Alltrikes

I did my training on a residential course where I lived with the instructor and his family.. Eating, breathing, sleeping and living flying helped me enormously. The aircraft were in the barn 15 seconds from the house so even spending time on the ground around the aircraft was hugely beneficial. Ground school for the exams wasn't just formal lessons but a quick diagram on the board over dinner or breakfast too. I don't know if any of you guys have such courses where you learned??

Yeah Andy,  immersion!  I immersed myself in studies.  You immersed yourself in the residential course.  It is certainly well known that if you intend to spend ~25 +/1 hours in the trike to get your license.  You will spend more than double that amount if you do it 1 hour per month for 25 months.  And you will never retain enough ground schooling to pass the tests (much less fly safely, which is the point) if you don't spend some serious focussed time on it and just get it done.  The immersive way is more efficient and effective than dragging it out for years like some people do.  Same ~25 +/1 (plus ground school) hours on the one hand with success, and basically a fresh newbie at 1 hour per month at the end of 25 months.

(NOTE:  Don't expect, like I did, and everyone else does, to get it done in one 40 hour week-- won't happen!  Weather, etc, and your brain & cerebellums input capacity is just not capable.  Learning theory states that there is s certain amount of repetition (learn, forget, relearn) that must occur for long term memory.)

I don;t know of anywhere here you can live at the instructor's house/hangar- there may be.  But many people stay with friends nearby, in a hotel or RV on the airport.  Borrow a friend's RV-- most of the time RV's are in storage doing nothing ....

The flying school I went to is quite unique in the flexwing world. The family atmosphere is what attracts a lot of the students and they go back time after time. The opportunity to talk about the day's flying with another student is also invaluable. As a student in a flexwing, you can only compare your flying skills with the instructor. They, of course, make everything seem so effortless which I found frustrating as my efforts were not effortless !!! To speak with others who made similar mistakes was reassuring. 

Each to their own I guess.. We're all different !

(b) You may share the operating expenses of a flight with a passenger, provided the expenses involve only fuel, oil, airport expenses, or aircraft rental fees. You must pay at least half the operating expenses of the flight. notice it says only fuel, oil, ap expenses and rental fees. not insurance hanger fees or any other thing that you might want to add as an expense.

Thanks Reb--  bummer you can't divide up ALL the costs.  They are true costs!

      An instructor has to have an S-LSA (additional costs), and are you required to have medical exams?

Charlie, thanks-  I guess my mind refuses to acknowledge the change from USHGA to USHPA (Hang/Para Assoc.)    ONE HUNDRED BUCKS per YEAR now!!!!  Ouch!!!  ;)    But, they are a good organization-- and you get a magazine  ;)

Hi Charlie:

I think you seriously under estimated some of the costs associated with flying a wee trike. I replace my rubber bands every SIX MONTHS!

:-)

Seriously, there are a lot of very reasonably priced aircraft out there, if people are willing to be patient and possibly contribute a bit of work. Jackye R mentioned a $5K Flycycle with a F3-225 wing. That would be a ton of fun for smooth-air boating around, which is all many folks seem to do anyway.

I have a two-place trike again. I bought it used, and the original owner paid the 75% depreciation. I have a nice, low hours trike with a comfy back seat at a price I can afford. I reckon I can fly it for as long as I want and sell it for about what I paid for it.

Flying is never cheap, but it doesn't have to be as expensive as many of us make it.

WBK

The Start of My Journey.

I am in Queensland Australia. To be allowed to train and fly a trike here, you must be a member of one of two organisations, HGFA (Hang Gliders Federation of Australia) which I am, or RA-Aus.  A Pilot Certificate to Fly is only earned after completing a minimum of 15 hours dual instruction, and 5 hours solo.  These are minimums.  I am currently at 25hrs dual, and about to go solo shortly.

I began my training using my instructors Airborne Outback 582 Streak 2b trike on the 1st of July.

Cost per hour is $180.00 in the instructors trike, or $100 in your own trike.  It is recommended that you buy your own trike before you go solo.

I don't know how RA-Aus issue theory work and exams so I will explain HGFA.

When you become a member with HGFA, you will be sent a theory workbook, and your Pilot Flight Log to keep your flying times and information in. The workbook is something that becomes your future reference book, and can be completed with assistance and theory lessons from your instructor. It needs to be 100% correct because this forms the basis of what you should know and understand.

Other recommended study materials are the "Microlight Pilot's Handbook 7th Edition" by Brian Cosgrove.  Another publication that is highly recommended but not completely relevant in Australia is the FAA book called Weight-Shift Control Aircraft Flying Handbook, 280 pages full colour,
from this page at the bottom... http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/  You will benefit from a copy of Australian ERSA, and some Nav Charts for study too.  Check out Air Services Australia.

