If you are familiar with the Duggars, you likely know that a number of them have pilot licenses. And when you have a large family that spends a significant amount of time traveling and doing mission work, that comes in handy.
But saving money on commercial airfare isn't the only perk of having a pilot license. On a clear day when one has a little bit of free time, flying is a great way to pass the time.
Photo courtesy duggarfamily.com
But saving money on commercial airfare isn't the only perk of having a pilot license. On a clear day when one has a little bit of free time, flying is a great way to pass the time.
Lauren Duggar
Photo courtesy duggarfamily.com
Is Lauren a pilot?
ReplyDeleteNo Josia is,so I guess Lauren isn't pregnant as morning sickness would make it difficult to fly,ha but not all women suffer morning sickness and maybe she's doing some things now that she won't be able to do when she's heavily pregnant and after that she will have to look after the baby,hoping for a pregnancy announcement soon.
DeleteI don't think so. Give her time and she'll learn to fly.
Deleteit can't be cheap owning an airplane, including the actual cost of the plane, training, storing it and the ongoing cost of fuel. It's also potentially very dangerous to be flying your family members around. I would not want the responsibilty of flying my family around especially if there is a crash.The entire family could be killed at one time. I don't want to fly as a passenger in a small plane like that or fly others around
ReplyDeleteWell if you don’t have a pilots license I wouldn’t want you flying me around either. Many of the Duggars however do have them, so they’re fine. Also they’re saving money in the long run not having to pay for plane tickets.
DeleteA situation happened like this when I was very young. The remaining family never forgets. I'm assuming that todays plans are better equipped to prevent a crash.
DeleteLife itself is dangerous. Your family could die in a small car just as well.
DeleteThere are actually more fatalities in vehicle crashes. You can't live in fear.
DeleteAnonymous at 11:01
DeleteBoth my parents are pilots, so I grew flying all over the US in light jets. You are right about it being expensive, there's def some things you have to sacrifice to be able to do that. However-Recent studies have shown that Americans have 1 in a 114 chance of dying in a car crash. You only have 1 in 9,821 chance of dying in a type of aircraft. Although airplanes seem extremely dangerous, It's really more dangerous to get in your car and drive somewhere!
-Ashley
Statically more people die in car crashes every day.In a car you have thousands of other drivers and have to depend on their skill levels, being sober, ect..ALL the distractions they have now a days with phones and texting...In the air you have only the pilots possible mistakes or the planes mechanical errors...Its not easy getting a pilots license like it is a car, you need way more hours of practice beforehand.Im possitive they are very skilled at the highest degree before they would let's their most precious
Deletecargo fly with them. So now you do the math.✌
The entire family could be killed at one time in a crash of a commercial air line... just pointing out the obvious. Not a valid reason to avoid learning to fly.
DeleteYou can't do a straight comparison between car crashes and plane crashes. They are unequal quantities due to unequal numbers of vehicles being driven or flown. You'd have to look at the percentage of crashes that end in an injury or fatality in a small plane vs. percentage of crashes that end in a fatality in cars. How many times do you hear of fender benders where nobody is hurt? Yet how many times do you hear of small plane crashes where nobody is hurt? There is significantly more danger with any small plane crash than with a car crash. You have the impact of gravity adding to the terminal velocity of the plane during the crash. Planes aren't built with crumple zones like cars are, or side curtain airbags, knee airbags, etc. Cars hit each other from the front, back, or the side. Planes come in hard with nose down or belly down.
DeleteSo please stop saying that driving is more dangerous than flying. You can't rightfully compare those two. Compare small planes to small plane crashes ONLY. Don't even compare large multi-engine planes to small single-engine planes. Different story.
If they die in a plane crash, then that means it was their time to go. At least they all know where they're going. No reason they should live in fear of flying..
DeleteBesides John and Austin who has there pilots license?
ReplyDeleteJosia has a pilots licence,remember the photo of Josia on the family banner on this blog before it was changed to a couples photo
DeleteJosiah
DeleteI didn’t know the Duggars used their planes for mission work. Any pictures I have seen as they head out on missions have been for commercial flights. Exciting to know that they use the planes for missions. Would love for you to share about that!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear more about that, too. :)
DeleteMostly just wondering if you are in active labor yet or had your baby yet Ellie? Today is tuesday morning.
