First Pro Rider to Buy a Plane??

jmo443
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2/21/2026 5:14pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
Probably depends on how big of a contingent they have and how much gear. If it’s 10-12 people and it’s a difficult place to fly into...

Probably depends on how big of a contingent they have and how much gear. If it’s 10-12 people and it’s a difficult place to fly into, charter might make sense. If it’s 15+ people and a lot of gear per person, that could mean a big step up in plane class and really drive up the costs. I would think that if it made sense, Regan would have them doing it! 

I think that the guys who would benefit the most from private flights, whether they own or charter/rent, would be the guys who live quite a distance from a reasonably big hub type of airport, like Tomac. It could take a couple of stops to nearly anywhere if he were flying commercial out of his closest public airport. 

Didn’t Tomac recently move his family close to Phoenix?

APLMAN99 wrote:
Hadn’t heard that. I thought he was still operating out of Cortez, but it would make sense to be close to Phoenix until it warmed up...

Hadn’t heard that. I thought he was still operating out of Cortez, but it would make sense to be close to Phoenix until it warmed up I would think. 

He’s got a place in Scottsdale by me. Don’t think this place is his vibe at all but happy wife happy life. He has some connection to the sx track in az cycle park. Not sure if he paid for it or what. 

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APLMAN99
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2/21/2026 5:20pm

Didn’t Tomac recently move his family close to Phoenix?

APLMAN99 wrote:
Hadn’t heard that. I thought he was still operating out of Cortez, but it would make sense to be close to Phoenix until it warmed up...

Hadn’t heard that. I thought he was still operating out of Cortez, but it would make sense to be close to Phoenix until it warmed up I would think. 

AZ35 wrote:

They bought a house in North Scottsdale about 1 1/2- 2 years ago. 

He has been riding a bit at the SX track at ACP.

That definitely seems like the right move for the first 3-4 months of the season. Does he move the family back to Cortez when it warms up or when the Nationals start?  Or do they stay in Scottsdale?  I think his oldest kids are probably just about school aged, aren’t they?  

I drove through Cortez several times over the last couple of years and thought that it was a beautiful area, but also wondered about how difficult it would be to have as a home base with weekly travel like these guys have. 

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Gworm
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2/21/2026 6:03pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
Seems like buying a decent private jet would really only make sense if you were to hire it out when you weren’t using it. You might...

Seems like buying a decent private jet would really only make sense if you were to hire it out when you weren’t using it. You might not be able to recoup all of your costs but it could definitely help bring down the overall cost of your own travel to below the cost of chartering 25+ weeks out of the year. 

I’ve known more than one guy that had a jet and were talked into putting it on a charter certificate to cut their costs. 

You are actually relinquishing control over maintenance and management to someone else, who does not have your best interest at heart. 

Every one regretted it. One had a Citation Encore on a certificate out west. I ended up airlining out and bringing it back to MO. 

They caused about 100k more in damages than what he made. 

If you can’t afford a jet without putting it on a charter, you can’t afford a jet. 

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731chopper
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2/21/2026 7:57pm
plowboy wrote:

Lol...a Sovereign is as small as I wanta travel in.

The Honda Jet is pretty awesome, actually. I’m fortunate to be able to travel in one somewhat frequently. 

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The Shop

oldman59
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2/21/2026 9:42pm
oldman59 wrote:
I miss GA flying like you’re doing. I retired from the airlines in 2024 and thought about flying GA again, but I wouldn’t fly enough to...

I miss GA flying like you’re doing. I retired from the airlines in 2024 and thought about flying GA again, but I wouldn’t fly enough to feel comfortable. So, my flying days are probably over, but I had a lot of fun from soloing at 19 to retirement at 65. 

Alex.434 wrote:
Ah man, congrats on a great career. I got into it too late to want to go airlines (I don't think airlines is my bag anyway)...

Ah man, congrats on a great career. I got into it too late to want to go airlines (I don't think airlines is my bag anyway) but I do plan to teach and do some Commercial work 'for fun'. Been offered a few jobs already (Tours, CFI) but I'm still busy with my day job.

You should totally get back up, but it doesn't have to be solo. I've flown with a number of older pilots that like having a "Safety Pilot" in the right seat. One of my more enjoyable experience was 2.5 years of weekly lunch flights with an 80 year old in his PA-32R Saratoga. I'd make sure he didn't get himself in trouble (few close calls). Was sad last year when he finally hung it up, after 60+ years of GA flying. Great guy. 

Just hang around the field and sure you'll find some goons like me that'd love to take you up for a buzz!

I may eventually. I know of several pilots that have their own plane and there is a flight club that several airline pilots run that I may try. And you hit the nail on the head about airline pilots retiring and going to corporate or just GA flying. That’s part of why I wouldn’t feel comfortable. 

