Private pilots?

I've been trying to research if there's such a thing as a small business with an airplane and a pilot that fly people places - possibly cheaper? Do such small businesses exist? What would I look for to find them?

 

I would think that would be the dry time for one of them but, then you need to add in the Jet A, and it isn't exactly a sipper.

 

There is a "small" 135 business here that started up last year. They ferry people from St. Louis to Lake of the Ozarks for 75 a piece I think. Seems to be doing pretty good being it is a 3 hour drive otherwise for vacation people to get there.

Mark B.

 

I don't understand what you are asking. Are you asking about aircraft charter? If so there are hundreds, or probably thousands, of companies which do this.

Start here:

http://www.aircharterguide.com/

Or are you asking about something different?

 

There are a couple of Air Taxi services that use fleets of Cirrus SR22's www.satair.com is one.

Google Air Taxi SR22 and you will find a few of them

 

You can go down to any FBO (read flight school) and you can get a flight instructor to fly you where ever you want to go. They're gonna call it a training flight and you'll have to pay the freight for the pilot and the aircraft. You'll also have to pay the time for the pilot to fly his aircraft back to the airport of orgin. The pilot with go for about $25 per hour and the price of the airplane will depend on how much you want to spend. The smallest, a Cessna 150 goes for about $50 to $70 per hour and carries you and the flight instructor. A Cessna 172 carries the flight instructor and 3 people and goes for about a C-note per hour. Also get your log book. Who knows, someday you might even get your license. After about ten hours or so you'll probably be able to solo, and then you can fly by yourself. That's a hoot.

Bob Wassam

 

Ummm.... yeah, you can fly by yourself after about 10 hrs.... or so,

But you can't go anywhere beyond a 25 mile radius of the originating airport...
(where you received instruction) So you can't go to another airport, (anywhere ) and fly within 25 miles of it solo.

Although doing pattern work is fun, it gets old after a while, and your sights look to that airport 30 miles away.... 50 miles.... (You'll need an Instructors endorsement, (read permission) to do them though, which won't be given, until you are proficient.

Farther (not further) flights, require more training, such as navigation,
"rules of the road", (so to speak), emergency procedures,
airspace restrictions, weather, instrument training (3 Hr Min.),
recovery from unusual attitudes, ( read "Oops ! Now I gotta get back to straight and level flight")
and ( proper) radio procedures at controlled airports, just to list a few.
Then there's cross country navigation, and an instructor assisted long distance flight.

If you go for it, and don't have the committment to complete and get licensed, it will just be a waste of money.
You might as well do something else.

However, If you do commit..... You will never regret the decision.

My only regret is that I didn't complete it sooner in life. A few failed attempts, due to life's circumstances, preceded this attempt, which, is now well on it's way to completion. With a few more hours of training, I'll get my final check ride.

For the record, I've got approx 60 hrs, and over 230 T/O's and Ldgs.
Just have to log some more "cross-country" flights..

Consensus is: Average time for getting licensed in the US is approx 65 - 70 hrs
of flight time.

From the FAA pilot checklist:

Requirements For a Single Engine Airplane Rating:
Total Time: 40 hours which consists of at least-
A. Dual: 20 hours of flight training with an instructor on the Private Pilot areas of operation that includes:
1. 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a single engine airplane;
2. 3 hours of night flight training in a single engine airplane, that includes at least-
a. 1 cross-country flight of over 100 nm. total distance; and
b. 10 takeoffs and 10 landings with each involving a flight in the traffic pattern.
3. 3 hours of flight training by reference to instruments in a single engine airplane; and (See Note 1)
4. 3 hours of flight training in a single engine airplane within the preceding 60 days prior to the practical test.
B. Solo: 10 hours of solo flying in a single engine airplane on the Private Pilot areas of operation, that includes:
1. 5 hours of solo cross-country flying;
2. 1 solo cross-country flight of at least 150 nm. total distance with 3 points and one segment of at least 50 nm. between takeoff and landings; and
3. 3 takeoffs and landings at a controlled airport.