How often do you fly?

[Basilisk]

I've been looking at what it takes to become a pilot recently, and I noticed that you need to do 3 takeoff and landings in the last 90 days to stay current.
This got me thinking about how often those with any form of license get out there and fly outside of business? Considering the cost etc
I get the feeling there will be a big spread between those who work in an aviation related area which affords them access to assorted planes and those with an unrelated career.
I value all responses as it's the wide-ranging community here that makes it so fascinating.

P.S. Been a while since I've been on these forums, though I lurk every few months to keep an eye on changes, it's good to be back in a situation where I can invest more time here

[SeanTK]

I'm licensed in the US, and fly as a hobby. (Cessna 150s, 172s, and a Flight Design CTLS)

Over the summer May to July/August, I went up at least once every couple of weeks, sometimes once a week.
I haven't been up within the past couple of months though due to funds, weather, and some other personal events that have moved hobby flying to the back burner for now.

The 90 day thing here isn't that imposing. Technically all you need to do is 3 takeoffs and landings on your own, but if you lapse for over 90 days, it may be wise to take up an instructor at least once just to get back into things. That's what I will do when I get back into it in the future.

If you can afford to get the license, go for it. At least in the US, once you have the license, you'll have it forever unless it is revoked due to medical reasons.

[benwynn]

The 3 takeoffs and landings every 90 days is more a currency with pax issue. As long as your licence is current, you have conducted a BFR within the last 2 years and you are type rated you can fly the aircraft. You only require 3 takeoffs/landings if you wish to take pax up with you.

The short of it is, you will want to fly more than every 90 days most likely anyway. Even if you don't, its not much to get back into it.

[Ian Warren]

Is that in between the real which missed out over this last year , Or the PC- between the paint s .. hmm they pop out every now and again .. the scenery .. is that models .. AFCADs or AGNs or a multiplay , but hang on how about a navigation history lesson spending time reading the history .

[FlyingKiwi]

Personally I fly almost every day as I am a flight instructor, but as the others have already said, the 90 day rule is only if you're wanting to carry passengers. In general, in the lead-up to actually obtaining your PPL and for a while afterwards you do really want to be flying reasonably regularly (I'd say once a week as an absolute minimum) simply to maintain a level of currency (there's legal currency, and then there's safe currency!) but after that it's not the end of the world if you aren't able to fly as regularly, you may just choose to fly with an instructor periodically to make sure your skills are still up to scratch.

[huff3r]

Also a good point to note, whenever you do go flying just make sure you do 3 take-offs and landings within the flight in order to maintain your currency to always be 90 days from your last flight. It's not exactly difficult to do a couple of circuits during the flight .

Personally I don't think I'll have any issues as I'm flying every other day when i'm not stuck in groundschool

[Basilisk]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Sounds like it's not much of an issue.

I'm curious how much it costs you guys to fly?

I've heard figures of $170-250 per hour where people have been discussing flight schools, I assume that's quite steep because of instructor time and insurance reasons with student pilots.

[AndrewJamez]

nope. its the cost of avgas. Thanks to mobile who, in their wisdom try to always keep Avgas prices higher than Mogas (evan tho there is none of the taxes inposed on Mogas) the cost if flying is ever in creasing. If your only wanting to fly for fun then concider flying LSA or microlight category. I recently heard that CTC charge in the mid 400"s per hour dual. Thats got to be illegal.

[Ian Warren]

You get Trolly, FlyingKiwi , benwynn Choppernut and obviously the huffmiester , no relation to the Hoffman ? there Huff , Its what happens , years come and go , can you afford the flying , Ill break the EGG and say yes but limited unless you the need to read the history then books take over the flying due to cost , do you want it for work or leisure .. i wish i could step back and say work ... BUT life makes its decider , and in your hometime interests so were the book returns.

Now me currently out off work so i have to be very careful in the spending .. next best thing is the learning and the history , CRIPES if you have spent the moneys buying books , searching and .. that word again , the Money .. NO its not do wanta fly as a Job , it is that simple , I no many who wish they had the balance . .

I go flying , I don,t have the 1000 hours but go when i feel like it .... I can come home and have the luxury off the forty years buying and collecting Books which many are a resource used in FS so i'm still in the loop so to speak .

End off the day ask the peoples above for advise and the other , stop in and ask a flight instructor face to face .. y cant go wrong there .

[benwynn]

Cost really depends what you fly. At my school, PA38 Tomahawks start at $205 an hour dual, or $175 an hour solo. Working your way up the fleet, the Arrow is $255 an hour dual and the Seneca is $535 an hour dual. What you fly depends on your weight as well as what you want to do with your flying, ie. take the family away to Queenstown for the weekend, or do Aerobatics etc.

[Basilisk]

Wow!
I must say I'm impressed how many people manage to fly at those costs
It certainly puts the price of flight sim addons in perspective doesn't it?
Thanks again everyone.

[FlyingKiwi]

QUOTE (Basilisk @ Nov 21 2011,5:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've heard figures of $170-250 per hour where people have been discussing flight schools, I assume that's quite steep because of instructor time and insurance reasons with student pilots.

That's about right, there are a few oddballs that fall outside that range but you'll find most light two seat trainers go for around $190.00. You're generally paying for avgas, insurance, maintenance, landing fees for the aerodrome where applicable, and of course the instructor if you're flying dual, and then of course many (not all) organisations tag on a bit extra so they're making some semblance of a profit.

It sounds a lot, but as I tell many of my students who are often apprehensive about the cost, if you're only wanting to fly recreationally and aren't bothered if it takes you a couple of years to get your license, realistically if you can budget a couple of hundred dollars a week you can probably afford to learn to fly. (granted, that's still a lot of money for many people, but it's not totally out of the question)

[huff3r]

QUOTE (AndrewJamez @ Nov 16 2011,7:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I recently heard that CTC charge in the mid 400"s per hour dual. Thats got to be illegal.

Not quite. It's $363 per hour for a Single Engine Piston Dual lesson. Although that may be excluding GST, not exactly sure. They don't really do casual lessons anyway though, but their private hire rates for their students are through the roof. Luckily the Waikato Aero Club is just around the corner

[FlyingKiwi]

Most of CTC's business comes from overseas anyway, so they don't really need to appeal to the local audience so to speak.