How To Save $ Flying

[turbo]

Do you like to fly? Are you concerned about the cost? How can you save money and enjoy flying your RV TODAY ? I thought there would be many good ideas on how to save some cash and fly more. Along with some SA remarks that are expected lets see what you pilots are doing in this crazy economy to save some $ and keep flying more.

[Rosie]

In my lifetime, I've never had a car payment, and I currently drive a 7 year old Mazda Miata that gets 30mpg (insurance isn't bad either :-) Rosie

[frankh]

is paid for and I'll change my cars when the doors fall off...And we're not far away from that right now.

Use autofuel from Cans (even with ethanol) and run Lean of peak.

Saving for impending unemployment (and studying 2 hours a day for the FE (EIT) exams) has put a dent in the flying though.

Even though I fly IFR I share a 430W database subscription and I use the 1 month out of date version..This is legal as long as I only shoot ILS approaches for real.

I was considering dropping to liability only insurance but I couldn't bring myself.

Hangar rent is only $128 a month. No iphone, no cable TV.

Still hoping my Wife's thoroughbred horse drops dead..Did I say that out loud?..

Frank

[airguy]

I just got divorced, that's a temporary financial hickey that will drastically increase my flying budget in the long run.

[David-aviator]

Originally Posted by Rosie

In my lifetime, I've never had a car payment, and I currently drive a 20 year old Toyota Corolla that gets 30mpg (insurance is cheap too :-) Rosie

Yep, and so is local personal property tax. I plan on driving my last auto, a Honda Pilot, until the wheels fall off.

Another way is cruise local at 5 gph, there really is no need to be charging around at 150+ knots.

Also, by-pass all the fancy glass that is so appealing. The airplane flies just fine without it. One cheap GPS is all that is needed to get around and if that breaks the bank, sectional charts still work for navigation.

And paint, guys spend as much as the whole airplane costs on glass, paint and electronic gizmos. None of it changes how the airplane flies. It looks great but you can't trade it for avgas when you need it or eat it if you're unemployed, hungry and broke. The airplane sits all beautiful in a hangar, usually for sale, 'cause the owner can't afford it.

I would not go cheap with an engine. Unlike the investment in the above items, an engine investment will always pay off in a resale or if you fly the airplane forever, it will last a life time with decent care.

Go light weight as much as possible. It will save gas forever and the plane will fly better every day.

Try not to eat too much. The lighter the pilot, the less gas burned. Most of us could get by on 2/3's what we eat and drink and live longer. More saved $$ for avgas.

I could go on and one....

[gasman]

Originally Posted by David-aviator

Yep, and so is local personal property tax. I plan on driving my last auto, a Honda Pilot, until the wheels fall off.

Another way is cruise local at 5 gph, there really is no need to be charging around at 150+ knots.

Also, by-pass all the fancy glass that is so appealing. The airplane flies just fine without it. One cheap GPS is all that is needed to get around and if that breaks the bank, sectional charts still work for navigation.

I would not go cheap with an engine. That investment will always pay off in a resale or if you fly the airplane forever, it will last a life time with decent care.

Go light weight as much as possible. It will save gas forever and the plane will fly better every day.

Try not to eat too much. The lighter the pilot, the less gas burned. Most of us could get by on 2/3's what we eat and drink and live longer. More saved $$ for avgas.

I could go on and one....

Yes Yes Yes to all of the above........ My F-150 is 11 years old and is like new. I ride an SV650 to get to point B, when I don't need to carry much. I go flying, to fly.... not to get somewhere most of the time. The area that I live in has a lot to see at 2K agl. So I set about 55% and lean and get under 5 gph. And still have a lot of fun. I can fly for 45 minutes to an hour every day on less than a tank of gas.

Sometimes I question the Light Sport figures of 5 gph at 135 mph? I have that now, with the option to reach out push it in and be gone.....

[pierre smith]

...a Primo that burns charcoal (www.primogrill.com) and seldom eat in restaurants. We'll grill twenty chicken legs after eating our grilled steaks on Sunday and maybe throw on a loin (that was on sale) so we and the two teenagers have stuff to eat all week long with little or no extra cooking.

Like Rosie, we have no car payments and drive/buy good used stuff to save and just have liability insurance, no collision and drive carefully.

Regards,

[plehrke]

No wife! Ooops, just got married.
No dog! Ooops, new wife just got us a dog.
No car payments! Ooops, just paid cash for new BMW after buying one truck in last 20 years.
No cell phone! Ooops, just got an iPhone and not sure how I got by without out it. (and it is a phone too)

No kids! That saves thousands.

[newtech]

Originally Posted by David-aviator

Another way is cruise local at 5 gph, there really is no need to be charging around at 150+ knots.

Grand Rapids chose to put the fuel flow display in the most prominent spot of their EIS-4000 display. Really hard to ignore. I am 18 hours into Phase 1; it sure is cheaper flying round chasing your tail burning 6 GHP rather than 14.1. Like many of the other posts my current car is 14 years old and is still going strong.

[Jim P]

Can't agree more on the GRT fuel flow. As they say,,speed is money, how fast do you want to go. Watching the fuel flow on the way back from OSH, I leaned out LOP to what I wanted to spend. Push in - spend more, pull-out, spend less!