|
-
POSTING RULES

-
Donate yearly (please).
-
Advertise in here!
-
Today's Posts
|
Insert Pics
|

03-02-2011, 10:47 AM
|
 |
VAF Moderator / Line Boy
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 12,256
|
|
I guess that the answer to your question Chad, is going to depend on how each person looks at flying. If they look at it as a hobby that has to be traded off against other things in life, then certainly there will come a time when it falls below the line. If, on the other hand, flying is just part of life, then you’ll do it as long as you can buy groceries. When I started flying my -8, 100LL was about $175/gallon. I thought that was expensive, but while I was flying my Phase 1, prices shot up to over $3.00/gallon and more – the “big inflation” of gas prices. My first thought was that I was doomed – I’d never be able to afford it. But instead of counting the pennies, I just kept flying, and the bills managed to stay paid. Because I am an engineer, I have records that tell me exactly how much I am paying for aviation fuel in a year – but I quite looking at them a few years ago, and just go. When we travel, I credit the 100LL against my “vacation” budget, not my flying budget. It doesn’t really make any difference though – as long as I can pay the bills, I’ll be flying. I look forward to the day when we all have electric motor-gliders that we can fly for hours and hours on an overnight charge to get our altitude fix….but I bet I’ll still have a gas-burning performance machine in the hangar for when I absolutely, positively need to go fast….
For me, flying is like breathing – and flying a “Total Performance” airplane is a breath of fresh air!
Paul
__________________
Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
|

03-02-2011, 10:57 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 452
|
|
Its a interesting question, Ive answered to myself before. It might sound stupid, but if i were in your position I would wait till the one morning when I wake up and say "thats it, its over im selling the plane and finding a new hobby"
When you dont need to ask anyones opinion, you know the road has really ended.
__________________
EJ
RV7 flying
xp360, CS, All Glass cockpit
|

03-02-2011, 10:58 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Battleground
Posts: 4,348
|
|
Well said Paul...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironflight
For me, flying is like breathing ? and flying a ?Total Performance? airplane is a breath of fresh air!
Paul
|
But if all I could afford was to have my old Aeronca back, I would make the sacrifice and give up the performance to at least be up in the air.
__________________
Smart People do Stupid things all the time. I know, I've seen me do'em.
RV6 - Builder/Flying
Bucker Jungmann
Fiat G.46 -(restoration in progress, if I have enough life left in me)
RV1 - Proud Pilot.
|

03-02-2011, 11:14 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Round Rock, TX
Posts: 3,778
|
|
I honestly can say...
that I've ever seen a hearse with a luggage rack or even a U-Haul trailer behind it... and I sure don't want to die with a *@$% load of money in the bank so I say spend your money on what you enjoy... it will keep you motivated and focused to earn a little more. 
__________________
Reiley
Retired N622DR - Serial #V7A1467
VAF# 671
Repeat Offender / Race 007
Friend of the RV-1
|

03-02-2011, 11:20 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Cumming, GA
Posts: 610
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by cjensen
I understand that...that's why I didn't put a dollar figure in my OP. I just wondered if I'm alone in thinking this, which I know I'm not. Looking for a discussion I guess on how far folks will go to feed the habit.  I'm not saying I couldn't afford $10/gallon, I just don't think I would WANT to, that's all.
|
Go fly formation and do a few loops and rolls first, then set the max $xxx price for gas. X will be a big number!

__________________
Don Hall
N517DG - RV7 - Flying!
Ticked Van's Hobbes meter at #6110, 3/7/09
|

03-02-2011, 11:30 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 306
|
|
It's who I am
I am a pilot, therefore I fly.
__________________
Dave Cole RV-7 N97DC reserved
dave.cole@cox.net
Started SB April 2004
Hope to fly in 2011
|

03-02-2011, 11:45 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Denver area
Posts: 272
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by cjensen
My wife and I had a long discussion last night about our future financial plans
|
Good for you for even having the discussion. Too many don't, including the parade of elected officials we've seen over the past few decades.
The Bonanza I fly burns 14-15 gph. I expect the O-360 RV-6 I just bought to burn about 8 gph most of the time, partly since I?m starting out at 5600' and I?ll be leaned about an inch even for takeoff.
Currently I don?t fly the Bonanza as often as I?d like, partly due to fuel costs and partly due to availability, as it is a flying club plane. The hourly dry rate plus fuel nets the Bonanza out at ~$150/hr, but I still fly it some. I took it up to the Vetterman?s fly-in last summer.
For ease of math let?s say gas is about $5 now. Just for fuel, the Bonanza is ~$75/hr and the RV is $40/hr.
If gas doubled to $10/gal, putting the RV at ~$80/hr for gas, I think I?d fly less, slow down some, but still fly around the pattern whenever I could. Even at $10/gal I?m paying about half the hourly rate as I am now for the Bonanza. I know that?s not exactly apples to apples comparison because of all the other costs, but that's how I'll explain it to the war committee.
I think we will see $6/gal pretty soon even at the cheap fields, just like we did a few years ago, but I?m pretty sure that won?t slow me down.
I think the pain will start at about $7/gal, but I'll fight through it. Even at $10/gal I?ll still be flying around locally pretty often.
There is no way gas prices south of $20 will keep me entirely out of the air while I still have a job. I just bought this plane. I'm going to fly it!
If we see $20/gal, there will be other issues to worry about though.
|

