I was put temporarily on a Jodel DR1050 insurance in which I had now no share, to deliver it part of the way, to be collected by its new owner.
I had over 1700 hours in type.
Maybe, I don’t know this in detail.
Jujupilote wrote:
the experience and ratings not to cost a fortune to insure you on the plane for a few flights per year (the insurance only looks at the lowest time pilot insured)
Couldn’t to make a temporary addition to the insurance in such a case?
I met an IR private pilot in a club once, who told me there is a « market » for pilots able to reposition light aircraft for their owners. From what I remember, the owner pays the expenses, but looks for someone safe and readily available to move a plane from its base to a paint shop, or from a diversion airfield back to its base on a short (like 48h) notice.
From what I see around Paris, the kind of plane involved is more of the Mooney/Cirrus/Columbia/Bonanza/Seneca crowd.
So you need :
1)the network and reputation in the owner’s world
2)the experience and ratings not to cost a fortune to insure you on the plane for a few flights per year (the insurance only looks at the lowest time pilot insured)
Thank you for all the replies. I’ve thrown caution to the wind and put some small leaflets up in the hangars and so far I’ve had one call – from a flying school offering me a two seater for 225EUR per hour. Not quite what I was hoping for but at least someone has noticed my leaflets!
We’ll see what comes. Of course paying for just fuel is optimistic at best, and I would be fine with paying the premium for insurance. If the right aircraft came along then I would be willing to pay more or less the same as I would in my club for the DR400. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Thanks again!
I suggest you try, I asked people to share their flights and fly their aircraft, you get various answers but bear in mind it will be more than “just fuel”, maybe fill up twice what you consume? and it’s likely to be more expensive than club or school aircraft…
PS: assuming insurance is trivial, depending on experience and type ofc
I agree with Etienne – it is difficult to beat club prices by borrowing a friend’s plane.
Our club in EFHV takes 115 for C150 and 160-170 C172 if you have paid 120/year extra. If not, you pay 20 more for rental.
Just the fuel cost is about impossible. Like E mentioned, at least the insurance would take some more money. And it would feel a little unfair to use the plane without taking any part to other costs. The only exception I can see, would be for a plane which is used very little. There flying once a week would actually make it stay in better condition than collecting corrosion everywhere – and would be worth of letting you fly with gas cost.
If I estimate letting someone else use my ralley, the autogas would take some 50 an hour, adding 100-200/year to the insurance cost, perhaps 20-30 to cover part of the maintenance and other fixed costs (which make over 2000/year) the sum would not be far from the above club prices. That gas +30 would probably be fine as long as hours do not add much maintenance. But if it adds one more 100-hour maintenance/year, that might cost close to 1000 e more and ruin positive effects. But like some already mentioned, being good friends with someone can turn a lot of things around..
Hello everyone, first post here (after reading the forum for quite a while I have to say.)
My name is Etienne, I fly a DR253 out of Neustadt-an-der-Aisch in Germany.
Coming back to the question -
“Is it possible” ? Yes definitely. In the past I had access to a friend’s Cessna, and I am potentially open to lending my Robin to close friends (People I know and I know how they fly!)
“At the cost of fuel” is probably wrong, though. If I were to lend my aircraft to someone I would need to add that person to the insurance and consequently ask her/him to cover the additional cost. I would also ask a participation to at least maintenance costs, probably other costs as well (e.g. limited lifetime elements). All things considered, we would soon be pretty close, if not above, the price of an aeroclub aircraft which flies much more and is often operated at (or near) cost. In your specific case OP, costs could indeed be offset by working as a mechanic on the machine. Individual arrangements need to be found here.
My recommendation to you OP would be to 1) look for other flying clubs in your area, 2) hang around at the airfield, make friends, participate in activities, etc. You might be able to find someone to make such arrangements. Maybe you can have the opportunity to tow gliders or fly skydivers.
As you are a mechanic, you can probably also find a low-cost aircraft (Jodel D112, Nicollier Menestrel, or similar – look for F-Pxxx / experimentals in France) which you can maintain yourself. This might be the best bang for the buck?
Blue skies,
ETN
My experience is as @gallois says. It is mainly about being “available” at others convenience. I managed to fly more, and at much less cost to me, during the Covid restrictions, purely because I could not work and was available. Not something that happens when I’m busy with work and not even in the country…
Regards, SD..
