New to the game....

I have always wanted to get into Ultralight aviation since I was a small boy. And now I am old enough to make that dream come true, I don't really know where to start. While I don't have a plane yet, I feel i shouldn't have to much a problem getting one in the near future.
What I don't know is, "Do I have to get a pilots liscence before I get the plane?" or " Do I have to go to a pilots school and what are the requirements to get a liscence?"
I would hate to put time and money into a plane and not be able to fly it..
I know that there are Federal laws and liscence, "What about state?"
:eek:"Any body have some wise advice for a newbee?"

Hi, and Welcome!

Wow. There are so many ways to answer your questions. Others will probably chime in with additional details, but here's some things to start with:

- You don't have to be a pilot to own an airplane. Airplanes are registered at the federal level with the FAA in OKC. Many folks buy a plane so that they don't have to rent a plane during their training. MOST, however, take at least a few lessons to make sure they want to continue their training. Every plane must have an annual inspection, which must be done by a mechanic called an A&P - for aircraft and powerplant. For certificated aircraft like Cessas, the A&P must have an add-on called an Inspection Authorization. You'll usally see these listed as A&P/IA. For experimental aircraft, only an A&P (no IA) is required for the condition inspection. If a person built their plane, they can apply for a repairman's certificate which gives them the ability to perform their own annual inspections, but only on that one airplane. If a light-sport a/c, you can attend a 16 hr course so that you can perform your own inspections, even if you didn't build the a/c.

- Each state has their own regulations. Search online for West Virginia aviation or something like that (in your case) to see what the rules are. Typically state regulations are found under the taxing authority areas. In TX, for example, there is no state registration, and no annual tax. In some states, you must register the plane, and in some cases, pay annual property tax on them.

- If you're an EAA and/or AOPA member, call up their member services department to get some ideas of flight training options for what YOUR mission will be. Alternatively, both AOPA and EAA websites have information on how to become a pilot, even if not a member (after all, we WANT you to fly, so you DO become a member!). http://www.faa.gov also has great information on how to become a pilot. Depending on the type of pilot certificate you want, training runs between 20 hrs for a Light Sport Pilot, to 40 hrs for Private Pilot, and on up for advanced ratings and certificates. Bear in mind, the 20/40 hrs are minimums - most pilots take a bit longer.

- I know there are exceptions, but just about every airport has at least one FBO (fixed base operator) who serves as the general store for that airport. Bigger airports have multiple. FBOs sell aviation fuel, often have pilot shops, some have snack bars, but most also offer flight training. Do an online search for West Virginia airports if you don't know which one is closest to you. A website such as http://airnav.com will list most/all of the FBOs available at a given field, along with the services they offer, along with contact information.

- Most every flight school has a special-priced-off of a "Discovery Flight" that you can take to see if you really want to fly. They'll put you in the left seat and let you do a surprisingly (to you) amount of the actual steps in flying a plane.

Sorry; I've had some interruptions and my train of thought has entered a tunnel; I'm sure others will post some better hints;

Actually, that was pretty good Carl.

I would just emphasize again Carl's advice - go to your local airport and take a sample flight lesson before jumping on in there and buying an airplane. Actually, you might want to just go to the airport (or airports) in your area and talk to them about what they offer. You might get a "bad feeling" from someone / someplace, or feel like the training airplane they are offering is kind of run-down and "junky". Keep trying. You will find someone who actually wants and appreciates your business. When you find a place that "feels good" to you, then get into putting some money into it for some flight training.

Look up your local EAA chapter and go to their meeting. Ask there if anyone has recommendations for flight training. If nothing else, you will meet people who own airplanes and can answer all your questions about how that works in your area.

Main reasons I would get some training before buying a plane:
1. Find out if you really like flying and all that goes into it. It's a lot of money to just jump in and find out you don't like it.
2. As a new pilot, do your learning on someone else's plane. A plane designed for training. For the one you buy to operate yourself, you may want some experience so you aren't beating it up as much when you have to pay for every little thing that gets worn out.
3. As a new pilot, you don't know what you might actually prefer in a plane. If you fly some rentals for a while, it could point you towards a totally different type of airplane than you originally thought.

A secondary reason - insurance. Insurance rates are based on the experience & license level of the pilot. If you present the insurance company with a brand new Bonanza and a student certificate, the rate is going to be astronomical (not hypothetical; I met "that guy"). If you approach them with a Private Pilot, Instrument rating, 200 hours of experience with retract-gear high-performance (rentals), it's going to be - slightly less astronomical.

True, people have bought their own then trained in it, but I don't see any great driving need that buying the airplane comes first. I operated with rentals and clubs for 20 years before I had my own...

Ok, forum administrator, move this thread over to "flight training"...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ktbearpaws

I have always wanted to get into Ultralight aviation since I was a small boy. And now I am old enough to make that dream come true, I don't really know where to start. While I don't have a plane yet, I feel i shouldn't have to much a problem getting one in the near future.
What I don't know is, "Do I have to get a pilots liscence before I get the plane?" or " Do I have to go to a pilots school and what are the requirements to get a liscence?"
I would hate to put time and money into a plane and not be able to fly it..
I know that there are Federal laws and liscence, "What about state?"
:eek:"Any body have some wise advice for a newbee?"

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Dear Nubis Maximus;
If indeed you are interested in Ultralight flight your best source of information would be either in the ultralight section of this here forum or go to the EAA homepage and click on the Ultralight banner at the top of the page. This will give you all the info on the regulations, requirements and needed training...
Long story short; ultralight flight is the closest you'll ever get to the dream we've all had about flying above the ground in a lawn chair...
As to ownership; as a part 103 ultralight you buy the plane and fly it. It does not have to be registered or inspected. Neither do you. Of course; learning to fly your new ultralight using self-instruction is akin and normally has the same outcome as DIY Crainial Surgery. Not good!

If you are interested in Ultralights (some of my flying best memories were in a Pioneer Flightstar) then find a like-minded soul, get a phone number and start asking the questions...

Chris

Thanks guys...Great Advice!!!