Cessna 172 sightseeing flight over Pattaya

[Sandboxer]

Trying to book a 30-60 min flight for 2 pax (me and wifey) and not having a lot of luck online finding operators.

 

One tour company quoted packages at 12k-18k  PER PERSON which IMO is way too steep, or simply not what I'm prepared to spend on something like this. It's a Cessna 172, not a freakin' G6.

 

I'm looking to spend up to 15k-ish (total) for a short 30 min flight. Is this realistic or am I totally off base? 

 

Anyone know any operators in the area I should contact? 

 

Thanx...

 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Sandboxer

[PJ71]

Never heard of anyone providing this service.

 

I recall in Angkor Wat it was about $300 per person to go up in a tethered hot air balloon for about 10 mins, so yeah i think your price expectations are unrealistic.

[Sandboxer]

4 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

in Angkor Wat it was about $300 per person to go up in a tethered hot air balloon

Wow, that's some whacky azz cray cray pricing.????

 

For $300 bucks I'll buy 3000 normal balloons and tie myself to them 555. (Well, maybe use the wife to test it out first...) ????

Edited April 27, 2023 by Sandboxer

[Upnotover]

4 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

Wow, that's some whacky azz cray cray pricing.????

 

For $300 bucks I'll buy 3000 normal balloons and tie myself to them 555. (Well, maybe use the wife to test it out first...) ????

There's a tethered helium version for $20, I'd recommend that one if you're ever in the area.

[PJ71]

9 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

Wow, that's some whacky azz cray cray pricing

Yes, once in a lifetime event tho that's why a lot of people have no problem paying.

[Pattaya57]

Wow, 12-18k per person....I'm just looking at a return flight Bangkok to Singapore and it's 15k ???? 

 

This link shows a Cessna 172 40 minute flight for 16,500 baht which I'd assume is for 2 seats (maybe 3 as you only need 1 pilot)

 

https://pattaya-tour.com/pattaya-sky/

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Pattaya57

[BKKBike09]

Thai Flying Club at Bang Phra - elderly but airworthy C172.

http://www.thaiflyingclub.com

 

BFA Flying Club in Pattaya don't operate C172; mostly ultralight / microlight / paramotor - all of which are 2-seat, not 4-seat.

https://www.bfaflyingclub.com 

 

[Crossy]

The UK isn't known for being cheap.

 

A 1hr 15mins flight for 150 squid (6,300 Baht) per person would seem the right ball-park.

 

https://www.wingly.io/en/flights/2011948

 

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, Crossy said:

The UK isn't known for being cheap.

 

A 1hr 15mins flight for 150 squid (6,300 Baht) per person would seem the right ball-park.

 

https://www.wingly.io/en/flights/2011948

 

You merely looking at a aeroclub club price where pilots collecting hours at your suggested price. Parts and service for Cessna's is difficult innThailand, and if any problem, the plane is grounded for months if not year. I know how much struggle the Skydiving business struggled with this for many years in Thailand. 

 

First of all, I would never stepped in to an Cessna without a parachute in Thailand. Good luck

 

Anyway, it is their business and if thats their price, good luck

[Chivas]

Up to you but you'll never find me taking a flight, bungee jumping or powered "anything" with a local Thai operator where there is a mechanical process to it....

 

You take your life in your hands with their mai pen rai attitude !

[stoner]

On 4/27/2023 at 1:17 PM, Sandboxer said:

It's a Cessna 172

i didn't know the thai airforce was renting out their planes. 

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, stoner said:

i didn't know the thai airforce was renting out their planes. 

Shhh, since the Thai police rent out their vehicles for airport transfers, this may be the next convenience. 

[Guderian]

Around 15 years ago, I did a 40-minute flyover of Mt. Pinatubo in The Philippines from Clark, and the cost was $60. The plane was tiny, though, a trainer, so it could only take one passenger. A great experience, anyway.

[Pattaya57]

Surprised Pattaya doesn't have any helicopter scenic flights. Much better than a Cessna 172 flight

[Liverpool Lou]

On 4/27/2023 at 1:51 PM, Pattaya57 said:

This link shows a Cessna 172 40 minute flight for 16,500 baht which I'd assume is for 2 seats (maybe 3 as you only need 1 pilot)

 

https://pattaya-tour.com/pattaya-sky/

It's B15,000 per person, maximum two, for a 45 minute flight.  They do 30 minute and one hour flights also.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 4/29/2023 at 12:06 PM, Chivas said:

Up to you but you'll never find me taking a flight, bungee jumping or powered "anything" with a local Thai operator where there is a mechanical process to it....

