[alixr]

This is great, I've been wanting to get into aviation for some time but the barrier of entry is steep.

Using their plans as a guideline for building an ultralight instead of a light sport aircraft would reduce the cost dramatically. Ultralights have much lower limits but don't require any formal training/licenses.

In the end you could probably build an ultralight for the cost of a pilots license.

[mryan]

> This is great, I've been wanting to get into aviation for some time but the barrier of entry is steep.

There are some hobbies where starting without any prior knowledge and learning through a process of trial and error is fun and rewarding.

IMHO aviation is not one of these hobbies. It tends to be rather unforgiving of the "error" part of the equation, especially if the error is something like "wings not correctly attached". :)

[ErsatzVerkehr]

> In the end you could probably build an ultralight for the cost of a pilots license.

...but not know how to fly it.

[omegant]

Ultralight aircrafts are amazing and there are some of them more capable than a cessna in almost every aspect. But if you are going that route, please take in to account that they are very light and they flight very low, so you don't have too much energy to get hold in case of engine failure or bad weather (energy is EVERYTHING for a plane). There are too many people dying on light aircraft because they think they can fly like a top gun at 80 knots and 50' from the ground. Just look for a good instructor and if possible tale a couple of hours of aerobatic training, it will teach you how aircraft respond on low energy situations.

[muraiki]

Learning to fly a glider is relatively inexpensive. It's a very different skillset than flying with an engine, but it sounds like a lot of fun. There are glider clubs in many cities where you can learn. I'm hoping to start sometime soon!

http://www.ssa.org/WhatIsSoaring

[mikeash]

It may be legal to fly an ultralight with no formal training, but I would strongly recommend against it. Attempting that is an excellent way to get yourself killed.

The barrier to entry for aviation is not steep at all if you approach it with the attitude that flying with an instructor is still enjoyable flying. People often think that you need to drop a few thousand bucks on training before you can fly. But not so! You'll be flying right from the start. You'll be doing it with an instructor, but if you pick an instructor whose company you enjoy, that can be a bonus, not a drawback.

[aaronblohowiak]

Why not paragliding?