Aircraft Ownership
Aircraft ownership is within your reach. From tips related to buying your first or a new plane to the biggest mistakes pilots make when purchasing insurance, our aircraft ownership articles shed light on all of the aspects of owning your own flying machine.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Ownership Made Easy
New versus old: What you get and what you don’t get
 This week, within the course of about two hours, I received calls from two friends who wanted to buy similar, but different, airplanes. The common thread was that each wanted something fun and simple to own.
|
|
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Co-Ownership: Navigating Airplane Partnerships
Buying an airplane with a partner opens up ownership to any pilot. Do it right the first time
 It’s a safe bet that before the ink was dry on your solo endorsement, you started thinking about buying an airplane. If you stayed with the same FBO after your checkride, the negative aspects of renting became clear: dirty cockpits, long squawk lists, items held together with duct tape, and having to schedule weekend flights far in advance. Like many pilots, you probably made some calculations and figured out that you could never afford to own. Most people stop there. But there’s a way that almost anybody with just about any income can own an airplane. The answer: a partnership or, more correctly, a co-ownership.
|
|
Monday, September 1, 2008 The New Look Of GA
How new aircraft buyers are changing the face of general aviation
 Just over a decade ago, buying a brand-new aircraft wasn’t an option. While you might have been able to special-order something esoteric, most legacy manufacturers had altogether stopped building new airplanes. When you could buy something brand-new, it looked just like the airplanes already sitting on the ramp, albeit a bit shinier and with that “new plane” smell. The technology, both in the cockpit and within the engine, was pretty much the same from one aircraft to another and hadn’t really progressed much in more than 40 years. The designs of the aircraft themselves had stayed pretty much the same since the 1950s.
|
|
Thursday, May 1, 2008 We're Headed For The Future
It's a great year to buy a plane!
 To borrow a line from my favorite songwriter and performer, Neil Diamond, aviation is “headed for the future and the future is now.” If you’ve ever been in the market for an airplane, 2008 is a banner year to buy. |
|
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 $1,000 Per Month Airplane
An affordable way to own
 Because response to Plane & Pilot’s “$500 Per Month?” article [October 2007] was so overwhelming, we decided to take the idea to the next level. |
Thursday, November 1, 2007 Partnership Aircraft
With careful planning, shared ownership could be the best way to go
 Would an aircraft partnership save you money or allow you to fly a bigger and better airplane for less than you’re spending now? A partnership, or shared aircraft ownership, is one of the oldest and sometimes most practical forms of owning an airplane. |
|
Thursday, November 1, 2007 No Worries With iFly
Shared access and exceptional member care make flying a cinch
 I was introduced to a new kind of flying at an open house in Long Beach, Calif. Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles Lindbergh and cofounder of iFly, spoke of the “world’s first exclusive aero club,” a membership-only venture that provides shared access to technologically advanced aircraft and high-end customer service. Having recently earned my private license, I typically rent airplanes (and envy friends who own theirs). But iFly’s program was intriguing, so I decided to check it out. |
Monday, October 1, 2007 $500 Per Month?
You can own an airplane on a budget
 I’ve always believed that everyone can own an airplane. Indeed, I’ve noticed that many of the people who are now jetting around in Gulfstreams or Challengers got started in Champs, Cubs, Stinsons, Cessna 150s, Cherokee 140s or similar entry-level airplanes. |
Wednesday, August 1, 2007 Buying Your First New Airplane
It feels great. It looks sexy. You catch yourself daydreaming about it in boring meetings. People come up and look at it wherever you go.
 A brand-spanking-new airplane. There are few thrills and accomplishments as satisfying and special as buying a factory-new airplane. To the new owner, a new bird is the epitome of symphonic beauty and brilliant engineering; a powerful engine and supple, luxurious leather interior combined with the latest in navigation and communication technology, which, in many cases, outpaces commercial airliners. And it’s all yours.
|
Sunday, May 1, 2005 Buying Your First Plane
It’s an issue practically all of us must address at one time or another. Virtually every pilot—student, private, commercial or ATP—dreams of owning an airplane.
 In most cases, the first question a pilot must answer is the obvious one: How much money are you willing to spend on an airplane? In the majority of cases, this will be a finite number that will make the selection process easier. In others, a prospective buyer may be willing to spend as much as he or she needs to buy the airplane he or she wants. One way or another, a smart purchase, like a small fight, begins with gathering all the important information. |
|
Get 11 Issues of Plane & Pilot for only $14.97! That's 77% off the cover price!
|
