ADVICE/OPINIONS ON CO-OWNING A TRIKE

[skybound®]

As FF states - an aircraft that stands becomes a maintenance nightmare - so partners is one way of preventing this.

HOWEVER, quite often find people investigating this route from an affordability perspective. As in they cannot afford to purchase on their own. This is where I would be very cautious. How do you ensure/guarantee that you can be compensated in the event of a loss? The only real answer to this is insurance, and as we all know, presently this is a real expensive option for a microlight.

To this end I would discourage partnering in a micro or be prepared to put up with high insurance.

[RV4ker (RIP)]

SB
Agree, but what if (like me) a stable solid perFormer does not excite you (No offense to the stable solid perFormer drivers or their craft which are gr8), but there are just some aeries that excite and others that don't. Been around aeries all my life and their are few (in my budget) which do this... The 450 it appears is now one of them. Although I have not flown it I want to, BUT can't justify the capital expense as I will only do maybe 30-40hrs a year due to mainly time constraints.... I believe that there are plenty out there who are going 3 axis for the wrong reasons... Demon's new bird is gonna toss the proverbial cat amungst the pidgeons. It can do what some of the 3 axis birds can do in terms of speed, but still retains the trike factor. (Freedom, fun, portability, ease of use, ease of maintenance etc etc...)

Syndication seems to be a viable option. As for insurance, It is a problem, but not one that can not be overcome.... R300K hull value vs R75K is a significant one and one that insurance co will consider given the right impetus....

[Fairy Flycatcher]

We have had insurance, and even if you do pay the large amounts, insurance is not worth it, as they pay old for old, which means the more premiums you have given them, the less they pay out

In my experience, the average accident in a trike is rarely more than R 10 000 in repair work. This is usually also the cost of some significant work on your trike.

What I will stress is that you have to have a maintenane account. This is a physical account holding money and each partner contributes into it as they fly. Its no good having it on paper and then it takes one partner 3 weeks to come up with R 8 000, even though he has flown over 80 hours.

Maybe start with a minimum balance of R 10 000 in the account? Kind of "self-insurance".

[RV4ker (RIP)]

That what we did "fly in Arrears" Each partner estimated the hrs he would fly in next 100 and paid it into kitty before he flew. The only difference is mindset of paying in advance (like a flight school which requires a deposit) Added benefit is the guys flew more often and more hrs as they had already paid for the hrs.... With ML, it would not be significant amount of money. 4 partners each with R10K in kitty will go a looooong way...

PS
Partners who did not have cash, used credit cards for the flying deposit and simply paid off the credit cards in our own time. Most these days can get a credit card with a limit of some sort. He pays this amt over to the syndicate and he pays it off as he wants, but syndicate has the cash. Some pay it off in 1 shot others take 12 months etc. Finance arranged by each partner and remains his responcibility, but the syndicate is solid... (Remeber to deal with hot to get out BEFORE some1 wants out or they will sell the maintenance kitty as part of the Share which can cause K@K)...

I will put together a scenario when back in office of practicle issue I have faced with a 3 axis and how we went about solving these... Maybe of use to someone. Nothing beats flying your own machine until you have to pay then it great to divide costs bya couple....

[DarkHelmet]

Pardon my ignorance - what is a permormer? Did you mean performer?

[skybound®]

Side effect I guess from living in the poorest province in SA.

I have seen some consider this route with say a R40k trike, and I think if there was total loss, that the one partner would not be good for the R20k loss. It has happened.

Had an Aquilla 'written off' with about R50k damage - just from running off the landing strip. Think there were 3 partners and the guy who trashed it - I think is still paying off the other 2? (Facts unsure)

[RV4ker (RIP)]

Pardon my ignorance - what is a permormer? Did you mean performer?

Tomato TAMATO.... getting way ahead of the 2 finger typing...

SB
Agree, but those partnership in a R40K trike is a bit to start with. I was thinking more in region of R300K trike...

IMHO Insurance is a must, but if not, a significant maint kitty does help... (blik) Pilots are spoilt as the owner has insurance and R20K excess. H&F's have excess insurance, so basically the insurance covers the loss. Would be nice if ML could do same... (My Albat's insurance is R800 a month and I would be in for excess of R5000 if a claim.)

[UJOHN]

RV are you blessed with printer scanner, and or camera?

Thanks for your trouble!

I hear what all you pessimists are saying, but my estimate is
that only 2 to 5 % of aircraft get damaged in the way you
are discribing . What interests me more is the day to day
running of this partnership. Hope you will be in the office
soon RV.

[Tobie de Beer]

Interesting:

We have 6 partners in our trike and we only have issues on who is going to be the slave for the day - doing the aerotowing!

Our original idea was to get ourselfes qualified to fly the trike and do Aero towing - to sort out all the details,
and then have other uL pilots converting to our trike and do the towing for us.

The later part does not seem to want to happen! - Once the Part62 is active, it will be a bit easier though.

Our main goal of our trike is to have be available and operate as a TUG.

----

I know for most aviators it is not so easy to define the use of an aircraft for a single main purpose (that takes priority), however that should help.

eg:
- Long Distance ground supported Safaries
or - Training
or - Crop Spraying
or - Flipping at a specific airfield
or .....


About Lazy, Sloppy, over perfectionist, inconsiderate people etc. - You'll always have that - learn to live with it! - or make a bigger loan!

Being Fiends with a common goal helps a lot!

My 2c

[RV4ker (RIP)]

RV are you blessed with printer scanner, and or camera?

Thanks for your trouble!
.

Negative. Print it to a Jpeg file and it a picture of text so to speak...

I agree with UJ. Sure there are horror stories, but flying is risky. If you want security invest money in bank and wait for interest statement every month....

Next year I will be looking seriously at a trike (providing mommy gives blessing), else a 3 axis with floats (Blunderturd) and I would prefer a firebreathing weak at the knees type, so budget will dictate partners....

[RV4ker (RIP)]

Howzit tobie.

Interesting post. I agree. Partners/partnerships just need to be managed. I love em... More toys less bucks......

I tried to do the blik tug thing, but with little success (practical problems rather than anything else). How does towing effect the performance of the ML. Are there many guys using the tug service? I thought they jump off the ridge? Some pics and maybe a separate topic (with pics & Movies) would be great

[Spongebob]

The input from ye responders have been very insightful.

My situation is such that I wil probably fly no more than 5 hrs per month on average.

In the light of the opinions given here that makes for me seriously considering the partnership option.

I will enter any partnership with caution (yes, I'm full of #@#) but will accept the benefits and risks associated with it with eyes open.

[skybound®]

If you want security invest money in bank and wait for interest statement every month....

Love that. Agreed - it like who will ever lie on their death bed and say - hell I wish I spent more time in the office.