What are some good sites on beginning aviation and learning about single engine aircraft?
Thinking about going to flight school in a few months and would like to learn as much as I can before I do. As far as single engine planes, what’s good, what do you look for when buying a plane? I was thinking Piper Saratoga 2 TC or 6XT. What do you think?
A new “toga” starts at about 450 K
Check out cfischool.com
Don’t buy more airplane than you can handle…remember JFK jr.
As far as resouces for the begining student you should probly get ahold of the Jepesen private pilot text and familiarze yourself with that. Another great resource is microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. It has flight lessons from begining w/ no experience up to comercial instrument instruction. When buying an aircraft find yourself an A&P mechanic and have him look at the aircraft to see if its worth investing in.
Assuming you’re in the States, I’d recommend you take a look at the AOPA and EAA sites. Both offer extensive resources for those thinking of getting involved in flying recreationally or as a career. The EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) also features a lot of info about homebuilt kitplanes, vintage aircraft, warbirds, and rotorcraft, and is heavily involved in promoting aviation around the world through its extensive network of chapters.
As for which plane would be a good choice I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. I’ve not flown a Piper Saratoga, but I do know that they’re classified as a “complex airplane”, meaning that they have various systems (retractable landing gear, constant speed propellers, advanced avionics) that could easily prove to be more than a novice pilot could handle. Also, complex airplanes are much more expensive to purchase, operate, insure, and maintain. I think your best bet would be to track down a local flying club and get involved there; talk to the pilots and owners and get familiar with the different aircraft types, their performance, and features, and then think hard about what kind of flying you want to do. Do you want some cross-country capability or are you looking for something to fly locally on weekends? Are you looking for something to fly solo or to take friends up in? Maybe restoring an old ragwing Piper Cub, Aeronca, or Stinson appeals to you (and some of those old ships perform as well as today’s $250K Cessna’s), or maybe building the latest carbon-fibre and kevlar 300-knot speed machine from a kit is for you. There are a lot of options out there…