ReplyDeleteWondering the same. While Duggars having abundant finances to just fly around on a clear days is nice for them, I have truthfully been checking in to see if Ellie has any baby news? Thinking of her and wishing her a very healthy delivery and Baby😃
DeleteCan you please list all the Duggar men who have pilot licenses? I am aware of only John David.
ReplyDeleteAgree. I'm like, "A number of them!? I thought only John David had his pilot's license."
DeleteI worry about them though. I always pray that God will keep them safe
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why the Duggars have lost their appeal to me. They are no longer a simple hard working family struggling to make ends meet by being frugal. Watching rich people do their thing doesn't interest me so I don't watch their show. I sometimes look at the blog to see who's pregnant and see pictures of the kids but that's about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind that they have money, but it irks me that they pretend they are a "normal" family. Normal people don't own a small fleet of private aircraft so their kids and spouses can fly around in their leisure time. Further, owning private aircraft is not a money-saving endeavor, no matter how much you travel. (Source: my father is a lifelong career pilot. Private air travel is for luxury and perhaps ego, not frugality.)
DeleteBut that’s part of being frugal and penny pinching. You crunch the budget and save where you can so you can do these things when the time comes up. I like how Dave Ramsey puts it. He says, “You have to live like no one else so later you can live and give like no one else” and that’s what the Duggars have done. They’re a great example of what happens when you are frugal and the result you get when you stick to it.
DeleteWatching rich people "do their thing"? They are still the same people, they have not changed the way they live. I guess you think they are just supposed to give all their money away to charity and not spend any for themselves? That doesnt happen with anyone. Sounds like someone is jealous.
DeleteI have thought the same thing for awhile. All the episodes are the same. Half the family is traveling, half the family is shopping, and the pregnant ladies sit around talking. It's so not reality TV anymore. We constantly hear the same old story! The duggars girls are pregnant and the boys are flying planes!
DeleteTime 12:56pm Wed 1/9/19
DeleteWatching rich people do their thing doesnt interest me so I dont want their show. Dont comment then This blog is for
Duggar fans seem like you arent one.
I don’t begrudge anyone their interests but if a family is struggling to make ends meet and through hard work and sacrifice one of the kids manages to get his pilot’s license and buy a used plane and make a living using the plane...is that not an uplifting message? Also, you were a part of the audience that watched the show and having a large audience is the reason they went from rags to riches.
DeleteSo true. They are quite wealthy and seem to flaunt it. Long ways from their humble beginnings but oh what a price they have paid for fame and wealth.
DeleteThey are a family just like any other that works for a living ! They just put their likes & ideals in a different box then some folks. I think it is a pretty cool thing to be able to fly anywhere - anytime you feel like it.also if you have watched the show - many times they have shown us that they go to the auto auctions. You can get great deals at those auctions. They auction, cars, trucks, buses, RV's, boats & Airplanes !!! Living a simple life does not mean to live without !! Also we are seeing the kids grow into adulthood & they do not have a big family to support. I feel that makes a big difference. So stop picking & being judgemental on what others have - they work for everything they get. I would not want a film crew in my life & home day after day ! So it is a job that they get paid for. Just be happy for them & enjoy the info we get to see about their life.
DeleteYou don't need to be rich to own a plane. If you save up and live a frugal life, you can afford to buy and maintain a plane.
DeleteI feel the same way...they’ve kind of become a version of the Kardashians! They’ve transitioned into a wealthy family holding extravagant weddings, buying planes, no one really working; whatever happened to “J.OY.”?
DeleteI think it's great they have the opportunity to learn to fly a plane. I don't begrudge them that at all.
DeleteI delight in the fact they are prospering and reaping their labours as a family. I don't think they've forgotten their roots, still doing mission work, spend their money wisely....
DeleteThey still seem to live frugally to me. I don’t see them dripping in diamonds or buying million dollar houses. They all work in some capacity. If they use the airplane to make money by giving lessons or flying others than that is a good job and not just a luxury item.
DeleteI agree 💯 %
Delete@12:44 Agree. The Duggars are reported to own a fleet of airplanes and to have a company. The planes are tax exempt since they would not be considered luxury items but business expenses but it is still expensive to maintain them.
DeleteGiving flying licenses would give them some income but I wonder how far that goes. It is not like teaching driving licenses. Do they run an actual flight school? Are the licenses only for visual flight and not the more difficult instrument flying?
But @5:44, owning 6 planes one of which is worth over $800K, is not because they are frugal. Planes are not like second hand cars. You cannot pick up a well-maintained multi-seater for under $200K.