 

You take your life in your hands with their mai pen rai attitude !

I think you're attitude is wrong as the pilots have a vested interest in landing safely.

[Doctor Tom]

13 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I think you're attitude is wrong as the pilots have a vested interest in landing safely.

That guarantees nothing, plenty of pilots have manged to kill themselves through poor training, over confidence, bad maintenance, or just plain stupidity. . Low hours private pilots are dangerous, medium hours private pilots can be just as dangerous. High hours private pilots don't exist as they are mostly  all dead. 

[Pattaya57]

34 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's B15,000 per person, maximum two, for a 45 minute flight.  They do 30 minute and one hour flights also.

None of what you say matches the link I posted which says 16,500 for a 40 minute flight?

 

[Hummin]

26 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

None of what you say matches the link I posted which says 16,500 for a 40 minute flight?

 

Sounds reasonable for 3 persons at international rates. 

[Hummin]

42 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

. High hours private pilots don't exist as they are mostly  all dead. 

I call that BS

[Doctor Tom]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

I call that BS

Please yourself.

Here is a bit of info that may help some understand.  There are three groups of pilots.  The first are private pilots, usually fairly low hours, limited knowledge of aerodynamics and associated aviation science, flying low tech equipped  aircraft, in the lower airspace where weather is a high risk factor in flight safety. It takes only 40 hours to gain a basic qualification to fly in this group, with no continuing professional training required.  There are quite often ignorant of risk management and the risks they are running. They have the highest number of accidents among all pilots. 

_{Since 1962, The National Travel and Safety Board (NTSB) has maintained a database of aviation accidents across the United States. NTSB has found that the fatality rate for private aircraft is significantly higher per 100,000 flight hours than commercial aircraft.Jul 20, 2565 BE}

 

The second are the professional commercial /bush pilots.  Medium to high hours, 18 months to 2 years of basic training, holding CPL or ATPL qualification, flying higher tech aircraft.  These people are trained to be risk averse and undertake continuous profession development.  They are risk aware and CRM trained. 

 

The third group are military pilots.  Highly trained over a minimum of 2 to 3 years before becoming operational.  They are risk takers, but under controlled conditions.  They fly high tech capable aircraft and, in the main, highly professional. 

 

Which group would you just your life to? 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Doctor Tom

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, Doctor Tom said:

Please yourself.

Here is a bit of info that may help some understand.  There are three groups of pilots.  The first are private pilots, usually fairly low hours, limited knowledge of aerodynamics and associated aviation science, flying low tech equipped  aircraft, in the lower airspace where weather is a high risk factor in flight safety. It takes only 40 hours to gain a basic qualification to fly in this group, with no continuing professional training required.  There are quite often ignorant of risk management and the risks they are running. They have the highest number of accidents among all pilots. 

_{Since 1962, The National Travel and Safety Board (NTSB) has maintained a database of aviation accidents across the United States. NTSB has found that the fatality rate for private aircraft is significantly higher per 100,000 flight hours than commercial aircraft.Jul 20, 2565 BE}

 

The second are the professional commercial /bush pilots.  Medium to high hours, 18 months to 2 years of basic training, holding CPL or ATPL qualification, flying higher tech aircraft.  These people are trained to be risk averse and undertake continuous profession development.  They are risk aware and CRM trained. 

 

The third group are military pilots.  Highly trained over a minimum of 2 to 3 years before becoming operational.  They are risk takers, but under controlled conditions.  They fly high tech capable aircraft and, in the main, highly professional. 

 

Which group would you just your life to? 

I have 3000 + take offs with low hours pilots, and a couple of houndred flights with professional pilots both commercial airplanes and helicopters.

 

Small cessnas have a totally different statistics because they are small and single engines with less room for failure as well they fly in lower altitudes.

 

What I was reacting to and what I found as bs, was your statement there is no high hours private pilots, all depending on your opinion high hours meaning. 

 

Several of our skydiving pilots not paid, flying for hours had several thousands of hours and moved on to commercial training and flying.