You will learn a great deal about the weather, and right and wrong times to go flying. Weather has become a big bug-bear for me.  Trying to learn to land consistently and correctly becomes difficult with crosswinds and turbulence. We are ofter waiting for the right weather, and often up at 430am!

As your fly, you learn theory in practice. When the time comes during your training you will sit three exams. Pre-Solo, BAK (Basic Aeronautical Knowledge) and a Radio Telephony exam. 

I am fortunate to have been able to purchase a used Airborne XT-912 Tourer with Cruze wing trike in September 2012. I have been flying it since my 7th lesson. I have been able to get to know the aircraft which is a real benefit during this training time.

Services and basic maintenance is carried out by the aircraft owner, such as 100 hourly services (oil, filter, plugs etc).

A lot of the costs associated with training will depend on the flying school you choose.

I fly with Fraser Coast Microlites here in Hervey Bay. Ask for Mark. 

Life As a Certified Pilot

Don't know yet - I am not there.  However, you are permitted to fly up to 10,000ft and 25NM from your takeoff location. And you may not take passengers.  To maintain your standards, you need to be checked flighted every 2 years by an instructor rated pilot. I look forward to exploring my scenic corner of the world when I have been set free.

Passenger endorsement requires a further 5 hours of logged time from the time you receive your certification, and a test.

Cross Country Endorsement is another test that allows you to fly as far from your departure point as you wish.  But you can never ever go into Controlled airspace without ATC special permission.

Great post Crayon Box (hey, how'd you get that nickname anyway?)!

VERY similar to the US, however:

We have 3 types of Licenses for trikes in the US:

1. Private Pilot 
2. Recreational Pilot- rarely used, if I remember right it has no night flying, no IFR
3. Sport Pilot- no night/IFR, no > 10K feet / 2000 AGL, No over the top, No SVFR.  No medical needed.

                ATC / Controlled airspace can be added as an additional endorsement.

You can also have a Private Pilot with night restriction which I do (until I get around to taking the couple hours of night instruction- I meant to this past summer).  There is no IFR certified trike so that is irrelevant.

Other Differences:

1. We do not have to belong to a club first (doesn't hurt though)
2. We no longer need a radio license separate--  included in our pilot's license (see Sport Pilot above)
3. We have one exam after ground school-- GS can also be done by video or web just so long as you pass the exam.  The knowledge will also be tested by your instructor verbally during your checkride.
4. Once your instructor endorses you, we can solo without a license (no passengers) to continue practicing within a specified area (much like your 25NM range).  Eventually we need to take the checkride to get a license and venture further.

In the end, the above works out VERY similar to Australia, as is your exchange rate (I checked today) 0.97 Australian Dollars to 1 US (so, potentially 3% more expensive in US).  Our gas is about $3.5/gallon and after conversion from 3.78L per gallon, your cost is about $7-$8 per gallon.  Good thing trikes only burn about 3.3 GPH (not 10-15 or even 50GPH like GA)

Cheers Mate!!!

Gidday XC Triker,

Crayonbox is something I came up with years ago when I was travelling to third world countries doing video work of people in need.  (PNG and South Africa).

I had seen a phrase that went something like, "We are all just crayons in a box, we should learn to get along with each other".  I thought it was a great representation of mixed multicultural races of people all in the same box called Earth!  Which was relevant to what I was doing at the time.

Cheers Mate hahha 

What's about the slowest stall speed in a light trike?  (mine is not light, but slow for GA at 32 - 39 mph).

Does anyone know where that video is of a very light trike, single seat I believe, with a huge SS wing doing nearly 1 foot take offs and landings?

The prices in Oz regarding Rotax engine maintenance are slightly higher. Around the $5k mark for a 582 2-stroke (300 hours on non-Airborne trikes (400 if Airborne)) & $20k for 2000 hrs on a 912. That's 6 2/3rd 2 stroke change-overs/TBO's to 1 x 912 (4 stroke) or about $34,000 without labour charges. Usual story of upfront investing = lower ongoing charges. Knowing these calculations and realistically anticipating annual flying hours before purchasing a trike may mean that stretching the budget to a 912 could save $14k - or a mental shift of reducing the purchase price by $14k... That's without factoring in 4 stroke fuel efficiency, speed & thrust capability and extended fly time per tank...

Stall speeds for the north wing Mustang 3 SS wings 19 m  = 25 mph, 17 m = 27 mph, 15m = 30 mph