Looking to buy a share in a cheap Light Aircraft

[vincent_watts]

Hello everyone

I am looking to buy a share in a light aircraft, can anyone help? I'd prefer if the aircraft were based at an airfield that doesn't charge landing fees, cause lets face it, thats daylight robbery!

I am a new private pilot looking to build hours. I live in a small town next to Gatwick airport, however I am willing to travel to different airfields if needed. I have seen a few aircraft in Elstree for instance, and even though thats over an hours drive from me, I'd travel there to fly.

I have looked at the 3 main websites that have aircraft shares for sale, but am posting here to see if anyone has a direct link to someone selling a share, and can perhaps point me in their direction.

Looking for C150/152/170 or Piper's etc, you know.

Hope you can help.

Vince

[simonlantos]

Been to the t......ty bar lately?

[Mercenary Pilot]

I know of a decent C172 share going at Elstree, I think the flying costs work out around £60pm with no monthly cost. I'll point him in this direction for you.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Always loads going at Popham, which would be about an hour's drive. The best bet is to drive or fly over and peruse the notice board in the clubhouse.

The cheapest you're likely to get there is a C152 share at a little over £2,000, then £25/month + £35/hr (I know of at-least one for sale at that, but there's a wide variety on the board).

Not right on your doorstep, but a super place to do your PPLing from.

G

[foxmoth]

Please check your PMs

[DubTrub]

daylight robbery!

Bless, you, Vincent, for now all airfield operators can ask you to:
a) mow all the grass runways
b) maintain the hard runways
c) pay their aerodrome managers
d) pay all the other fixed costs

etc
etc

Wake up, laddie, have you ever tried to operate a landing field yourself? And more to the point, pay for it?

[Monocock]

Hmm,

I decided not to try and work out the cost of operating a grass strip when I started using mine properly 12 years ago. This is literally just that, a grass strip with a small shed.

If I did I could suggest the following wouldn't be far from the truth:

1. Mower service £250
2. Mower fuel £175
3. Hangar maintenance £200
4. Weed control £75
5. Biannual drainage £400 (£200 per year)
6. Pest control £100
7. Hedge cutting £150
8. Relief mowerman when I go on hols £20

This little lot totals £1170 and I haven't even factored in my time on the mower each year (20 cuts at 2 hrs per cut)

It's not cheap and fortunately I don't have anyone to pay.

If I decided to recoup my costs from my visiting flying friends (based on their approximate 50 landings per year) I would have to charge them £23 each time they landed

Landing fees are here to stay, long may they stay at levels that keep GA accesible to many.

[Complex_Type]

Wake up, laddie, have you ever tried to operate a landing field yourself? And more to the point, pay for it?

Many have flown or learned to fly in other countries where the landing fees are less and sometimes non existent. And the gentlemen may also be referring to those airfields that used to be so popular with GA, but are now priced as if to deliberately discourage GA.

In fact in the UK I have visited licenced fields that want only a donation. Look around more and there are the unlicenced fields with no landing fees and these are the ones that I use for fun flying and more and more pilots are seeking them out.

[vincent_watts]

reply

DubTrub thanks for commenting on the actual subject matter in hand. Your comment was most helpful.

Complex_type was indeed right, I am very new to flying and learnt to fly in the US, where landing fees at pretty much every airport including international airports, do not exsist. Which is why I "joked" about landing fees here.

Dubtrub, from now on don't comment unless your comments are productive. It simply wastes peoples time replying.

Thanks to everyone else who has pm'd me and offered helpfull advice. I am not only new to flying, but new to Pprune. I might be on my way to Popham today (if its open) to see whats whats.

Thanks again

vince

[effortless]

Dubtrub, from now on don't comment unless your comments are productive. It simply wastes peoples time replying.

Well I thought that what he said was to the point. I have sympathy with both camps. I don't object to paying the £10-£11 at Shoreham or Bembridge as I can see where the money goes. I have been infuriated to pay £25, due to weather diversion, at a well known airdrome which seems to bear no relationship to the trouble I caused them. It reminds me of punitive bank charges when you have no choice but to go overdrawn.

[IO540]

The difference is that abroad many airfields are paid for out of general taxation.

Here in the UK, the current attitude is that everybody should pay for the facilities they use.

Whether this is right or wrong, and the degree to which it should be implemented, is another debate; no doubt a communist would argue against, but then a serious communist would immediately argue that private aviation is a luxury for the filthy rich and should be banned forthwith (and in true hypocritical fashion doing so in the same breath as arguing that he is entitled to a 100% mortgage on the property which is sure to double in value over the next 10 years )

Sadly, most of the public view GA in much the same way, little realising that most pilots they see flying around in beaten up old wrecks are so skint they can barely keep their licenses (never mind their flying) current.

[DubTrub]

new to flying, ... new to Pprune

No problem, Vincent, good luck with the flying, welcome to Pprune, and thanks for replying.