Originally Posted By: dkryan
Having formerly been in a flying club for years, let me ask a couple (or more) questions.
How does the club handle scheduling of the 182? You want to know this in detail. Why?
Because how many members are in the club? Actually, that should've been question number one, followed by the scheduling question.
Too many members and/or a poor scheduling policy leaves you with a 182 that you have the key for and not much else.
Is the 182 fully IFR equipped?
If you do not have an IFR rating or you are just learning to fly and earn that Private certificate, what aircraft would you use to earn that needed instrument rating if you really want to use the 182 effectively?
Having paid $44 per hour wet (okay, 20 years ago) for a fully IFR equipped 172, there is no way to justify the "$100 hamburger" at your current club rate.
Who runs the club? Who is your maintenance person, if any?
I would recommend attending a club meeting or three to get a good idea as to how it is run. How the governing board (is there a governing board?) deals with the membership, maintenance, and financial matters should give you a basis for deciding whether or not you want to lay down $4,000 to join.
All good points!
However, I will take exception with any form of "justification" for General Aviation.
Many of us have tried to justify ownership/rental/partnerships in light aircraft. The justifications range from sightseeing to flight training, to travel. All of which can be better served by professionals. Furthermore, the risk of flying a light aircraft far exceeds the risk of airline travel.
In my opinion, the only justification that makes any sense is a simple love of flying. The $200-$300 hamburger (let's not kid ourselves) is a great way to illustrate the costs involved.
Sorry to rant on, but "if" one loves to fly, with all that it entails, and "can" afford to fly, the cost matters far less. No justification necessary.
I own, outright, a Cessna Cardinal RG. I truly enjoy it. I've wanted to sell it to move up to a Mooney turbo (faster) . But I enjoy the Cardinal so much, the views, the flying characteristics, the reliability, the interior volume etc. Over the last 9 years of ownership, I've used it for practical purposes. But mostly, it's my preferred method of travel. Just because it's so much fun.
This summer, I flew it back n forth from South Florida to Savannah, GA, every week, sometimes twice per week. 2.2 hours each way. 22 gallons fuel. I drove it once, 7 hours, a waste of an entire day. The view up the coastline was always spectacular, the ride was good, and the flight were major fun!