These people have money.
If they use their fleet of planes to teach flying, why is it that I cannot find any advert for flying lessons by the Duggars or Josh David listed as an instructor anywhere? Maybe someone could point me in the right direction.
DeleteWho cares if they are rich? Not a big deal. They are still the same people.
DeleteThe same people...acting radically differently now than on that first TV special. Or maybe they were the same back then but certain truths had not come out yet?
DeleteLook at the real bottom line: JimBob owns various companies and properties, plus reality’s show income and income from speaking engagements, royalties from the books are equals a pretty fat bottom line. Add very few major expenses like main stream families have (kids activities, college, mortgages, health insurance etc.) that the Duggar’s do not allow a healthy savings!
DeleteThey could be like those Kartrashians or Hilton's but they are not. Sounds like a little jealousy goin on here
DeleteSo Josia has a pilots licence also,wonder if that licence would be good enough to get a job in an airline,I presume they need another licence for larger planes but it would be easy to get as they are halfway there with you their current licence and it would be a good paying job,I would like to see if they would be ambitious enough,John David already has a great job.
ReplyDeleteNo, it would take years before they would even be allowed to train for a big plane and work there
DeleteI don't think any of duggar men are interested in working for other people. The seem to value self employment and family business. Although John is a constable and it is an important job, it is unfortunately unpaid.
DeleteMost commercial pilots have a 4-year degree. So it’s doubtful that any Duggars would begin working for a commercial airline.
DeleteWhile I think it’s great some of them have their PPL.
DeleteNo airline is going to take on someone without a fully accredited college degree (they will make allowances for military service).
Austin is a pilot also, right? That would make 4 pilots in the family. Nice.
ReplyDeleteDo you guys know when Counting On is returning to TLC?
ReplyDeleteFebruary11
DeleteFlying your own plane is certainly a luxury for yourself and guests; on the ground (no TSA!) and in the air!
ReplyDeleteOwning your on plane/planes is not a money saving endeavor. Planes, fuel, insurance and upkeep are all very expensive!!! No one who owns a plane saves money on air travel!
ReplyDeleteOne can use a plane to earn money.
DeleteBut not as expensive as 21 flight tickets would be!
DeleteI know. It's not as though you can just park your plane in your driveway like it was a RV either. Airports charge parking and/or hanger fees. Pretending like flying is some sort thing everyone can afford was a bit annoying too.
DeleteNot true. My family owns a plane. You don't know if you haven't experienced it yourself. It is a lot cheaper.
DeleteGood for the duggar men! Such a good thing to learn.
DeleteWe own 2 planes. It's wonderful and it saves so much money.
DeleteI also thought that this a strange. And many people, including myself are flying less frequently because it's not a very eco friendly way to travel.
DeleteNot everything is about saving money. Sometimes spending a little extra is worth it if you can avoid other inconveniences. Time is a resource as well that is easily squandered. The savings in time is probably worth the financial upkeep.
DeleteReally? I did research and it appears it can save money.
DeleteYou definitely save on air travel if you have your own plane that you share with a group. They keep the plane at home so no storage costs. They likely know how to do all the maintenance themselves. I have a private pilot's license (but no plane) and I have several friends who do have their own planes. Not actually expensive at all. By the time you add up driving to an airport for 1-3 hours, paying for parking, let's say you pay for 4 tickets. Well, it is MUCH less to use your own plane. Then say you live in an out-of-the-way place and you are going to an out-of-the-way place, well you just saved lots and lots of time.
DeleteMaybe it wouldn’t save money for a regular sized family, but there are so many of them. I would imagine in a family that large that there is someone needing to travel quite frequently. Also I would think they would fly other people or train others to fly to help offset the costs involved in owning their own plane.
DeleteMaybe not but you save on time and it's definitely a fulfilling hobby.
DeleteIt's a little ridiculous to pretend that the Duggars save a lot of money in airfare, by owning and flying their own planes. So far, we have yet to see a Duggar plane large enough to accommodate one-third ofthe family, much less the whole family. They still have to fly commercial (New Zealand speaking engagement, Honduras mission trip, etc.). So they're actually spending money at both ends.
DeleteI think it would be so nice to have family who learns that skill. So convenient and handy. And cheaper also!
ReplyDelete7:27- As a former Navy pilot, my dad maintained a private pilot license for many years, mostly for work at company expense. He would’ve loved to have his own plane and fly more for leisure, but the expense of doing so was prohibitive.
