90 hour Private Pilot

Ever feel like your introducing yourself in front of an AA meeting when you first join a Forum?


"Hi my name's Jeff, and I love to fly"

Collective "Hi Jeff"



Now that’s out of the way. Yes, I'm a newly winged pilot. My 12 year saga of training culminated March 1st with my private pilot ticket. Now comes the fun part. Want a cub. Need a cub. Must-have-cub. What’s flying in Alaska without one, right?


Going to buy one soon, looking to fly it recreationally; hunting, fishing, sightseeing. Nothing like the 500 hours a year-landing on the sides of mountains stuff you hardcore cub driver/transporters are doing, at least not for the first 1000 hours. Or until my pockets grow much deeper.


My first question to the seasoned ones: Are super cubs becoming over valued? There seems to be a name brand effect going on. Or, is it all the upgrades making them seem more expensive? I see adds all the time, owners installing every mod possible, and then forced to sell the plane. Who's buying up all the $60,000 cubs and making them $150,000 aircraft?


My second question is to the Alaska based experts: Concerning hunting, the dark murky subject that it is up here, if I were to take a friend out hunting for free and then leave him there for a few days, would that be against the law? Is this a game of semantics? Anyone with some good stories of similar goings on?


Thank you, I await the onslaught.

You can transport anyone you want....you just can't accept any compensation for that. Don't charge? No problem. Receive anything more than a straight 50 50 share? You're flying for compensation and need commercial certificate, operating certificate, etc.

MTV

Hi Jeff, welcome!

Don't know about your Alaska questions but from 8 years of price observation i see them as actually down a good bit as is demad. That is down enough that reasonable cubs actually take as much as a few weeks to sell. High priced upgraded fresh rebuilds with new frames are still pricey but in my opinion reflect the real cost especially if they come from a regular for profit (even if very low) shop with employees, overhead, a good reputation based on solid experience, oh and a light bill to pay.

Again welcome and there are 60k cubs in the rest of the states likely Alaska also and yes they as all cubs are future projects (the trick is finding one with some short life still in it) because cubs are the absolute greenest form of flying... Because in reality what gets old or bent becomes new and desireable again for a fairly reasonable sum.

Kirby

Hi Jeff.
They are not overpriced, but under appraised. I just bought a cub in TN for 54k. Nothing wrong with the plane. In fact a comparable cub in ak would have sold well over 65k. Well long story short, the appraisal came in at 40k. That was a NAAA appraisal. I called another appraiser down there and he said it would come out the same. So I called an appraiser up here and he said the same thing again. So save up your money for a down payment if you're going to finance. Oh and its not illeagal to drop yuor buddys off or whoever. Just dont get cuaght charging them more than half your expenses.

1. I've been flying in Alaska going on 15 years now, never flown a Cub of any kind.
2. Yes, I think they're highly over priced, UNLESS you plan to go bouncing off tiny gravel bars, mountainsides and glaciers. Then your only other choice is an Experimental plane.
3. If you buy a Super Cub in Alaska for under $60k, consider that a down payment. You'll be doing a lot of work on it in the first few years.
4. If you just want to go hunting, hire someone to fly you. It's cheaper than insuring a Super Cub in Alaska, much less the purchase and maintenance, and you can focus on hunting without worrying about your Cub getting blown away or torn up by a bear.

Phil