Things are really slowing down in general aviation. The price of aviation gasoline has not, unlike automotive gasoline, dropped from its peak. On my last trip two weeks ago, I had to refuel at an away airport and paid $6.35 a gallon for the gas. My home airport is $5.65.
If you have a two-seat airplane, you'll burn between 3.5 and 5.5 gallons an hour. A four seater will burn 8 gallons an hour for a slowish one, faster ones burn 15 gallons an hour or more. If you have places to go, a fast four seater burning 18 gallons an hour to get you there at 180mph is a nice way to travel, but if you're just flying for fun, the idea that you are going to drop a C-note or better at the pumps is a real motivation for not flying as often.
The new light sport airplanes are a lot better on gas, true. But for most pilots, spending $80,000 or more for an airplane in order to save at the gas pumps is a pretty stupid way to economise.
So what happens is people start getting out, because the cost of insurance, of the annual inspection and for a tie-down or hangar becomes a larger component of each flight. That depresses the market for used airplanes. And then you can go to a small airport and see them rotting away at the tiedowns.
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Monday, October 6, 2008
2 comments:
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Well, a little bright side: You can also go make a good deal for that J-3 you have our heart set on.
ReplyDeleteThe unfortunate reality is that the economy hasn't really grown since 2000. We are now seeing a return to the "correct" state of the market. It's very painful, but in the ling run, I think it's better than dragging the pain out over several years.
I enjoy your site. and your links!
Best
John
J-3s are pricey. You can buy a Champ for $8,000 less or so. T-Carts and Luscombes tend to run somewhere in between, because they are faster.
ReplyDeleteStill, if you are a full-sized adult and you want to be able to take another adult up with you and fill the tanks, you pretty much need to look at 4-place birds.