Block time?
- Thread starter JordanD
- Start date
ctab5060X
Well-Known Member
Nope. I can work on my airplane all I want to without any A&P around as long as I stick to preventive maintenance. [CFR 14 § 43.3 (g)]
:yeahthat:
Amazing how much maintenace work a pilot (either as owner or operator) can do to an airplane. 29 individual items listed and some are not what you would normally consider preventive maintenace.
ctab5060X
Well-Known Member
One of the best airplanes I have flown looked like it came out of a war zone. Solid white, patches all over, old logos appeared to be spray painted out. But all the important stuff worked... hated to have to give that one up.
They aren't requesting anything. They're just saying that it's available for those who want it.
SpiraMirabilis
Possible Subversive
I'm sorry if I wasn't clear but I meant "work on" in above and beyond what is "preventive maintenance."
haha, I don't think any required item for VFR daytime was inop except for the beacon light. I'll give them that one though, bulbs burn out. The tires isn't really a big deal either, I just couldn't find the air pump in the hangar. Didn't help that my (at the time) future employer told me that it was 70 bucks to put air in the tires. It's free.... I knew it should have been a red flag when they asked me if we were at SDF or LOU. Must've called the (then) new guy.:laff:
ChasenSFO
hen teaser
I'm sure if we actually started the engine we would have found more wrong with it.
Anyway, my school does block time too. I fly our 172R and the 172S models. The R goes for $150/hr wet and the S for $160/hr wet. By paying $1500 for block time, I get the R at the rate of $130/hr and the S for $140/hr. There is a monthly fee, but I don't remember how much it is since they like me and don't make me pay it. Even if I had to pay the fee, that 20 dollars adds up fast when you fly at least once a week like I do, especially since I'm finishing up my XCs.
In your case, where you fly just a few times a month, I wouldn't buy block if there is any monthly fee involved.
Anyway, my school does block time too. I fly our 172R and the 172S models. The R goes for $150/hr wet and the S for $160/hr wet. By paying $1500 for block time, I get the R at the rate of $130/hr and the S for $140/hr. There is a monthly fee, but I don't remember how much it is since they like me and don't make me pay it. Even if I had to pay the fee, that 20 dollars adds up fast when you fly at least once a week like I do, especially since I'm finishing up my XCs.
In your case, where you fly just a few times a month, I wouldn't buy block if there is any monthly fee involved.
jrh
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to point out that from a flight school management perspective, there are some very legitimate reasons for giving "block time" or "prepayment" discounts.
Where I work, we give a $15/hr discount for paying for half the estimated cost of a rating up front.
The reason for this is because we want to reward customers who are serious about getting a license. We're in the business of getting people licenses, not individual lessons. We've found that if a person has money on account with us, they fly more often, have a significantly lower dropout rate, develop higher proficiency, and and are generally happier with their experience. On our end, it is less paperwork, our instructors are happier because they don't have to deal with students constantly starting and stopping due to financial setbacks, etc. Prepaid accounts make for easier planning for the future. We are a more stable operation because of this.
We also have a money back guarantee, so if a customer wants to stop flying with us for any reason, they get their money back. In the year and a half I've been with this school, only one customer took us up on this offer, and it was because he had a problem with his medical certificate.
Will we accept "pay as you go" customers? Of course we will. We're not going to turn away business. But to be completely honest, we don't think that's the best way to run our operation, which is why we give incentives to pay in advance. It has nothing to do with "borrowing from our students to pay our bills."
There are plenty of shady flight schools out there, but be careful to classify one as shady without seeing the other side.
kiloalpha
Well-Known Member
Which Charlie Alpha one was that?
but not really....
ctab5060X
Well-Known Member
Which Charlie Alpha one was that?
Actually it wasn't at Central Air...
444 and 888 weren't too bad...
hated 667
...really hated 54X
kiloalpha
Well-Known Member
What?!??! You hate 54X? It's 3 degree constant sideslip made everything fun, and the fact the #1 nav was slight tilted to the right so you couldn't really tell when you're dead on localized made everything more interesting. Actaully I'm flying it today and am ready to head home in about 30 mintues or so.
ctab5060X
Well-Known Member
GT wouldn't even think about putting that one on the MEM run. I think he knew how bad if flew and knew I might refuse it. hehe
Always ended up with 917GT though...
juan valdez
Well-Known Member
Pretty much what I was going to say. Where I'm at though its 135/hr for either the R or S and if you put down 2k at a time you get a 5% discount which gets applied automatically to your first flight.I'm sure if we actually started the engine we would have found more wrong with it.
Anyway, my school does block time too. I fly our 172R and the 172S models. The R goes for $150/hr wet and the S for $160/hr wet. By paying $1500 for block time, I get the R at the rate of $130/hr and the S for $140/hr. There is a monthly fee, but I don't remember how much it is since they like me and don't make me pay it. Even if I had to pay the fee, that 20 dollars adds up fast when you fly at least once a week like I do, especially since I'm finishing up my XCs.
In your case, where you fly just a few times a month, I wouldn't buy block if there is any monthly fee involved.
That said though I am working towards my commercial license right now, if I was just flying to just fly then I probably wouldn't do it, just bc I would rather have the money myself.