I am Australian born and bred pilot living in the US. I return to Australia quite frequently and have often rented an aircraft for short to medium trips while there. I hold CASA and RAA licenses as well as a US commercial license. I harbor a dream of circumnavigating Australia (have cross the US several times) and making other long trips. Renting an aircraft by the hour for such a trip would be quite expensive. What other options are there?
Options that have occurred to me include.
1. Buying an airplane and putting it on leaseback to an operation. Here in the US leasebacks are considered riskly financially.
2. Come to some arrangement with an operator or private owner to rent the aircraft at a lower rate in recocognition of the long trip. Most operators want their aircraft to stay on field to generate instructional revenue, so this seems unlikely. A private owner might be open to the right deal.
3. Join or start some sort of syndicate (or club) whose structure reflects that I wont be using the plane regularly. A little unusual but you never know what people would be open to.
4. Owning an aircraft that sits in a hanger 11 months of the year. Not very smart really.
I suspect my only realistic option is 1 but thought I would ask on this forum.
Thanks
Paul
I am Australian born and bred pilot living in the US. I return to Australia quite frequently and have often rented an aircraft for short to medium trips while there. I hold CASA and RAA licenses as well as a US commercial license. I harbor a dream of circumnavigating Australia (have cross the US several times) and making other long trips. Renting an aircraft by the hour for such a trip would be quite expensive. What other options are there? Options that have occurred to me include. 1. Buying an airplane and putting it on leaseback to an operation. Here in the US leasebacks are considered riskly financially. 2. Come to some arrangement with an operator or private owner to rent the aircraft at a lower rate in recocognition of the long trip. Most operators want their aircraft to stay on field to generate instructional revenue, so this seems unlikely. A private owner might be open to the right deal. 3. Join or start some sort of syndicate (or club) whose structure reflects that I wont be using the plane regularly. A little unusual but you never know what people would be open to. 4. Owning an aircraft that sits in a hanger 11 months of the year. Not very smart really. I suspect my only realistic option is 1 but thought I would ask on this forum. Thanks Paul