Great responses - I especially like the ones telling me to "just get your own plane". Hopefully Gulfstream accepts credit card points and green shield stamps.

I know you lot are all millionaires but think of the impoverished man. Having said that if I could recoup all my losses from Vegas.......:sad:

It was an interesting thought though - I confess my biggest surprise was the actual cost, probably about $400. Light aviation certainly isn't light on the wallet.

there might be one way around the rules, go to a flight school, start taking lessons and insist that the lessons START with cross country flights to and from las vegas.

your instructor will make you fly, while making sure everything is ok.

you can even log the time.

but you better be in the left seat, you better be doing 95 % of the hands on the controls stuff and you will probably make yourself air sick on the first flight.

Why is "a way around the rules" being presented? This is a professional forum, don't we aspire to following the rules?

We would be delighted to have newcomers join our passion. However, those newcomers should not consider insisting upon, or otherwise structuring their training. Allow the professionals to direct the training (and it won't start with cross country flights!)

Recommending 250 mile cross country flights, particularly over that territory, hardly seems wise for PPL training at any stage, let alone starting with it. Why not just conduct one's self within the spirit and the letter of the law?

Nope, it was not structured to be. Heavier aviation is even heavier on the wallet! The complex regulatory structure which the authorities have imposed upon aviation, purportedly to make it most safe, have resulted in cost too. But honestly, if you consider the government mileage rate on a car, it would not be a great saving, your time considered. Over a long trip, I charge out mileage while flying my plane, or driving my diesel VW at the same rate. The plane is more expensive, but the saving in my time does make up the difference in cost.

step turn

I know people who started with cross country flying and did eventually learn how to fly and get their license. It might even be appropriate to some people who learn at their own pace.

I am not suggesting breaking the rules. However, taking lessons, hands on the controls with a CFI and going places is not against the rules. It might not get you a license as quickly as some methods.

Are you a flight instructor? instrument instructor?

Skihigh,

If the OP had asked the question: "could I fly a long cross country early in my PPL training, to get the feeling for it?", I would think to reply: "Have a chat with your instructor about it...".

But, when the original question is about sourcing a GA aircraft as a taxi, with no expressed interest in learning to fly, I think that proposing a long cross country, over imposing terrain, as a very early "lesson" to achieve that end just does not represent the spirit of private GA as it should be. Authorized air carriers have earned the privilege of providing exactly this service, why try to go around them by suggesting scheming means to doing something well outside the spirit of the regulations?

I would be very happy if people had been proposing this, but most were just being totaly negative!