 

Edit note, I must have more than 400 commercial flights all together for work and pleasure

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Hummin

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I think you're attitude is wrong as the pilots have a vested interest in landing safely.

The locals have a vested interest in driving safely but it doesn't happen. 

[stoner]

On 4/30/2023 at 6:01 AM, jacko45k said:

Shhh, since the Thai police rent out their vehicles for airport transfers, this may be the next convenience. 

shhhh ? you realize you just made public a multi million baht idea :)

[Doctor Tom]

12 hours ago, Hummin said:

I have 3000 + take offs with low hours pilots, and a couple of houndred flights with professional pilots both commercial airplanes and helicopters.

 

Small cessnas have a totally different statistics because they are small and single engines with less room for failure as well they fly in lower altitudes.

 

What I was reacting to and what I found as bs, was your statement there is no high hours private pilots, all depending on your opinion high hours meaning. 

 

Several of our skydiving pilots not paid, flying for hours had several thousands of hours and moved on to commercial training and flying.

 

Edit note, I must have more than 400 commercial flights all together for work and pleasure

 

 

The last statement was a joke, a not very good one obviously. 

 

The point I was trying to make, is that rocking up to a pleasure flight company, jumping into a C172, without knowing the experience, competence, qualification or hours of the pilot you are trusting with your life, especially here in LOS, is not a good idea, There is a very good reason why the US recently introduced the 1,500 hours minimum  for all new First Officers in airlines. As I think you are saying, experience is safety, usually, I too have some thousands of hours and I owned my own PA28-201 for many years.  My training, yonks ago,  was as a Military Pilot and I brought that experience to my private flying. What I saw at my flying club often used to horrify me, but it takes all kinds.  Personally, knowing the slack application of rules, and of equipment , that we see here, I would not take a private flight. 

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

18 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I think you're attitude is wrong as the pilots have a vested interest in landing safely.

The locals have a vested interest in driving safely but it doesn't happen. 

"...driving safely but it doesn't happen".

Yes, it does for the millions of Thais who, every year, do not have problems with driving on the roads, they probably wouldn't agree with your sentiment, nor your topic-derailing attempt.

[Liverpool Lou]

17 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

18 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's B15,000 per person, maximum two, for a 45 minute flight.  They do 30 minute and one hour flights also.

None of what you say matches the link I posted which says 16,500 for a 40 minute flight?

Did you speak to the company to check the charges?   I did.

[Liverpool Lou]

18 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

plenty of pilots have manged to kill themselves through poor training, over confidence, bad maintenance, or just plain stupidity

Got anything empirical to back that claim?  Examples of the "plenty of Thai PPL holders who have died" would be a good place to start.

[Liverpool Lou]

17 hours ago, Hummin said:

18 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

None of what you say matches the link I posted which says 16,500 for a 40 minute flight?

 

Sounds reasonable for 3 persons at international rates. 

The fare that I posted is per person, maximum of two people.   The fare that he quoted, although taken from the website, is not correct.

[Liverpool Lou]

16 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

Please yourself.

Here is a bit of info that may help some understand.  There are three groups of pilots.  The first are private pilots, usually fairly low hours, limited knowledge of aerodynamics and associated aviation science, flying low tech equipped  aircraft, in the lower airspace where weather is a high risk factor in flight safety. It takes only 40 hours to gain a basic qualification to fly in this group, with no continuing professional training required.  There are quite often ignorant of risk management and the risks they are running. They have the highest number of accidents among all pilots. 

_{Since 1962, The National Travel and Safety Board (NTSB) has maintained a database of aviation accidents across the United States. NTSB has found that the fatality rate for private aircraft is significantly higher per 100,000 flight hours than commercial aircraft.Jul 20, 2565 BE}

 

The second are the professional commercial /bush pilots.  Medium to high hours, 18 months to 2 years of basic training, holding CPL or ATPL qualification, flying higher tech aircraft.  These people are trained to be risk averse and undertake continuous profession development.  They are risk aware and CRM trained. 

 

The third group are military pilots.  Highly trained over a minimum of 2 to 3 years before becoming operational.  They are risk takers, but under controlled conditions.  They fly high tech capable aircraft and, in the main, highly professional. 

 

Which group would you just your life to? 

Are you quoting US requirements?!    The same US that has a worse, overall, air safety record than Thailand?

Edited May 1, 2023 by Liverpool Lou