Aviation23:50 Apr 24 2009
Times Read: 1,002
My graduation from Arizona State is fast approaching. I graduate on May 7th. I've already identified what I want to do next: obtain my private pilot license.
This is one of those things that I really thought I would have completed by now.. But I just haven't had the time. Contrary to popular belief, it's not really that expensive to get licensed, if you plan properly and shop around.
I'll probably spend about $6000 when all is said an done. That's about the tuition cost of 1 year at Arizona State.
I'm going to do the ground training on my own, which will save me about a grand. I think I'll be ready to take the FAA written exam by the middle of May (if I don't get too sidetracked). Then it's just a matter of accumulating about 40 hours of flight time.. Then getting certified by an FAA instructor in a final check ride.
Some time between now and the end of the year I hope to buy a plane. Again, it's not as expensive as most people think. I'm looking at Cessna 172N's in the $35,000 - $50,000 range. These planes are very economical to fly, oftentimes getting 15+ MPG, depending on weather conditions.
Living in Phoenix puts me in a nice, central location. By car it's 5 hours to Vegas, 6 hours to L.A., 6 hours to San Diego, 2 hours to the Mexico border, 4 hours to Rocky Point, Mexico. By plane, these numbers change drastically.
In a Cessna 172 with a crusing speed of about 140 MPH, I can be in L.A. in about two-and-a-half hours. It's around 2 hours to Vegas. Commercial flights run about 1 hour to each of these destinations.. But there's check in time, security, baggage claim on the other end, etc. It's all such a hassle. With your own plane you don't go through any of this.. So in the end (in regard to shorter flights), the quickest mode of travel is by small private plane.
It's also cheaper. Avgas (airplane fuel) costs about $3.60 a gallon right now. Round trip to L.A., at 15 MPG, would cost $168. An airline ticket to L.A. costs about $130 right now, per person (But I have seen this fare over $200, depending on time of year and the economic climate). A Cessna 172 can carry up to 4 people, so that boils down to $42 per person, round trip.
Of course most of the time it will just be Sue and I.. But that still works out to $84 per person round-trip versons $130 commercial round-trip (plus all the other associated headaches with commercial travel).
I plan to use this section of my Journal to detail my upcoming flight training. My first flight is scheduled for May 7th. The afternoon after my last ASU final exam.
COMMENTS
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Morrigon
21:53 Apr 29 2009
It's one of those things, should you raise the concern about a possible little issue, or should you just let it go?
Kind of like, should you tell TSA "But I could kill someone with this pen."
imagesinwords
21:54 Apr 29 2009
Very cool :) This is something I was going to do when I lived in Japan, but my boss at the time worked us way too hard for me to find the time for flight hours in conjunction with all the other things I was doing at the time, like DJing on the radio.
I've regretted not doing it. But I still have all the Jeppesen textbooks I purchased around here somewhere :)
BLOODLIFE
22:07 Apr 29 2009
Congrats on passing. The sky's the limit!
TaintedPoison
23:37 Apr 29 2009
Good luck!!! You deserve the best.
KCRC
01:01 Apr 30 2009
1st step done.
Just remember...Any landing you walk away from is a good landing!
Fizbop
05:19 Apr 30 2009
From what I've seen around is that teh 20/20 glassess just sharpen a bit more detail of actul 20/20 vision 20/50 does sound very unusal jump. I think they mad a mistake and should go in for a rexam, but you proabably are already doing that.
Doctor could of miss read his own diagnoses. Maybe he needs glassess.
meeper
15:25 Apr 30 2009
Good luck in the air!
LadyxDarkxRayne
00:26 May 02 2009
That's wonderful !
MistressxRobin3
17:39 May 04 2009
sweet, you'll enjoy this more then you know :)
alixaryon
04:18 Jul 02 2009
I am interested to see how you look like with your glasses on.