Reality Check.

My last post was about owning an airplane. This post is a little more realistic. A few weeks ago, I was obsessed with the pursuit of owning an airplane. I did the research, I looked up prices, and played with finance calculators. No matter from what perspective I tried to look at it, the numbers didn't look favorable. I just couldn't afford to make such a purchase, whether in part, or in whole. A few weeks have passed since the last entry. My head is a little more stable, and my goals, a bit more manageable. While at some point I would hope to own an aircraft, I have come to terms with the fact that ownership is not possible for me right now. Airplanes are expensive. There's the cost of the actual plane, plus maintenance, avionics upgrades, insurance, hangar fees, fluctuating fuel prices, the list goes on and on.

Airplanes are a great way to travel. If you can get with a pilot who is safe and has some experience under their belt, you're in for some great experiences in the air. It's faster, considering there isn't a speed limit, unless you're within specific altitudes and airspace (at which, most airplanes, aside from jets won't normally cruise at 200 knots), and through effective navigation and communication with air traffic control, those long car rides turn into relatively short airplane rides. Plus, when you consider the General Aviation sector, you don't need to worry about baggage fees, lines, the TSA, layovers, and other commercial airport hassles. In general aviation, you can most likely arrive at an airport that is closer to your final destination than most commercial airports. The only drawback to all of these conveniences is...money.

In ground school, you learn about the four forces of flight: lift, weight, thrust, drag. These are, "physically" speaking, what keeps planes maneuverable in the air. This is the proper answer to give when you are asked this question on your knowledge test, or by your FAA examiner.

However, ask any pilot what the four forces of flight are, and they will most likely give this "humorous" answer: dreams, reality, money, FAA. As a favorite comic of mine often says, "It's funny because it's true." Airplanes are money hogs. That's a fact. So if you happen to make enough money where you can continue to keep one of these things in the air, then I would love to be like you one day. Unfortunately, today is not the day, and I do not see that day in sight any time soon.

However, while I have accepted that now is not the right time, I have continually planned on what I would like to accomplish while I continue in my flight training.

1. Finish my private pilots license- This has been a slow process due to being employed full time, and only being able to fly on the weekends. I do not complain about this. I'm thankful to have a job, and one I love at that. I have set a goal completion date, and I am constantly working towards that goal by studying for my knowledge exam, and continually practicing in the air.

2. Take a year off from training- Some may say this is a bad move. I agree. But the sabbatical from training will allow me to replenish funds for my next round of training, and in the time between, I can continue to build flight hours. Remember, flight training is expensive.

3. Add an IFR rating- An IFR rating becomes very beneficial to pilots, because you're no longer restricted to visual flight rules (VFR). This means if you happen to get in some soupy weather, you can be all the more proficient in flying your plane through it. Although IFR rated or not, it's best to avoid bad weather. Sometimes it can be unavoidable. I would much rather have an IFR rating and feel comfortable flying by gages, than being a nervous VFR pilot who has found himself in a tight spot.

4. Add a Commercial rating- This is where it gets fun. At this level, you can start charging your passengers. This doesn't mean that you'll be flying a jet for an airline (but if you've got the money, you can get the training). But if someone asks you to fly them to the beach, it's perfectly legal to charge them for it. This means that if things go wrong in the air, you're paid the big bucks to make sure that people stay safe.

5. Add the CFI- I'm still not sure how I feel about this one yet. Being a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) requires, you guessed it- time and money. Working full time doesn't really allow me to fly often, so this CFI rating would require some patience. However, both the commercial rating, and the CFI rating are a great way to generate some return revenue on your investment in your flight training. More often than not, I would say that you can get more students than you can passengers wanting to take beach trips. Being able to teach on the weekends, I wouldn't be able to have many students, but that's ok with me. I prefer to work closely with a few students, especially in the flight training environment.

So there it is, my expensive and (forgive the pun) lofty goals. Each one will require time and money. I always seem to find myself chomping at the bit in an effort to move forward, and often times I find that I'm not ready to make such an advancement. With these goals, as with all the other aviation goals I've had, I have to keep telling myself one thing. "Small steps."