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Shenzi
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2/22/2026 7:48am

if I made the money these Top 10 guys make, I wouldn't buy a plane, I would buy a share at one of the fractional like Netjets or but jet cards form one of these fractional. It's the most hassle-free, cost efficient solution, don't have to worry about the operating cost of the plane, the pilots (we are super mega Type A expensive drama queens!), insurance, maintenance, hangaring, pilot training and recurrent training, etc. Also, going cheap and try to save cost on an older plane with a cheaper single-pilot ops, etc, never pays in the end, often bites harder. 
With fractional, you can down grade to save, upgrade if you need something big or want to go across to Europe, unlimited ressources, you call "your" plane and it shoes up, if it breaks (jets/planes often have snags), the fractional has a replacement for you within an hour. 

The only reason to own a business jet is when you tax attorney tells you you need to. These Top 10 riders could all easily get together to buy a $170K-$250K jetcard for the season. 

Now, owning a Hondajet, a Vision Jet, an Epic 1000, a TBM 9XX, those are pilot planes, those are for fun, when you want to fly your own small plane. Those are awesome machines, but I would strongly recommend anyone flying a small jet or turbine-plane to always fly 2-crew. When the shit hits the fan, when the wx becomes dangerous, a lone pilot gets quickly overwhelmed, and more single-pilot planes have tragic accidents than 2-crew planes, it's easier when there are 2 professionally trained pilots handling an emergency than 1. 

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catshot
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2/22/2026 8:02am
IMG 4918 5

I'll get you there fast, at the cost of you ever having a functional neck and back again... 

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ShipLap
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2/22/2026 8:48am

Chad Reed had one, or chartered it.  I spoke at length with his pilot at the 2005 Red Bud MX.

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plowboy
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Norwich, KS US
2/22/2026 3:27pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
Seems like buying a decent private jet would really only make sense if you were to hire it out when you weren’t using it. You might...

Seems like buying a decent private jet would really only make sense if you were to hire it out when you weren’t using it. You might not be able to recoup all of your costs but it could definitely help bring down the overall cost of your own travel to below the cost of chartering 25+ weeks out of the year. 

Gworm wrote:
I’ve known more than one guy that had a jet and were talked into putting it on a charter certificate to cut their costs. You are actually...

I’ve known more than one guy that had a jet and were talked into putting it on a charter certificate to cut their costs. 

You are actually relinquishing control over maintenance and management to someone else, who does not have your best interest at heart. 

Every one regretted it. One had a Citation Encore on a certificate out west. I ended up airlining out and bringing it back to MO. 

They caused about 100k more in damages than what he made. 

If you can’t afford a jet without putting it on a charter, you can’t afford a jet. 

I worked in the Netjet bay at the service center in Wichita for a bit.  Those planes get fantastic maintenance BUT...rich guys buy into a fractional so the wife can haul the kids around while he uses his BBJ or Gulstream for hisself.

They turn them into flying dumpsters.  A soccer mom van with wings.  I'm just knowin'.

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TogaSet
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Chandler, AZ US
2/22/2026 4:01pm

There’s a lot of real pilots on here biting their tongue.   They know better than to post.  

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mxnick
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2/23/2026 11:39am
ML512 wrote:
Justin Cooper's wife's family has one. The others you listed do not own private jets; they occasionally charter them.Deegan charters the most often.Tomac is probably the...

Justin Cooper's wife's family has one. The others you listed do not own private jets; they occasionally charter them.

Deegan charters the most often.

Tomac is probably the second most often to charter, especially during Pro Motocross.

Frd03 wrote:

Cooper Webb owns a plane, it’s certainly no jet but he does in fact own a plane.

ML512 wrote:

Sorry, I was more directly referring to jets. I believe Carmichael's was a single or twin prop as well.

Yes, RC's was a twin prop.  If he was flying to the west coast he flew commercial. They used that plane for mostly all east coast events. I think Lawrence's are doing the same, and I dont think its a jet.  

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mxnick
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2/23/2026 11:47am
cameron96 wrote:

Bacia and Tomas have thier PPL (private license)


 

Alex.434 wrote:
Not according to the FAA registry. I literally posted (end of page 4) the info on Barcia's certificate. He has a lapsed Student Pilot certificate. There...

Not according to the FAA registry. I literally posted (end of page 4) the info on Barcia's certificate. He has a lapsed Student Pilot certificate. There are 18 total "Barcia"s in the FAA pilot registry, and only one Justin.

I just looked up Tomac, hell yeah, he's got his Private. I'll update my Page 4 post with that info. 

Eli's brother flies C130's (I think) for the military, so aviation runs in that family. 

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