03-02-2011, 11:46 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Cedar Park, TX
Posts: 264
|
|
Sums it up nicely
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhall_polo
Go fly formation ... then set the max $xxx price for gas. X will be a big number!

|
twop
(extra characters to fulfill the min msg post size)
__________________
Ron Walker - 40XS
RV7a - Flying
RV10 - Flying !
FFI Flight Lead - www.FalconFlight.aero
|

03-02-2011, 11:48 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Evans, GA
Posts: 208
|
|
Forecast: gloom
Fuel:
How is the price of fuel determined? The price-at-the-pump is the governing factor. Avgas (amounting to less than the proverbial drop in the bucket) is hostage to this process (just double the price-at-the-pump and you have the approximate price of Avgas).
It?s supply and demand. Basically, the oil companies raise the price until consumers start cutting back, then they lower it a little. It's a simple algorithm and one that ensures the oil companies will always post record profits (Exxon earned profits of 6.3 billion in the first three months of 2010, which is more than the GNP of most Third-World nations). Even BP profit is back in the billions despite the Gulf Oil Spill disaster.
The only way that fuel prices will stop going up is if we stop buying fuel and that ain't going to happen. We?re talking about personal ground transportation, not airplanes. There isn?t enough Avgas consumed to matter much to the oil companies. They would probably rather not bother with Avgas at all.
The best we can hope for is an alternate fuel like Swift-fuel, which would help to break the oil companies? monopoly. You may wonder why it is taking so long to get approval for Swift-fuel, et. al. Money buys influence and the oil companies have plenty of money (if Swift-fuel works for airplanes, there is no reason it wouldn?t work for cars as well).
Litigation:
This certainly doesn't apply to everyone in the legal profession, but there is a certain class of lawyers who could be categorized as "ambulance chasers". Greed is their primary motivating factor. When these folks are done picking clean the bones of General Aviation, they will move on to other tasty carcasses. Some of them are true innovators, as witnessed by the creative variety of reasons that they exhort viewers to sue for in their TV advertisements. Don't expect any relief from litigation, it's the American way.
Bureaucracy:
The government has to take some credit for the impending victory against the forces of General Aviation. Persons who are bureaucrats by nature are particularly uncomfortable with a citizenry that has too much freedom. Curtailing freedom seems to be the primary objective of most bureaucrats. Bureaucracy and rule-making are the last line of defense to ensure we don?t escape the onslaught of fuel prices and litigation.
Bottom Line:
Consider yourself fortunate that you have been able to participate in this wonderful thing we call General Aviation before it ceases to exist (as we now know it), as will certainly be the case at some point in the future, whether it's 10, 25, 50 or 100 years from now.
Sorry to be the doomsayer.
__________________
Ken Howell
Evans, Georgia
RV-7 N92LT - Based at Thomson-Mcduffie airport HQU
TMXIO-360, Dynon Skview
Flying since June, 2012
|

03-02-2011, 11:54 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: albuquerque, nm
Posts: 1,167
|
|
Change is the only constant
I recently evaluated this for myself. I'm spending roughly $700/month on flying after I figure in the fixed costs. For now it's worth it, but I am a serial hobbiest and have quit flying for other hobbies before. I don't plan on leaving the RV now, but am comfortable with the idea.
I learned to fly while flipping burgers at Wendy's and living in the main hangar at the airport as an unpaid night watchman. Shortly after I got my private, this lifestyle got to me and I didn't fly again for quite a few years.
After a bit of time working construction, the next big commitment for me was climbing. I spent over 10 years working part time and climbing rocks, mountains, and ice all over the world. I lived climbing as much or more as I lived airplanes earlier. Eventually I squeezed an engineering degree and with my resulting income delta was able to build an RV and return to aviation. There was a catch though--I had to quit climbing to make time for the RV. I tried climbing casually after the plane was done, but climbing is a lot like flying. If you don't do it a lot proficiency (and strength) drop to the point it's not worth the effort. I hate doing things half way.
Long story short, you may decide it's not worth either the financial or time cost some day. If you do that, you will probably find something else to fill the void. Barring life changing illness, or equivalent, you can always return to the RV world when it suits you. Either way, you seem like the sort of person that will remain engaged in something that will help you feel whole. Disengaged people don't have what it takes to build an RV. Do what feels right and enjoy the adventure.
Guy
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:54 AM.
|