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Why so expensive?

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Once you own an experimental, you'll never go back. Performance/dollar can not be touched on the certified side, whether we're talking TAS or glass in the cockpit.

Unless you're trying to earn a living w/ your aircraft, no?
 

CumminsPilot

VA...not so bad
pilot
Unless you're trying to earn a living w/ your aircraft, no?

Yep...no commercial flying with an Experimental. Can't even do Angel Flights or the equivalent. There may be some exceptions (the one I know of is for potential customers paying to take a demo ride, but almost always the cost of the flight goes towards the kit) but none that I know of.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Somewhat related question... How do you pay for rides in legacy aircraft? For example, how do you (legally) pay for a ride in a P-51? Or are you just "paying for the gas..." <wink, wink>?
 

yak52driver

Well-Known Member
Contributor
Somewhat related question... How do you pay for rides in legacy aircraft? For example, how do you (legally) pay for a ride in a P-51? Or are you just "paying for the gas..." <wink, wink>?

That's a really good question. At the FBO I fly charter at we used to do photo rides in one of the Cessna 172's. The Milwaukee FSDO said we'd have to maintain them and put them on part 135 opspecs if we wanted to continue to do them. So we stopped because it was legally considered charter by the FAA. I have also read that the FAA was cracking down on VIP rides for air show sponsors if the performer accepted any payment for the rides. I can't say that I've seen that cause any reduction in VIP rides I've flown at, though. If it's called flight instruction that's one way to work around it, but you'd have to have a CFI certificate to make that work.
 

ryan1234

Well-Known Member
Somewhat related question... How do you pay for rides in legacy aircraft? For example, how do you (legally) pay for a ride in a P-51? Or are you just "paying for the gas..." <wink, wink>?

I think that not all Mustangs are in the experimental exhibition category... some are limited - and in some rare cases, those made by Cavalier (conversion) had a Standard airworthiness certificate.

@yak52driver - I heard recently there was a new special LOA from the FAA for part 91 operators doing sight-seeing / photographing? I don't see what the FAA's problem is if the flight's destination is the same as the departute..

@Huggy - None that I know of... but it looks like it has serious potential, hopefully it doesn't go the way of Thielert.
 

statesman

Shut up woman... get on my horse.
pilot
I had heard that a company was going to be offering ACM adventures in L-39s, but I was also under the impression that all L-39s were experimental/exhibition, so Im wondering how they got past that.
 

ryan1234

Well-Known Member
I had heard that a company was going to be offering ACM adventures in L-39s, but I was also under the impression that all L-39s were experimental/exhibition, so Im wondering how they got past that.

I think you can get an LOA from the FAA for that on an operation case basis.
 

yak52driver

Well-Known Member
Contributor
I had heard that a company was going to be offering ACM adventures in L-39s, but I was also under the impression that all L-39s were experimental/exhibition, so Im wondering how they got past that.

When I first got my Yak I considered giving instruction in it and talked to the MKE FSDO, they said I didn't need anything from them to give dual in it, the fact the it is Experimantal Exhibition was not a factor. Not sure if that's the case for every experimental, but that was my experience.
 

Clux4

Banned
When I first got my Yak I considered giving instruction in it and talked to the MKE FSDO, they said I didn't need anything from them to give dual in it, the fact the it is Experimantal Exhibition was not a factor. Not sure if that's the case for every experimental, but that was my experience.

As I understand it, you can give instructions in experimental but you can't get paid for instruction except the cost of gas and maintenance. At least this is what a guy flying Pietenpol told me when I asked him about getting a tail wheel endorsement.
 

HuggyU2

Well-Known Member
None
Somewhat related question... How do you pay for rides in legacy aircraft? For example, how do you (legally) pay for a ride in a P-51? Or are you just "paying for the gas..." <wink, wink>?
The ride should be free...
... after they purchase an $850 T-shirt.
 

eas7888

Looking forward to some P-8 action
pilot
Contributor
Sounds like the easy answer. "I paid $850 dollars and all I got is this lousy t-shirt..."

That's how I feel about my entire college experience. The $8000/semester free t-shirt experience.
 

yak52driver

Well-Known Member
Contributor
As I understand it, you can give instructions in experimental but you can't get paid for instruction except the cost of gas and maintenance. At least this is what a guy flying Pietenpol told me when I asked him about getting a tail wheel endorsement.

The local FSDO didn't seem to care at all about how I wanted to do it. But my experience has been that a lot depends on which FSDO a person is dealing with. In the end insurance was triple the cost if I wanted to instruct with my plane, so I bagged it.
 

vick

Esoteric single-engine jet specialist
pilot
None
Yep...no commercial flying with an Experimental. Can't even do Angel Flights or the equivalent.

This isn't categorically true, some Angel Flight chapters do allow experimental. The ones that do though do require the plane to be IFR capable and operator to be duly qualified. Organ & tissue transport missions are also more likely to allow experimentals and the animal charity efforts (Pilots N Paws, etc) allow experimental as well.

This will probably get a little more confusing with the recent ruling that charitable flights can accept compensation for fuel.
 

CumminsPilot

VA...not so bad
pilot
This isn't categorically true, some Angel Flight chapters do allow experimental. The ones that do though do require the plane to be IFR capable and operator to be duly qualified. Organ & tissue transport missions are also more likely to allow experimentals and the animal charity efforts (Pilots N Paws, etc) allow experimental as well.

This will probably get a little more confusing with the recent ruling that charitable flights can accept compensation for fuel.

Good info. Thanks. Back when I was looking into it in the PNW, the AF chapter up there wouldn't allow it.
 
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