[QUOTE=Sarge1;2336586]Join the Army and they will teach you how to fly for free. Actually, they will pay you. You can even choose from a couple different types of helicopters(real ACFT, not the 'RC' helicopters covering boat races).[/QUOTE

As long as you are no older than 29! Sh*t, what I would give to be in my 20`s and have no steel plates and screws in me.

You can go to your local general aviation airport and take an introductory lesson in a Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee. That will help you in your decesion.

I flew in both once for each. It's just that I have not set my mind on wich one would be more fun. And for now, I would'nt buy anything, just rent a ride type of thing. Could always buy a plane, but the helicopter, I could'nt! If I could, I'd have a more recent and powerful boat for way less than the helicopter! Thanks for sharing your comments!

Jeff- Make sure that you pursue an introductory ride in a float plane as well- once you get the experience of flying on and off the water, you are hooked for life. I recommend it strongly to ANY avid boater! Good luck with your pursuit of going airborne!
Jim

I'm sure the float planes and amphibians are loads of fun (like to try it sometime), but do many lakes allow aircraft water landings? Here in California, the libs outlaw anything fun which involves an engine.

Michael

I am not so into the flying idea myself but I have a friend that lives a few blocks from me here in Queens.....his house is right on the Long Island Sound just west of the Throggs Neck bridge....... He flys those sea planes that land on water........his house has a garage door facing the sound........he lands and drives the boat right up into the garage.........has a turn table in there so he just spins it around for the next time he goes out. Now I have a lot of friends with dock's in there yard but his set up is COOL ! I have a Penthouse apartment 20 stories up and at least twice a week he comes wizzing by my balcony.............wife even gets pissed when he comes to close......hahaha.......I say go for the seaplane (sport plane) instead of the helo's.............

Started flying a year ago....


Love it ... but you definatley need to allow for 3 hours, 3 days a week; while learning.

VonBongo and others told me when I started it would make boating seem cheap... Wow... they were right....

Yes ESLA can be maitenced by the owner, but that nice little word on the side of the plane that must be put there by law is EXPERIMENTAL so your value just went out the window when it's time to sell. Most people are going to feel more comfortable in a factory built sport plane, and one that has been annualed. The plane values say it all, and they really are a whole lot quicker to fly without having to assemble it yourself.

That is funny! We sold our aircraft and purchased boats.

You must have a ASEL or AMEL for aircraft and a seperate rating for rotorwing.

The West Coast is still one of the havens of float plane flying, especially up in the Seattle area. Let's not forget the Spruce Goose, a longtime fixture of Long Beach, CA (it now resides in a museum in McMinnville, OR, just SW of Portland).
Unfortunately, as Michael stated, the tree-huggers have their hooks into attempts to ban them. It used to be a noise nuisance to them. Now they're on the trail of greenhouse emissions.
Nice deal for the owner/operators- most of them are running these planes commercially to feed their families (on a pretty tight budget) as ferries and sight-seers.