Aircraft ownership is a big step in your aviation journey! As an aircraft owner, there are a lot of new responsibilities that you didn’t worry about as a renter or student pilot. Where are you going to put the aircraft? Hangar or tie-down? Can you get insurance and what do you need to do to get insurance? Who will maintain the aircraft? Do you have an instructor that is current and proficient in the aircraft you now own?
We watch a lot of buyers waste a lot of time and money trying to figure all of this out and ultimately say “I wish that I had someone to help with this, I would have gladly paid for that.”
Transitioning out of and into a new model of aircraft? This presents new challenges with the two biggest being insurance and training.
Transitioning into a larger more capable aircraft will require training requirements from the FAA as well as your insurance provider.
Depending on where you are based, the airport may or may not have the level of training you will require. Traveling to another city or having the CFI travel to your location obviously will increase the expense of the transition.
Once you have the appropriate ratings and training, now you are ready to go! Wait a minute. No, you aren’t. The insurance provider requires you to have ten to fifty hours of mentor time to make them feel comfortable with you flying solo or carrying passengers.
Regardless of what you are buying—whether it is a piston, turboprop, or jet—do your homework and hire a professional that can shortcut your learning curve and save you money in the long run.
