The loan process for financing an airplane can be quite different than a car or boat. When you’ve decided it’s time to buy your first plane, it’s important to start the airplane loan process as prepared as possible. Lenders will look at more than just your credit history, they will want to assess the plane and the purpose for owning. Here are a few standard questions you might be asked during the process. Not all of these factors can be a determining factor in how much you are able to borrow.

Lots of individuals dream of flying but never actually take a serious look at it. Taking the courses necessary to become a licensed pilot are offered by numerous flight schools all over America. Many flight schools offer “discovery flights” where you can actually take a short flight with an instructor.

Are you missing technology in your plane?

Modern cars are full of technology -- what about your plane? Autos have navigation, collision avoidance, even features to keep you in your lane along with satellite entertainment and video touchscreen control. It's time to think about what new technology your plane needs.

Nowadays people take it for granted that you can just hop in an airplane and get to the other side of the Earth in less than a day. However, this wasn't always the case. Modern aviation has been around for about a hundred years, although ancient peoples have been dreaming about flight from the dawn of time.

Imagine: on your final approach, you look down and see the beautiful remote location where you and your family will be spending the next week. You touch down, taxi to your tiedown, and everyone gets out and looks around. Wow, they say, I never imagined we'd come to a place like this.

There are a variety of certifications and ratings that pilots can earn. Some of these only require a few hundred hours; however, those who are looking to apply for a job with the airlines often need 1,500 hours or more. Furthermore, other positions might even require experience flying multi-engine craft or even turbine time. Therefore, how can a new pilot build flight time? There are a few ways that this can be done.

Ever dream of living on a lake or by the ocean or overlooking a golf course? Lots of people do. Want to be different? How about dreaming of living on an airport! Your own airport!

It's been said about success, happiness and other goals that the journey is more important than the destination. Some airports make particularly memorable waypoints on a cross-country flight or day trip. In addition to topping off the plane's fuel, pilots and passengers can have a satisfying meal and enjoy a view or experience which may not be easily available to those who travel by land.

One reason to own your own airplane is the opportunity to add some fun to your everyday life. Although it can be a lot of fun to fly just for the sake of flying, there's something even better about having a destination in mind when you fuel up take to the sky. Aircraft ownership gives you an opportunity to take advantage of that independence.

Since the earliest days of aviation, countless people have dreamed of owning and piloting an aircraft of their own. It used to be a hobby for the fortunate few, but aircraft ownership is now surprisingly affordable, and there are also far more flying schools around than ever before.

The 45th Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In and Expo will be held at the Lakeland Linder Airport in Lakeland, Florida from April 2 – 7 this year. I attended last year’s event and I had a blast. This is a huge event with plenty to see and do for at least 2 to 3 days. The great airshows alone are worth the price of admission. If you have just the slightest interest in aviation you don’t want to miss this show. It’s only a 3 hour drive from South Florida. But plan early as hotels in the area get filled up.

The favorable climate and geography of the Sunshine State make it almost uniquely suited to the staging of air displays, and its long show season typically runs from January to November.

The 2019 calendar features a wide range of events guaranteed to appeal to aviation and military history enthusiasts, aerobatics fans, vacationers and families looking for a great day out.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is part of the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) for air traffic control. It’s a satellite based system which allows pilots to see in the cockpit what air traffic controllers are seeing on the ground, including other aircraft and any potential hazards from weather or terrain. Pilots approaching airports will also be able to see the location of aircraft and support vehicles on the ground, and a collision avoidance system is in development.

If you have, now is probably the best time to take that dream seriously. There is a shortage of pilots now and the shortage will increase dramatically in the coming years.

Many aspiring pilots are concerned with not only the cost of earning a private pilot’s license but once they acquire it, if they will be able to afford to fly. Owning a plane or just renting a plane is a very expensive hobby.