Sport Pilot Talk

I am considering getting the LSA license and flying as a hobby. But I want to know what it will cost me long run. My understanding is that there is a strict FAA maintenance schedule. How much in annual costs should I expect for this?

I've also read that one can build his own kit plane and then be allowed to do his own maintenance. This is tempting, except that I've never built anything remotely like this, haven't even tinkered with a lawnmower engine. Is building a kit plane something that should not be done without experience, or is it pretty easy to follow the instructions?

Any other advise that a newb needs to know?

Thanks!

In some ways, building one's airplane is easy, as much as building anything this sophisticated is easy: meaning anyone who's persistent enough can do it. However, most beginners do not appreciate how much effort it takes. I would say even a modern RV takes 3 to 5 years for a first-timer to complete. Think about it: are you likely to move the residence in 5 years? Can work every weekend for 7 hours, week in, week out... for years?

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http://zaitcev.mee.nu/

Ugh, I don't want spend several years building an aircraft. Supposing I buy an LSA already built, what should I expect in annual FAA-mandated maintenance costs?

$500-$1k for yearly annual, if you don't take class that allows you to do your own maint. Doing class won't save you really, as it costs and must be renewed (2yrs?). Oil changes. Transponder cert every two yrs - $80. And repairs as they come up. Stuff for planes is generally a Bit expensive, but not too bad.
Before you commit, make sure you really love flying.. A huge % of people start to get their license and quit.

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Tim
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check out CTFlier.com

What type of insurance policies would I need to carry?

Liability insurance to protect you against injury or property damage claims, in the event of a mishap (the amount would be dictated primarily by your assets and net worth, for all of which you should expect to get sued...)

Hull physical damage coverage for the market value of the plane, with deductible equal to the highest amount you're willing to lose out-of-pocket if damage occurs. Biggest mistake people can make is under-insuring, feeling they can eat the difference between repair costs and insurance coverage if a loss occurs. This merely gives the insurance company an incentive to declare the airplane totaled, pay you off, keep the wreckage, fix it, and sell it for a huge profit!

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The opinions expressed in this post are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the position of the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof. H. Paul Shuch, Ph.D., CFII, LSRM-A/GL/WS
AvSport of Lock Haven
http://AvSport.org fly@AvSport.org

Void:

"But I want to know what it will cost me long run."

You are probably familiar with AOPA (aopa.org) but may not realize how comprehensive are their services and resources. Among a wide array of articles and other tools related to a/c ownership is a very thorough spreadsheet that itemizes ever single line item that could be a cost in a/c ownership. It not only ID's the categories of cost but, when shopping, you can adapt multiple worksheets for the several different a/c types you are considering, since some costs will vary by a/c.

For anyone who is even exploring the idea of flying - and not yet sure it's what they want to do - one of my standard suggestions is to join AOPA as an Affiliate Member in order to access their website resources, receive one of their two excellent magazines, and get on their weekly ePilot email list. This would also provide access to their technical counselors, who are highly knowledgeable about both flying and the FARs and can steer a person to the right places on the website for the resources that meet one's need. And of course, if a student pilot then membership is free for 6 months.

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Jack
RAF Florida State Liaison
Please visit www.theraf.org