Sure, owning a plane and flying it around everywhere is great experience, but once
you have a CPL and if you are trying to make a career out this whole thing, get
someone to pay you for it. Not to mention that 1500h SE piston time isn't worth all
that much as far as the airlines go...
In my opinion, the best way to 'collect' +1500h, is to find a decent company up
north where you can jump in the right seat and progress through.
Negative 1.
Are the posters here who disagree with buying an economical, simple plane to fly for experience building, owners of such planes?
I am not a pilot employer, but I expect that hose who would hire pilots would be very happy to see the skills learned during 500-1000 hours of PIC in a 150 or a Champ, over 100 hours sitting right seat in something bigger, rarely touching anything, and never making the decisions about the conduct of the flight. It's not what you're flying, as much as YOU are flying, for the first 500 hours of experience building. But every bit as important, the pilot who taxiis up to the ramp in his modest but airworthy plane, having used the modest capabilities of that aircraft to find his way across the continent safely is going to win a lot more points with the pilots there - and employers - than the pilot wearing two stripes on his shoulder, getting out of right seat, having just found his way 100 miles. Those pilots of the "other" aircraft - that new pilot will NEVER manage to rent or fly without being invited, might invite new pilot for a flight, and that is where the networking and diverse learning really begins!
After a few hundred hours, the aircraft handling skills build more slowly, as the flight decision making skills continue to grow. The freedom to self dispatch, and take the aircraft as you wish, anywhere on the continent is a major skill building opportunity.
In 1987, with about 1000 hours total time, I bought the 150M I still have. The 3500 hours have flown it is about half of my total flying time. I appreciate all of that time the most. I have covered half of North America and a bit of Bahamas in it with never a scratch in it. The friends I made, and experiences I had would be an entire career in recreational flying all on it's own. But through those experiences, I have also been lucky enough to fly the other half of my total time on more than 200 other aircraft, of more than 75 types, so it's working out just to my liking.
The 150 sits more now, my flying it only about 50 hours a year, as I have a second aircraft I fly equally, but I don't expect to ever sell it.
Readers here have to make up their own minds, and of course the advice one reads on the internet must be taken with caution, but some posters here are posting their experience, from the later stages of the aviation career that the new pilot is probably working toward. Opinions and advice are one thing, but reported experience is another.....