45 year old selling up to buy and buying a helicopter
 

Gidday guys,
I'm selling some land I inherited to buy a helicopter and learn to fly.
The plan is to get a helicopter, hire a good instructor and fly. It's always been the dream, but work, life, bills, mortgage etc.
Now I've actually got the chance, it's exciting and scary and I'm after advice and help from those of you in the industry. YES, I have googled, thread searched, read the stickies and spent hours going through the forum and others.

Currently have a PPL completed in a R22 and a 500, so first year will be flying plus exams full time.
Second year will be doing an instructor rating and then working with an instructor teaching my son to fly.
That’s where the money runs out but have the asset of the helicopter to sell or grow into a small business with my son.

I’m after thoughts and ideas regarding buying versus leasing, Various turbine options and costs.
Looking at a 500, As350 or a BO105 .
Suggestions range from buy my own machine, To just go to a flying school, To pack up and go to the US and do it all there and convert on the way home, To join a syndicate, To drylease, To spend it all on wayward women and live on an island somewhere, To buy an existing small business.

This is my equivalent of a lotto win.
Your thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated,
Cheers!

Wow! Definitely buy a helicopter! You only live once. Best thing I ever did.

I can offer 2 well worn statements:
1. If you want a small fortune - start with a large one and buy a helicopter.
2. Whatever you pay for the aircraft, you'll pay the same again over the next 5 years on maintenance alone.

But don't let me put you off your dream, I flew them for over 30 years and loved it but the Queen and the Chief Constables picked up the bills :)

WHAT FORTY Odd has said is not really true.
I have currently 3 x 300C's 1 x 500 D and an AS 350B3. They all make money ! Getting more difficult as a shortage of parts, engineers etc etc

Use the money to train for you CPL and Instrument rating in the UK and get a job in the industry, you will get to fly as much as you want and earn decent money.


If you decide to buy a helicopter look at a Bell 206 if it's a runaround for you. If you want something to crosshire to others to make some money get an AS350 B2 or B3, they are good aircraft for utility type work or charter. Don't go near the BO105 as parts are becoming hard to get and qualified engineers are few and far between.

Good luck

If it f**ks, floats or flys rent it😎

I'm going with wayward women and living on an island.

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More importantly, have you had insurance quotes yet for someone with your experience?

Your plan is absolutely sound, apart from the buying a helicopter part.

Invest wisely....leaving helicopters out of it.....spend half your money on whisky and women....and rest you can just plain waste.

Buy a glider and learn to fly that well....and get over this mid-life crisis.

At age 45 how long would you have before you hit the maximum age for commercial flying?

you only spent half on whiskey and women SASless ?

And boats…

Ah yes....Boats....a 41 foot Cutter rigged Ketch, a 25 foot Jones Brothers flat bottom Skiff, a 25 Foot Sea Hunt Bay Boat, a 22 Foot Hancock Skiff, and a 20 foot War Eagle Aluminum Duck Boat......all but the Sea Hunt have been money pits!

The Ketch ate money like a 21 year old mistress with a cocaine habit!

I did make a profit on the Sea Hunt....which offset the cost of the Hancock and War Eagle. which I have now.

That reminds me....Flounder Gigging season is about to start.....must get out the Light System and Gigs...rig the fish cooler in the boat and do some test runs.

Time to prove one can get too drunk to fish!

Fortunately most of the water around here is shallow enough you can stand up and walk ashore if you fall over the side.

Tried .Boats & and Helicopters so how expensive was the third choice

Kipling had something to say about this.
From "Certain Maxims of Hafiz'.

If he play, being young and unskilful
For Shekels of silver and gold
Take his money, my son, praising Allah.
For the kid was ordained to be sold.

And as said rather more pithily above, if it flies, floats or f***s it's always cheaper to rent.

And "If you want to make a small fortune, start with a big one in aviation".

Read, mark, learn...and inwardly digest...

Go for it
 

OBVIOUSLY
If you love helicopters, get stuck in! It’s such an amazing life skill and who wouldn’t want to move about in 3 dimensions.
Please don’t listen to the pilots who recommend not being a pilot.
in fact DM me and we can go flying together.
Good luck!

I don’t know you but you sound like a solid bloke. I shall therefore do my best to help you.

DO NOT BUY A HELICOPTER!!!!! You might as well just have a bonfire with your son’s inheritance.

You know I've read this with interest and in life sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're not. But! this life is the only one ya got, if you want to own a helicopter then go for it. If it proves to be more expensive than you thought then sell it. Don't die wondering.

More importantly Don’t die in it!

Oh Mr Yawn I can well imagine you’re great fun at a party! If he buys a helicopter he may be in danger of enjoying himself and we can’t have that now can we. I know I know …… renting an aircraft is probably the most sensible advice but schools / SFH companies need them back by certain times etc and in practice you are never anything like as free as if you own your own. I’ve owned some cars that make no sense to an accountant but the enjoyment has been priceless.