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Should You Buy Your Own Aircraft For Flight Training? 

Here's a rundown of what you should consider before buying an aircraft for flight training.

Learning to fly in your own aircraft comes with a list of added responsibilities, including maintenance and insurance costs. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Aspiring pilots should consult an experienced Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) before purchasing an aircraft to avoid common pitfalls like unsuitable models, inadequate pre-buy inspections, and overlooking significant ownership costs.
  • Aircraft ownership involves substantial ongoing expenses beyond the purchase price, including maintenance, insurance, taxes, and hangar fees, necessitating careful budgeting and potentially business partnerships.
  • Training in a personally owned aircraft requires several considerations: CFIs will review logbooks and may need familiarization time, FBOs might have instructional restrictions, and insurance policies often dictate CFI qualifications and required dual hours, while student pilot regulations strictly apply.
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“If I buy an airplane can you teach me to fly it?”

Every certified flight instructor (CFI) hears this question at least once during their instructional career.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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