DeleteCheaper? Have you checked out the costs of owning and operating a plane? It's a luxury most families can't afford.
DeleteThey can obviously afford it.
DeleteSo nice to see that your boys have such ambition. Keep up the hard work, duggar men!
ReplyDeleteLauren is so pretty and her and Josiah seem very happy!
ReplyDeletenice shot of Lauren
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I remember an episode where Joy Anna was taking a flying lesson with John David. Does anyone else?
ReplyDeleteI do.
DeleteI think he let her take the controls briefly but I didn't get the impression she was taking lessons
DeleteCOULD SOMEONE PLEASE!!!!!! Tell me when they are gonna come back on???? I am a fan of the show the kids are good kids and the show is a good family show...I myself will always watch the duggars for these reasons.....THANK YO
ReplyDeleteDidn’t Joy want to become a pilot? I remember an episode where she was flying with John. But as soon as she graduated high school her demeanor changed, her spark in her eye was gone and she sullenly claimed she didn’t want to finish up her pilot training, that she didn’t know what her plan was after graduating so she wanted to help her mom with the younger children. A couple months later she was in a courtship, married and then pregnant.... would love to see the girls try to Persue a dream of theirs. I know for a fact that not all 10 Duggar girls want to grow up and become a wife and mother. Nothing wrong with that if a person chooses it ( Duggars girls don’t choose, they are forced) but surely the Duggar girls have dreams of doing great things in the world and perusing their own individual interest. It’s so sad joys dream was crushed.
ReplyDeleteJoy made it pretty clear that her dream was to marry Austin, and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with that. As a matter of fact, my dream is to find a guy like Austin and marry him and have a family. I mean seriously, between getting your pilot's license and marrying the love of your life? Not a hard choice for me, and pretty sure it wasn't for JOy.
DeleteYes I recall her mentioning in an episode that she wanted to get a pilot's license, I think to help with missions or something, and then it was never mentioned again as far as I know. And yes she started courting soon after. Sad. You shouldn't have to give up dreams or interests just because you get married.
DeleteIt makes sense that the Duggars learn to fly to save money on commercial flights with their large family. Are they also going to use the planes for a money-making family business? They own several planes so maybe they are going to also provide flights for the public and earn money that way?
ReplyDeleteYeahhh new season February 11th !
ReplyDeleteI live in a rural midwest area. Many farm families own plans. It is not considered a luxury. Different people from different areas and cultures will not all perceive things the same.Just sounds like a lot of jealous critics nitpicking again.
ReplyDeleteMaybe rich farmers in your area own planes but I doubt the average working family does. I live in a rural area in the South and owning planes here is considered a luxury.
DeleteReally? The average small plane (2 seater) costs any where from $50-400,000. Fuel costs around $6,000/yr. add insurance maintenance, airport fees, landing fees; etc and that’s a pretty expensive “non” luxury! The farmers you know must be selling a lot of GMO corn!!!
DeleteYou can get a little Piper 2-seater for about the cost of a brand new SUV...except the Piper is going to be 40-60 years old. Those planes will get you from Point A to Point B faster than an SUV, but would you really want to leave the ground in something like that? Most of us learned the name Piper from hearing about plane crashes!
DeleteIS Jessa pregnant again??? Now, I have to say I love U 5, and U guys are my Fave Couple ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF JESSA, AND I LOVE U!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy flying.
ReplyDeleteJoan,Marion and Marilyn
Congrats Jessa!!!🤗
ReplyDeleteCan any of the Duggar’s fleet of aircraft large enough to fly internationally? Do any of the Duggar’s hold an international pilots license?
ReplyDeleteThis is for Lauren and Josiah. I am so sorry for your lost. May God always comfort you. A Poem by the famous hymn writer, Horatius Bonar, who himself lost 5 children in successive bereavements:
ReplyDelete"He was the music of our home,
A day that knew no night.
The fragrance of our garden bower,
A thing all smiles and light.
Above the couch we bent and prayed
In the half-lighted room,
As the bright hues of infant life
Sank slowly into gloom.
The form remained; but there was now
No soul our love to share;
Farewell, with weeping hearts, we said,
Child of our love and care.
But years are moving quickly past,
And time will soon be o'er;
Death shall be swallowed up in life
On the immortal shore.
Then shall we clasp that hand once more,
And smooth that golden hair;
Then shall we kiss those lips again,
When we shall meet him there."