Comment by TimTheTinker | Hacker News Reader

Comment by TimTheTinker | Hacker News Reader

> For decades, humans have said they want jetpacks, and for thousands of years we have said we want to fly, but do we really? Look up. The sky is empty.

I have wanted to become a small plane or ultralight pilot since I was in high school (I'm nearly 40 now)... it's just that with a single income and kids, life is expensive and busy.

I was astonished recently while watching The Spirit of St Louis (the 1957 Jimmy Stewart movie) - how as a young man Charles Lindbergh drove into Souther Field, bought an army surplus Jenny biplane for $500 cash (about $8000 in today's dollars), and took off immediately without any bureaucracy. Oh for that kind of freedom!

Maybe I'll do paramotor training with my kids when they're in their late teens - but for now, I can only stare up at the sky and dream (and occasionally watch YouTube videos of others living that dream).

> Oh for that kind of freedom!

Oh for that kind of recklessness, rather.

Not only was it incredibly dangerous and many pioneers died back in Lindbergh's days, but the world was a completely different one as well. From much more infrastructure today, higher population density, more built-up areas to incredibly busy skies (45,000 average daily flights in the US alone - and that's just the FAA handled ones).

Regulations and bureaucracy w.r.t. aviation has mostly been written in blood and substantial financial losses - something to always keep in mind.

I understand - aviation is a different world today that is better by many measures, especially safety.

I'm just wishing away the negative tradeoffs involved.

Flying has gotten more expensive, but not that much more expensive if you’re really motivated. Kit airplanes can be fairly cheap, $30k for a kitfox, and often can be maintained by the owner because they’re amateur built.

The issue is the same as Lindbergh’s day though. Amateur built airplanes are not safe.

$30k for a Kitfox, doesn't include an engine or avionics which is another 40k or more. You will be 3+ years on the waiting list to get your hands on the kit, then spend 1000+ hours building it.

2nd hand Kitfoxes have not been available for 30k for the last 5 years. In the current market you're looking at 60k+ for an old model with a high time engine.

You'll get there! Initial "trial" flying lessons can be relatively cheap, and in my case the tutor was letting me take off and land on my second lesson (with dual controls of course, I wasn't very good)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com