Random math of the day

Jim_R

Jim_R

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Jim
I know a lot of recreational pilots actively avoid thinking about how much this hobby costs--I'm generally one of them!

But I was doing a bunch of math-intensive stuff for a non-aviation part of my life, and took a break to check my email, and found a summary of my flight time from MyFlightbook in my inbox. Having math on the brain, I couldn't resist a few quick calcs:

800 hrs on my plane
times ~8 gals per hr
times ~$5/gal
equals ~$32,000 in fuel costs
divided by 10 years of ownership
equals ~$3200/yr in fuel costs

This is why I actively avoid thinking about how much this hobby costs... :)
 
*hands over ears* "blah, blah, blah...I can't hear you!*

No kidding, you could never, ever justify the money we pour into this hobby. And there are years when the fuel isn't the most expensive part of it.
 
Years ago I did a thumbnail set of calcs for my 180hp Maule.

My hangaring was free but the calcs included insurance and maintenance. What I came up with repeatedly was that cost/hour was approximately twice the fuel and oil costs.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
I try not to track the costs too carefully. I'm frightened of what I might find!
 
Ok, I made a simple formula to determine how much money you really spend flying your plane...


main-qimg-7beca9cf6c835bdfeabac3541a778973


W is fuel
M is oil
H is cost of hamburger
Z is hanger/tiedown cost
G is how much you spent making your wife happy

Solve for X...X equals how much money you really spent.
 
As long as you can meet your other obligations, it doesn't matter how much it costs to fly. What else are you going to do with your money?

What's that old saying "Cocaine is God's way of telling you that you are making too much money."?
Substitute aviation, and re-read. .
 
32,000. pfffff

I'd probably be retired by now had I not stopped in to take flight lessons. Easily mid 6 figures spent, and none of it deductible as an expense. And I know I'm not even on the high end of the curve.
 
Eh, you gotta spend it on something. Unless you've set yourself up for a cat food diet in your retirement, why not spend it aviaiting?

EdFred said:
32,000. pfffff

I'd probably be retired by now had I not stopped in to take flight lessons. Easily mid 6 figures spent, and none of it deductible as an expense. And I know I'm not even on the high end of the curve.
Click to expand...

But was it worth it? I'm thinking yes.
 
FormerHangie said:
Eh, you gotta spend it on something. Unless you've set yourself up for a cat food diet in your retirement, why not spend it aviaiting?



But was it worth it? I'm thinking yes.
Click to expand...

I dunno, lotta hookers and blow could have been bought with that coin.
 
Reminds me; most of my money has been spent on women and aviation...the rest of it was just wasted.
 
Jim_R said:
I know a lot of recreational pilots actively avoid thinking about how much this hobby costs--I'm generally one of them!

But I was doing a bunch of math-intensive stuff for a non-aviation part of my life, and took a break to check my email, and found a summary of my flight time from MyFlightbook in my inbox. Having math on the brain, I couldn't resist a few quick calcs:

800 hrs on my plane
times ~8 gals per hr
times ~$5/gal
equals ~$32,000 in fuel costs
divided by 10 years of ownership
equals ~$3200/yr in fuel costs

This is why I actively avoid thinking about how much this hobby costs... :)
Click to expand...
Now do the same for your car.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 
Well it's $3200/yr of something.

Money in the bank
Hookers/blow
Boating, gambling, etc.
or flying awesomeness

Good choice :thumbsup:
 
I know lots of people who spend more than $3,200/year on wine, whiskey, or Starbucks. At least flying doesn’t have calories.
 
mwagg737 said:
Now do the same for your car.
Click to expand...
Yes, my car costs money too, but far less than my plane. My car also spends most of its miles carrying me back and forth to the place where I get the money to pay for the plane. My plane has never done anything to fill my bank account--it only drains it!
 
Skyrys62 said:
Well it's $3200/yr of something.

Money in the bank
Hookers/blow
Boating, gambling, etc.
or flying awesomeness

Good choice :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
I don't regret it--flying is a passion, and something I've wanted to do since I was old enough to know what an airplane was. If I didn't think it was worth it, I wouldn't do it!

But before I embarked on my aviation hobby, I was well on my way to an early and comfortable retirement--perhaps even as early as now-ish, with "comfortable" meaning "having enough socked away to sustain the standard of living to which I had become accustomed", including reasonably frequent world travel.

That $3200/yr is only a fraction of the yearly expense of my flying habit. The opportunity cost of that expense has been indefinite deferment of my retirement (essentially, as long as I want to keep flying I need to keep working). That is a significant trade-off, and anyone who doesn't have the same passion for flying as I do might consider it as foolish a choice as hookers and blow.
 
BigBadLou said:
Sure.
But does your bank account make you grin from ear to ear when you get out of the bank and put your feet on the ground?
Click to expand...
I've already established that I consider my aviation expenditures worthwhile. Someone else suggested I compare my plane costs to my car costs, which is what that reply was addressing.
 
Right, I was agreeing with you. And then added my own spin on it.
Happiness isn't free. Flying makes me happy. Flying isn't free.
But I think I spend less on my airplane than the wife does shopping. :)
 
Jim_R said:
I know a lot of recreational pilots actively avoid thinking about how much this hobby costs--I'm generally one of them!

But I was doing a bunch of math-intensive stuff for a non-aviation part of my life, and took a break to check my email, and found a summary of my flight time from MyFlightbook in my inbox. Having math on the brain, I couldn't resist a few quick calcs:

800 hrs on my plane
times ~8 gals per hr
times ~$5/gal
equals ~$32,000 in fuel costs
divided by 10 years of ownership
equals ~$3200/yr in fuel costs

This is why I actively avoid thinking about how much this hobby costs... :)
Click to expand...

8 gal per hr. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

It's all relative. I'll lend you the Aztec for a few days. :yikes:
You'll never concern yourself about 8 gph ever again. :D
 
If I don't spend it on avgas, my wife will spend it shopping and she doesn't need any more shoes.
 
What was supposed to be for my aviation fix was spent on a second home where my MIL lives. Ah, well, that's what being a man is all about.
 
Zeldman said:
Ok, I made a simple formula to determine how much money you really spend flying your plane...


main-qimg-7beca9cf6c835bdfeabac3541a778973


W is fuel
M is oil
H is cost of hamburger
Z is hanger/tiedown cost
G is how much you spent making your wife happy

Solve for X...X equals how much money you really spent.
Click to expand...
You have a sign error in the fourteenth line, in the sixth term.
 
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