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You need an airplane to fly! These Flight Guides will help you understand sport planes, then find, buy, share, build, and/or maintain your light-sport aircraft. You'll be in the air soon! |
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Sport Planes
If you were a private pilot you could not fly a Boeing 747. Not only don't you have an ATP (airline transport pilot) certificate, but you don't have training on flying larger and more complex aircraft. The same goes for sport pilots: Sport pilots can fly only sport aircraft that fit the definition of light-sport. Fortunately, the rules for new light-sport aircraft are as dramatically reworked as the sport-pilot certification rules. It's as though the FAA threw out many of their preconceived ideas about how complex a plane needs to be and started over with simpler rules. The result is lower-cost flying!
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Finding Your Sport Plane
Now that you've earned your sport-pilot certificate you're probably anxious to get your own airplane! Not so fast. There's more you need to know.
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Buying Your Sport Plane
Possession is nine tenths of the fun! At least that's what many aircraft owners say. They enjoy the power of having a plane at their disposal whenever they wish. On alternate days, of course, these same owners curse the high price of ongoing expenses that go up even when their planes don't. What's the answer for the sport pilot? Should you buy your own plane or shouldn't you? For some pilots, plane ownership is a cost-effective eagle. For others, it's a very expensive albatross. Your decision to buy or not to buy must be based on facts more than feelings if you hope to join the friendly skies of sport flying. This flight guide shows you how to make the smartest decision for you.
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Sharing Your Sport Plane
The easiest way to own a plane is to own it by yourself. Your plane is always waiting. You don't have to worry about someone else using it—or abusing it. You don't wind up paying someone else's bills. It's simple: one plane, one pilot. The easiest way, however, is also the most expensive way to fly a plane. When you own your own plane you have no one to share with you the initial and ongoing costs of flying. In fact, you might not be able to buy the plane you want because you simply can't quite afford it—alone. Fortunately, you have options! Many thousands of pilots share their wings—and the costs—as rentals, in partnerships, co-ops, and clubs. It's really not that tough and, if you go into the arrangement with both eyes open, it can work out well for everyone. Let's take a closer look at your relationship options.
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Building Your Sport Plane
You say you have your heart set on a new plane, my friend, but you don't think you can afford it? You feel that purchasing a plane—new or used—is beyond the elasticity of your budget? You tell me that you don't want to rent and fly an unfamiliar airplane? You say you can't afford to pay a mechanic, who's got a fancy piece of paper on the wall, $100 to change spark plugs? You insist that you have more time than money and you'd rather do it yourself? Tell you what I'm going to do. Step this way, my friend, and I'll introduce you to the mystical, magical, money-saving world of building your own flying machine. This here's the "Right Brothers School of Do-It-Yourself Aviation"! Seriously, building your own airplane as a way to get airborne on a tight budget is rapidly growing in popularity. In fact, over 20,000 aircraft are currently registered as amateur built. Many folks have built more than one. If you have basic fix-it skills, you probably can, too. This flight guide offers an overview of how you can build your own safe and fun plane.
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Maintaining Your Sport Plane
As you've learned, airplanes are about as safe as cars. In fact, there are more safety rules for planes than for cars. Many cars are driven without maintenance until they finally stop. You can't do that with planes. You must maintain them following FAA rules and regulations. However, that doesn't mean you're at the mercy of expensive aircraft mechanics. You can do many things to keep the cost of flying down. And, if you're willing to take a class or two, you can be your own LSA mechanic! This flight guide tells you how new FAA rules can save you time and money as a smart sport pilot.
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