AT-3 Share

Last weekend, I payed a visit to "Zelf Vliegen", to find out more about this AT-3 share that seemed too good to be true. It appears that there actually is a "Stichting" (Association) behind it all, which has an agreeement with the company "Zelf Vliegen" for partial ownership of the airplane. Each time the association receives a share payment (the €7500,=), they buy another part of the plane. Up until there are 20 participants, at which time, the association completely owns the plane, and the company buys another plane. Then, the whole process repeats itself. Currently, the yearly fee for participants to cover fixed costs, are about €600,=. This amount gets less as more participants join the association (down to some €200,= with 20 participants). The hourly rate with the current fuel prices is slightly less than €50,=, and is adjusted quarterly to "the economic situation" (read: fuel prices). The amount includes a reservation for engine overhaul and replacement, as well as prop replacement.

With that, this participation puts itself at a comparable position as the DA-20 participation of Diamond flyers. The DA-20 has a considerably lower step-in fee of €4000,=, a for now slightly lower yearly contibution of €500,=, and a €10,= higher hourly rate.

Looking at my post-PPL future, there is not much financial difference between the AT-3 and the DA-20 participation, if I fly between 12 and 30 hours a year. This is what I expect to be doing, because 12 hours is the minimum required in the last year of the SEP rating validity, and I think 30 hours is optimistic already.
So in this case it is purely the airplane, and the click I get with the association, and the FLight Instructor, that count for this decision.

Next on my ToDo list: compare airplanes, and contact Diamond Flyers.