PilotEdge Forums

I'm a fairly new user to both PE and FSE and was wondering if there was any PE-FSE groups I could join? Or maybe there are better options? I have ~$45k on FSE; so not enough to buy a plane yet so have just been renting. I prefer flying realistic addon aircraft, so currently only flying C182 or the Duke B60T. I managed to get a B60T to KSAN from Kansas, but sucks not being able to guarantee it's availability (I love that plane so far!). I messaged the owner about leasing on FSE forums but haven't gotten a response. Anyway, thanks for any advice!

There's the Penguin Flying Club.

zengei wrote:There's the Penguin Flying Club.

Thanks, just what i was looking for.

If you're interested in a little larger group you can check out Hawkeye Flight Services. Mine is a real FSE Group that pays out 80% based on the job you've flown. Plane rental is free and HFS keeps 20% for fuel costs and airplane maintenance. I can send you an invite if you're interested.

John

john, doesn't the 20% also have to cover the ground crew fees and booking fees?

Keith,

Good question. Not exactly sure that I know that but hopefully the planes will be flown to my destinations so that's a wash.

John

BonanzaDude wrote:If you're interested in a little larger group you can check out Hawkeye Flight Services. Mine is a real FSE Group that pays out 80% based on the job you've flown. Plane rental is free and HFS keeps 20% for fuel costs and airplane maintenance. I can send you an invite if you're interested.

John

John; wow, what a little business you have there. Yeah, I'd love to be a part. FSE user is: jstew. Thanks! Didn't see a B60T but will take advantage of all those pretty 182's.

B60T's are hard to come by on the open market. Believe me I've been looking.

Invite sent.

John

One of the things that's amazing about FSE is that it provides incentive for executing a flight as efficiently as possible. Pick up your clearance with engine off, single engine taxi (in the case of twins), getting shortcuts enroute, lean of peak ops for dry piston rentals, etc...all result in more money for you as the pilot.

Groups all but remove those incentives. It doesn't matter if you take 60 mins or 90 mins to do the flight, your pay is the same. The group absorbs all of the variable costs of the flight and tries to recover those through a fixed percentage split from the gross revenue of the flight.

If you're just getting started on PE, then even though groups might give you access to some planes, chances are you could rent them very easily in any case, and you'd be exposed to the 'full' FSE experience.

If anyone is involved in FSE groups and feels differently, please feel free to rip this apart...I am still trying to understand the attraction of groups after using FSE for several years.

Interesting observations Keith. I'm really new to this and haven't evaluated it that much. I went back through my last dozen or so logs and made more than 80% on all but one (KSAN has crazy ground fees!). I was mostly looking for a way to have better access to planes, but maybe that won't be an issue. I'm just trying to make enough to buy my own someday, but is slow when I really only want to fly the C182 and B60T...