I had my own consulting business, an LLC, and I wrote my flight training off as a business expense, or I could never have afforded it either.
The training cost about $2K, and the aircraft rental was $40/hr wet for the 172 Skyhawk, and $80/hr wet for the Centurion 206 Turbo, tax deductible, just like my car was. With my time and payload factored in the 206 wasn't too much more expensive to operate than the 172. The retractable gear, variable pitch prop and 3 axis autopilot made flying a joy. Keeping the 172 trimmed was a constant job. With the autopilot on the 206 I'd just set way points to my destination and engage the autopilot shortly after takeoff.
Through the entire duration of my days as a licensed pilot I took only one "joy" ride, and that was to give me wife her first airplane ride. She was/is deathly afraid of flying but I managed to talk her into flying once around the patch. While circling the airport in its landing pattern she kept her head down and would not look out the window. She never flew again until we flew commercially to Florida Disneyland to celebrate our retirements.
The training cost about $2K, and the aircraft rental was $40/hr wet for the 172 Skyhawk, and $80/hr wet for the Centurion 206 Turbo, tax deductible, just like my car was. With my time and payload factored in the 206 wasn't too much more expensive to operate than the 172. The retractable gear, variable pitch prop and 3 axis autopilot made flying a joy. Keeping the 172 trimmed was a constant job. With the autopilot on the 206 I'd just set way points to my destination and engage the autopilot shortly after takeoff.
Through the entire duration of my days as a licensed pilot I took only one "joy" ride, and that was to give me wife her first airplane ride. She was/is deathly afraid of flying but I managed to talk her into flying once around the patch. While circling the airport in its landing pattern she kept her head down and would not look out the window. She never flew again until we flew commercially to Florida Disneyland to celebrate our retirements.
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