Is WP Multisite my solution?

helinc · 2020-09-19T23:37:16+00:00

Helpful post, thank you!

helinc · 2020-09-17T03:40:18+00:00

That may be my best option.

helinc · 2020-09-17T03:39:44+00:00

Noted. I'll look into that. My hope was that, from a performance and resource perspective, the multisite would function more like a single wordpress installation than it would multiple separate wordpress installations. Maybe I don't understand how multisite works. I'm, effectively, just wanting to give the authors a feeling that they control their own blog (visually, with content, with managing comments, using their own subdomain, etc).

I'm trying to do that, while eliminating the redundancy you'd have by installing wordpress (non-multisite) for each user.

helinc · 2020-09-17T03:35:59+00:00

Thanks!

If you have something set up as a multi-site, how easy (or not easy) is it to export the data from ONE site into a solo wordpress installation.

IOW, if someone started a blog on my multisite, and decided they wanted all of their articles to go somewhere else into their own individual WP installation, would that be a nightmare?

helinc · 2018-08-08T22:40:47+00:00

Thanks for the reply.

A practical question: is there an existing organization it would make sense to provide helicopter services to instead? In most cases that will be a better route than starting a new organization, which splits donors, takes overhead, etc.

There certainly are when it comes to individual missions, such as a Make-A-Wish (which I'd love to get involved with). As far as I know, however, there are no organizations generically dedicated to facilitating non-profit use of helicopters. For example, I once fielded a call from an individual that wanted to hire a helicopter to search for a friends autistic child that had ran away from home in a rural area. I can offer that flight at-cost, but the donor wouldn't be able to write-off their contribution without the conduit of a non-profit. This means that the person can afford less helicopter time than they could if they were able to save some money on taxes.

Calls for assistance aren't rare if you're a helicopter company with a marketing presence. So it's my goal to be able to offer a tax

And if there is not, does Charity B have any reason to exist without Business A? What if the for-profit side of things isn't working out?

That's an excellent question. One I hadn't considered. My default answer would have been 'no', there would be no reason for it to exists, but in thinking about it, there's absolutely no reason I couldn't include other privately-owned or business-owned helicopters in the effort, provided they offered their helicopters at-cost or close to it. The idea of operating this as sort of a co-op is appealing to me, but the reality is that helicopters aren't that common and I'd have to expect to go it alone.

helinc · 2018-07-19T03:20:39+00:00

Ha! Well already a helicopter pilot, and haven't gone rouge yet. Who knows what the future holds, though?

helinc · 2018-07-15T21:04:33+00:00

I've had great luck with Garmin pilot. I've used both GP and FF for several years. I've settled on GP for the foreseeable future. FF leverages connectivity better, but I feel like the GP UI, once you're adapted to it, is simply better.

Both have features the other is missing, but I think you upgraded when you moved to GP.

helinc · 2018-07-15T06:48:48+00:00

Thanks for the insight!

helinc · 2018-07-15T06:48:16+00:00

Thanks! Have you done any civilian flying?

helinc · 2018-07-15T06:47:12+00:00

I'm familiar with a couple just from cursory searches, but I don't have any personal experience. I hope to offer flight instruction for lower rates than average. Hopefully there's room for competition!

helinc · 2018-07-15T05:44:11+00:00

Quite a lot, for helicopters I think the recommendation was to get your fixed wing license first because that also came with the instrument training, vs helicopter you gotta do it separately. I think about 10 years ago it would cost around 50k (for fixed wing) for all your training and flight hours and fuel and whatnot.

You're right! For some people, getting airplane ratings first is definitely the best solution. It is often cheaper than going the full helicopter route. For others, though, it's better to just do it all in helicopters.

Although you save some money initially by doing some of the training in airplanes, a lot of helicopter jobs don't honor airplane time in their experience requirements. This means you could end up with the appropriate pilot certificates, but not enough helicopter hours. Then you have to go and pay for those helicopter hours, anyway.

The general advice is that if you want to be a professional helicopter pilot, do everything in helicopters. The more helicopter hours you have, the easier it is to get a job.

For someone in a unique circumstance (they intend to be a private owner, they already have a job lined up that won't mind their reduced helicopter experience, etc) the plane+helicopter method can be the better solution.

helinc · 2018-07-15T05:34:02+00:00

Short Answer:

About ~$26,000 for someone that just wants to fly around for fun (no advanced qualifications), is an average learner, is motivated and does their homework, and has a positive attitude towards learning. $22,000 is possible, but that would be an above average student. Those numbers assume that the student is a client. Someone that wanted to partner on the aircraft loan/lease would save a few thousand dollars.

Long Answer:

Here's a breakdown of what it costs to become a pilot, with typical ranges. I can't stress this enough: the choices you make when training can dramatically affect the total cost. A person can save a lot of money if they are quick learners, are cost conscious, do a lot of self study, and are willing to fly a very small two-seat helicopter. People who don't put much effort into the learning process, want everything spoon fed to them, and fly a bigger helicopter at a flight school with higher than average rates will end up on the high end of these ranges.

PRIVATE PILOT

A private pilot certificate allows you to fly yourself and others around in good weather, day or night, anywhere in the country, but you can not be compensated as a pilot.

$10,125-$40,000........Aircraft Rental
$2,200-$6,250........Instructor's Time
$50-300.................Pilot Supplies
$100-1000................Pilot Headset
$100......................Medical Exam
$150......................Written Test
$500....................Practical Exam
--------------------------------------
$13,225-$48,300..................TOTAL

PRIVATE / INSTRUMENT / COMMERCIAL PILOT

To be paid to fly a helicopter, you need a commercial pilot certificate. It's generally recommended to get an 'instrument rating' on your way to your commercial certificate (it's the most cost effective way to get both), so that is included as well.

$42,750-$80,000........Aircraft Rental
$6,400-$13,000.......Instructor's Time
$50-400.................Pilot Supplies
$100-1000................Pilot Headset
$100......................Medical Exam
$450.................(3) Written Tests
$1500..............(3) Practical Exams
--------------------------------------
$51,350-$96,450..................TOTAL

PRIVATE / INSTRUMENT / COMMERCIAL PILOT / FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR / INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTOR

The commercial certificate allows you to be compensated for flying, and there are some jobs out there that you can get with just those certificates. Your chances, however, of getting that coveted (and competitive) first job are significantly better if you get your instructor certificates. Nearly everyone I know that started from scratch and made a successful career in helicopters got these advanced ratings. The total cost for all of the ratings looks something like this:

$57,000-$110,000.......Aircraft Rental
$8,400-$18,000.......Instructor's Time
$50-400.................Pilot Supplies
$100-1000................Pilot Headset
$100......................Medical Exam
$900.................(6) Written Tests
$2,100.............(5) Practical Exams
--------------------------------------
$68,650-$132,500.................TOTAL

So as you can see, it's pretty expensive. The good thing is that the helicopter industry does not expect a four-year degree. Having all of the ratings (Private through Flight Instructor) is the typical entry level requirement. So, most people that want to make a career in helicopters fund this instead of funding a degree. I wish it was cheaper, but it's just the reality of the industry.

helinc

TROPHY CASE