and the other thing is...if you do buy a plane...whether you buy it outright or buy a share...make sure it is flown alot...planes that sit around become non-airworthy...animals get to them, wether dries stuff out etc...you want one that is flow at least once every week or two...not one that sits around, dust, wind, rain, heat, ice, squirrels and bird are what makes small planes unsafe...and make sure you find a GOOD seasoned instructor, not some kid in college wanting to burn through hours to get his licenses...get an old crop duster or bush pilot...those guys will give you the smarts you need because small planes are all they've flown...
Ya know, there are things out there called 'paraplanes' that are really inexpensive and dont require much licensing....if you just wanted a hobby, that might be the way to go...was seriously thinking of picking one up myself...they look like a kick in the ass....basically a lawnmower strapped to a parachute....with a go cart cage....not much training...but it is open, so if you're somewhere where the climate gets cold...your season is going to be limited.
yeah they have certain restrictions and you cant really go anywhere in them because they only do like 30-40 mph, and cant really fly if it's blowing over 15 knots or so....but they're fairly safe, so long as you check your lines real well....if the engine quits, it floats to the ground...and they build 2 seats to take a buddy with you or train in...i dont think it's very much to get a limited license for it...and you can probably store it in someone's barn or a big garage...etc...
My ex brother in law had a Piper Tri Pacer back in the mid 50's and used to take me and my cousins up for a ride.
This guy had hands of gold and could build anything. Both his parents died within 9 months of each other when he was 14, and he got his pilots license and built his own plane from scratch. In his later years he built a one man helicopter and sold plans to build the copter and a hovercraft in Mechanics Illustrated and Popular Science for about 30 years. In between he built one of those feather light crafts that seated one person.
This guy had hands of gold and could build anything. Both his parents died within 9 months of each other when he was 14, and he got his pilots license and built his own plane from scratch. In his later years he built a one man helicopter and sold plans to build the copter and a hovercraft in Mechanics Illustrated and Popular Science for about 30 years. In between he built one of those feather light crafts that seated one person.
