Tue Apr 06, 2021 1:48 pm
#1838502
First off, happy Easter! Long waffly post coming, but would really appreciate your advice.
Since getting my licence 18 months ago, amidst sitting on the ground in lockdown, or waiting for airfields to dry out, I've been rather desperately trying to find a share of something affordable within ready reach of me.
Context: based Sevenoaks (so, Rochester, Biggin, Redhill, Headcorn closest locations), NPPL(A) with microlight rating, currently renting C42 from club I learnt with. I've got a modest £5k sitting and waiting in the bank (with a little bit more if I need to stretch) and aim to get my SSEA 'upgrade' before summer. Looking for something 2-seater, 3-axis, that looks like a proper aircraft but critically wanting to fly something with as low hourly rate as possible (sub £50), permit or LAA-type, so Jodel, Skyranger etc.
In spite of checking Afors, Flyer, GA forums, Plane-check etc several times daily - and even posting my own ad trying to find others in a similar position - absolutely nothing has come up that fits the bill:
Looking at Afors now, I've managed to go as far back as mid-2016 and there is only 1 share advertised in that timeframe - and that was just over an hour's drive from me. Lots coming up at Old Sarum, Gloucester, Waltham, Popham etc, but the South-East is a bit of a desert.
So, here are the options I'm thinking about. Feedback would be most welcome (questions included):
Option 1: Build something 'cheap' and 'simple' like a Skyranger swift
I actually DO harbour an interest in building my own a/c, or at least refurbishing something, but I couldn't commit to a big project like an RV build, not least because I don't have sufficient long-term space.
However, my thinking was: for around £20k (exc engine) I could buy a Swift II kit, with 300 - 350 hours build time that could be accomplished via a group-build in a consensed few weeks off work between a small group, and then put a refurbed 912 on the front and be flying no frills, something simple, for between £5k and £7k each (4 - 6 people).
Question: is this in any way realistic for a first-time builder?
Question: are there any other a/c that have similar performance, build times and cost to the Skyranger that I should consider? I've found lots of kits at the same price, but with 700 - 800 hours for the build, or kits that come in at £65k+.
Question: if I went down this route, and we assume I could finance the build entirely myself (which I could - I just don't really want to), would I likely have any difficulty selling shares at the end of that process once flying (e.g. one of the challenges is that I can't find many people in the same boat who want to join forces, but if I went it alone and then sold shares at the end, I'd get to the same result).
Option 2: Take a trial lesson in a flex-wing and consider ditching my 3-axis ambitions
Given there seems to be a lot of flex-wings under £5k coming onto the market regularly, is it worth giving up on my 3-axis plans? I could buy myself a flex-wing and be sole owner, go flying whenever I want, but with greater w/x constraints. I could continue to rent the C42 at eye-watering rates when I need to.
Option 3: Continue renting and saving until I've got £10k + to get a share of something more substantial
This isn't really what I want to do - I want low-cost hourly rates to encourage me more often.
I appreciate others will call me names, but I just can't seem to bring myself to consider a Thruster/X'Air etc (at least the Falcon) - they just don't fit my requirement of 'looking like a proper a/c', without wanting to offend others.
Is there anything else I'm missing here? Any other avenues I haven't thought of?
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I'm pretty desperate and struggling to find a share, so is it worth building a Skyranger and can I do it in a way that means that a) I can do it reasonably quickly in months rather than years, b) I can involve others either in the build (as future co-owners), or c) build it myself and then recoup my costs (less my own share) by selling shares to others?
Since getting my licence 18 months ago, amidst sitting on the ground in lockdown, or waiting for airfields to dry out, I've been rather desperately trying to find a share of something affordable within ready reach of me.
Context: based Sevenoaks (so, Rochester, Biggin, Redhill, Headcorn closest locations), NPPL(A) with microlight rating, currently renting C42 from club I learnt with. I've got a modest £5k sitting and waiting in the bank (with a little bit more if I need to stretch) and aim to get my SSEA 'upgrade' before summer. Looking for something 2-seater, 3-axis, that looks like a proper aircraft but critically wanting to fly something with as low hourly rate as possible (sub £50), permit or LAA-type, so Jodel, Skyranger etc.
In spite of checking Afors, Flyer, GA forums, Plane-check etc several times daily - and even posting my own ad trying to find others in a similar position - absolutely nothing has come up that fits the bill:
- There's a reasonable trickle of whole a/c for sale but beyond the budget and requiring a co-ordinated purchase with others (£25k +)
There's a slower trickle of shares coming on the market easily within my budget, but absolutely nothing anywhere near me - and shares at those airfields don't seem to come up very often
There is a reasonable deluge of flex-wings, although I'm in the market for 3-axis
There is a very low drip-drip feed of single-seater SSDR, or part-build SSDR kits, which doesn't ticke the box
Looking at Afors now, I've managed to go as far back as mid-2016 and there is only 1 share advertised in that timeframe - and that was just over an hour's drive from me. Lots coming up at Old Sarum, Gloucester, Waltham, Popham etc, but the South-East is a bit of a desert.
So, here are the options I'm thinking about. Feedback would be most welcome (questions included):
Option 1: Build something 'cheap' and 'simple' like a Skyranger swift
I actually DO harbour an interest in building my own a/c, or at least refurbishing something, but I couldn't commit to a big project like an RV build, not least because I don't have sufficient long-term space.
However, my thinking was: for around £20k (exc engine) I could buy a Swift II kit, with 300 - 350 hours build time that could be accomplished via a group-build in a consensed few weeks off work between a small group, and then put a refurbed 912 on the front and be flying no frills, something simple, for between £5k and £7k each (4 - 6 people).
Question: is this in any way realistic for a first-time builder?
Question: are there any other a/c that have similar performance, build times and cost to the Skyranger that I should consider? I've found lots of kits at the same price, but with 700 - 800 hours for the build, or kits that come in at £65k+.
Question: if I went down this route, and we assume I could finance the build entirely myself (which I could - I just don't really want to), would I likely have any difficulty selling shares at the end of that process once flying (e.g. one of the challenges is that I can't find many people in the same boat who want to join forces, but if I went it alone and then sold shares at the end, I'd get to the same result).
Option 2: Take a trial lesson in a flex-wing and consider ditching my 3-axis ambitions
Given there seems to be a lot of flex-wings under £5k coming onto the market regularly, is it worth giving up on my 3-axis plans? I could buy myself a flex-wing and be sole owner, go flying whenever I want, but with greater w/x constraints. I could continue to rent the C42 at eye-watering rates when I need to.
Option 3: Continue renting and saving until I've got £10k + to get a share of something more substantial
This isn't really what I want to do - I want low-cost hourly rates to encourage me more often.
I appreciate others will call me names, but I just can't seem to bring myself to consider a Thruster/X'Air etc (at least the Falcon) - they just don't fit my requirement of 'looking like a proper a/c', without wanting to offend others.
Is there anything else I'm missing here? Any other avenues I haven't thought of?
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I'm pretty desperate and struggling to find a share, so is it worth building a Skyranger and can I do it in a way that means that a) I can do it reasonably quickly in months rather than years, b) I can involve others either in the build (as future co-owners), or c) build it myself and then recoup my costs (less my own share) by selling shares to others?
Last edited by flyingearly on Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.