before you embarked on sharing an aircraft??

All answers gratefully received.

Very best regards

ps I have trawled through 21 pages of posts but nobody seems to have posted this before.

[A and C]

Buy a few beers in the club bar and find out what the locals think of the group !

[Chilli Monster]

Get to know the people as well as the aircraft - if you don't get on then it's going to be a nightmare!

The vital questions you need to ask though is - how big is the group, how is it booked or allocated. Are members happy to swap if convenient. Does it have an engine fund (You don't want to buy into a high hour aircraft then be asked to contribute a couple of grand when the engine goes phut!)

CM

[FNG]

Serious question: why buy a Warrior? Loads of them to rent. Hands up who learnt to drive on some dull tincan car (answer: almost everyone). Hands up who is still driving the same dull tincan car and/or intends to do so for the rest of their driving career (answer: almost no-one). Now ask the equivalent questions about aeroplanes. The answer to the second one is different, for some reason that I just can't figure out. Why not invest your cash, time and effort in something a bit more interesting?

[bcfc]

Blindside. When I mentioned getting involved (or even starting a group), a friend lent me a boolet produced by the PFA called Group Flying that addressed all of the issues surrounding group ownership & participation. It costs £2.50 and if you go to this page PFA (http://www.pfa.org.uk/acatalog/PFA_Online_shop_Books_3.html) and scroll down, you should find it. I think its worth a read.

FNG, to me a Warrior seems like a nice compromise between cost, practicality and fun. What else would you suggest in this price bracket?

[FNG]

bcfc, if you suggest some ball-park figures for the cost of buying into and being a member of a notional average Warrior group, I shall endeavour to suggest some similarly priced alternatives. I must confess, however, to finding it difficult to associate the word fun with something that you can't see out of very well and which goes around corners in much the same way as an Austin Maxi. ;)

[Blindside]

To give a little more info.

I have recently passed my PPL and have a view to going commercial. Getting a share in a Warrior is due mainly to my size, 6ft 3", 16 stone, and the fact that I learnt in one. I have tried a C172 but much preferred the Warrior.

I want to be able to build up my experience in the UK, rather than going to the US. I also have to keep an eye on my annual leave which will be needed to attend a distance learning ATPL course next year. I feel that purchasing a share for approx £3k with monthly contributions of £40 and £45 p/h wet will enable me to build hours on the evenings and at weekends fairly, ahem, inexpensively. The local club charge approximately £100 p/h for their Warrior.

I will try taildraggers etc, but I want to build my core hours on something that I am comfortable in.

I just want to make sure that I'm asking the correct questions before I commit myself.

There must be many questions that with hindsight,you had wished you'd asked. I want to be able to tap into your experiences to stop me from making obvious and expensive mistakes.

Very best regards

[ 03 August 2001: Message edited by: Blindside ]

[Yogi-Bear]

The Warrior or similar spamcan is best for what you want especially when you want some IMC/night experience etc. The monthly/hourly rates are a bit light. You may find yourself chipping-in a bit at annual/star annual time or whenever there is some unscheduled maintenance. Plenty of kites nicer to fly but not always as practical for hour building. :)

[Noisy Hooligan]

Don't buy into a Warrior, old boy, why not go straight for a share in a Jet Provost!
Probably cheaper mantainance costs, and the airlines like to see a bit of jet time, if you are thinking of applying.

I have a share for sale in a long established group at North Weald - mail me if you would like details:

[email protected]

[FNG]

Ah, if that's all you want if for then I suppose that you might as well get a Warrior, although I was interested to read in one of the mags recently a somewhat garbled piece about a bloke building his hours for a commercial future on something distinctly wacky.

Hey Hoolie, any idea where the old broken down Vixen has gone that used to lurk rather gloomily in the corner at North Weald? Total basket case I assume, but is someone trying to fix it or has it gone to be melted down and turned into pressed meat containers?

[Servant]

Nowt wrong with PA28, easy to fix,run etc, big folks can get in them. Yeah it would be great to have something exotic/different but for first share I would play safe unless you have shed loads of cash.

Regards

Servant

Ps How much is a JP ph?

[PilotsPal]

First rule of group ownership: never allow anyone to get behind with their payments for any reason whatsoever.

Second rule: make sure the accounts are produced accurately and regularly. Errors and omissions must be sorted out at the earliest possible opportunity.

Do try to choose co-owners with stable marriages, secure employment and a burning desire to clean and polish their pride and joy at every opportunity!

[I have control]

I'm in a PA28 group and it works out just fine. No, it's not a particularly sporty aeroplane but as a low time PPL building my hours and experience in a slow and steady way I like it a lot. It's just a nice solid plane with plenty of knobs and whistles to keep me interested for a while yet. Our group is scheduled through the internet on www.aircraftclubs.com (http://www.aircraftclubs.com) which is a really neat service. I used to be in a group that scheduled by telephone and other informal means, but this is 500% better.

[arrow2]

Blindside - it all depends what u wish to use the a/c for. Get a PA28 as long as u do not wish to do aeros, racing etc. Good reliable aircraft and if you need to hour build might as well use if to go to interesting places in Europe. I do with my PA28R!.

PP - come on now - stable marriages, secure employment and a burning desire to clean and polish their pride and joy at every opportunity - are we talking pilots!!! Really!!!Most of the ones I know cannot lay claim to any of the above lol

A2
:rolleyes: