Advice on buying + IMC / IR
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Advice on buying + IMC / IR
I have about 90 hours on PA28 and am currently doing an IMC. However, upon passing IMC, I want to do much more flying than I have been - probably about 40 - 50+ hours p.a. However, availability at the club I fly from is difficult and of course, I pay a premium for using club aircraft. The other option i have is to join a syndicate and I've got my name down to join a PA28 syndicate (privately owned) which currently has 10 members but which may extend membership to 12. My gut feeling is that with 12 members, it may be quite "crowded" and ironically, availability could be an issue again - so I would have gained nothing.
In any event, I really want something faster than a PA28. I travel round the UK quite a lot (I'm self employed) and if I could fly, it could potentially save a huge amount of time however, in order to make it worthwhile it would need to be in something faster than a PA28 due to time taken getting to the airport at this end, travel to wherever I'm going then taxi at the other end. So, I'm thinking that a fast(er) single engine piston, retractable gear would do the job - perhaps something like a Saratoga or a Malibu (alebit the latter will be more exepensive). The question is, if I syndicate it out to say, 7 people, they would all be looking at buying a share for £10k - £15k each. Is this reasonable and would there be demand?
Furthermore, as I said at the beginning, I'm doing an IMC at the moment and seem to be dogged by poor weather - repeated heavy rain etc. and therefore have cancelled a number of cross country trips. It therefore begs the question (and I haven't asked my instructor this), whats the point of the IMC if I can't fly in poorer weather (although I accept I don't want to be flying in heavy rain because of down drafts etc.). Finally, is it worth me looking at buying an N registered aircraft as the minima are better than IMC and the qualification is self-renewing ie. I don't have to do so many currency checks as with a CAA IR?
ta
In any event, I really want something faster than a PA28. I travel round the UK quite a lot (I'm self employed) and if I could fly, it could potentially save a huge amount of time however, in order to make it worthwhile it would need to be in something faster than a PA28 due to time taken getting to the airport at this end, travel to wherever I'm going then taxi at the other end. So, I'm thinking that a fast(er) single engine piston, retractable gear would do the job - perhaps something like a Saratoga or a Malibu (alebit the latter will be more exepensive). The question is, if I syndicate it out to say, 7 people, they would all be looking at buying a share for £10k - £15k each. Is this reasonable and would there be demand?
Furthermore, as I said at the beginning, I'm doing an IMC at the moment and seem to be dogged by poor weather - repeated heavy rain etc. and therefore have cancelled a number of cross country trips. It therefore begs the question (and I haven't asked my instructor this), whats the point of the IMC if I can't fly in poorer weather (although I accept I don't want to be flying in heavy rain because of down drafts etc.). Finally, is it worth me looking at buying an N registered aircraft as the minima are better than IMC and the qualification is self-renewing ie. I don't have to do so many currency checks as with a CAA IR?
ta
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Finally, is it worth me looking at buying an N registered aircraft as the minima are better than IMC
Try a search on minima.
Brooklands
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 18nm NE grice 28ft up
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Most groups have some members who fly very little so 12 may work for you. Smaller groups will cost more. You pays your money..........
There are limitations of flying in bad weather.
1 Your experience/qualifications/currency.
2 The aircraft equipment. De icing, weather radar and performance.
3 Facilities at your home and at destinations.
Best of luck and keep at it but you may have a bit to go to beat the reliability of the car.
DO.
There are limitations of flying in bad weather.
1 Your experience/qualifications/currency.
2 The aircraft equipment. De icing, weather radar and performance.
3 Facilities at your home and at destinations.
Best of luck and keep at it but you may have a bit to go to beat the reliability of the car.
DO.
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Oxford
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You may be a better pilot than me, but I fly exactly the same i.e. 40-50 hours per year in a PA28 (renting from a RAFFCA club - a good deal if you can get it) and although I accept the legal arguments that the IMC minima (500/600ft) are only advisory, I wouldn't personally go lower than that by design.
In fact, I set my personal minima at 1000ft cloudbase/4500m visibility (if you break out of cloud at 1000ft the runway is around 4500m away on a 3 deg approach) unless I am in good recent practice in which case I might go to 800ft. And I am in the lucky position that I can get an ILS into my home base free of charge pretty much every time I fly, and I do. I do find my ability to hold the ILS deteriorates noticeably beyond 500ft - and there's a world of difference between practising that in VMC, and doing it for real being bumped around in IMC.
FWIW I have around 350 hours total now.
Tim
In fact, I set my personal minima at 1000ft cloudbase/4500m visibility (if you break out of cloud at 1000ft the runway is around 4500m away on a 3 deg approach) unless I am in good recent practice in which case I might go to 800ft. And I am in the lucky position that I can get an ILS into my home base free of charge pretty much every time I fly, and I do. I do find my ability to hold the ILS deteriorates noticeably beyond 500ft - and there's a world of difference between practising that in VMC, and doing it for real being bumped around in IMC.
FWIW I have around 350 hours total now.
Tim
