The Risks of Owning an Aircraft While Training

A professional pilot looks at the pros and cons of owning your own airplane while building flight hours.

Friday, June 16, 2023 at 10:58 AM ET

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This week, commercial pilot Sam Weigel takes a look at the pros and cons of owning your own aircraft while building flight hours. [Screenshot]

Key Takeaways:

Owning an aircraft for flight training and building flight hours can be rewarding but comes with significant financial risks.
Airline Captain Sam Weigel's experience with his 1953 Piper Pacer highlights the unexpected challenges and potential setbacks of aircraft ownership.
A substantial financial loss from aircraft ownership, such as a $20,000 setback, could be career-ending for a pilot in the early stages of training.

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Owning your own aircraft for flight training and building flight hours can be wildly rewarding, but it also comes with risks.

Airline captain Sam Weigel shares his experience of owning a 1953 Piper Pacer while he was building hours early on and how he navigated an unexpected turn of events.