Good news!

genna

genna

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Messages
1,731
Display Name
ТУ-104
I was doing some thinking and calculating... and I realized something good when it comes to GA. It is not as insanly expensive vs driving as I thought. only about 2-3 times depending on the car, plane, and distance.


Example:
Plane: C172 @ $155/hour(rent) and 110kts
Car: average @ $.50/mile(gas, tolls, tires, maintenance, depreciation)

Trip: Round trip of my house to Cleveland
Flying: 243nm one way direct. 2.5 hours flight time + preflight + getting to from airport.

Round trip total cost(no ground transportation) and time: about $820 @ 8 hours

Driving: 378 miles one way. 6 hours drive time.

Round trip total cost(no tolls) and time: about $375 @ 13 hours


That seems almost reasonable to me
 
I don't know about anybody else on here, but my desire to go flying never takes into account how reasonable or financially wise it is to do so... Otherwise I'd never get off the ground...:D
 
Last edited:
FlySince9 said:
I don't know about anybody else on here, but my desire to go flying never takes into account how reasonable or financially wise it is to do so... Otherwise I'd never get off the ground...:D
Click to expand...

I think you are not taking into an account the power of self-delusion :D Hence my post.

My problem is that flying competes with other desires and activities and costs way more. So I am still looking at it as an enjoyable form of transportation rather than just a fun as is. I need excuses and self-delusion here. My wife needs them even more.
 
The best way to justify this is to set the price of your time. That way those time savings end up being worth the cost! :yes:
 
Mtns2Skies said:
The best way to justify this is to set the price of your time. That way those time savings end up being worth the cost! :yes:
Click to expand...
This. I have to travel back home to Michigan in the next couple of weeks to wrap up some business. The cheapest way, by far, to do it would be to drive. But it's effectively two days wasted on the road for the trip there. If I fly, it's much less than one day, more like 6 hours counting the drive to and from the airport. Double those times for the round trip, and the choice becomes clear: 4 wasted days vs. less than two, with time to do other things on the bookends.

Now if only I have money left after this annual... :(
 
genna said:
I was doing some thinking and calculating... and I realized something good when it comes to GA. It is not as insanly expensive vs driving as I thought. only about 2-3 times depending on the car, plane, and distance.


Example:
Plane: C172 @ $155/hour(rent) and 110kts
Car: average @ $.50/mile(gas, tolls, tires, maintenance, depreciation)

Trip: Round trip of my house to Cleveland
Flying: 243nm one way direct. 2.5 hours flight time + preflight + getting to from airport.

Round trip total cost(no ground transportation) and time: about $820 @ 8 hours

Driving: 378 miles one way. 6 hours drive time.

Round trip total cost(no tolls) and time: about $375 @ 13 hours


That seems almost reasonable to me
Click to expand...

Heck, my 310 got 10mpg at 180kts, find a car that'll do that! I guaranty it'll cost a little t more to buy and maintain, not to mention what you'd spend on tickets.:lol:
 
azure said:
This. I have to travel back home to Michigan in the next couple of weeks to wrap up some business. The cheapest way, by far, to do it would be to drive. But it's effectively two days wasted on the road for the trip there. If I fly, it's much less than one day, more like 6 hours counting the drive to and from the airport. Double those times for the round trip, and the choice becomes clear: 4 wasted days vs. less than two, with time to do other things on the bookends.

Now if only I have money left after this annual... :(
Click to expand...

The problem with that justification is that it's a very narrow distance range that this really works on. In C172, that's about 250-350 nm. Anything beyond that, you are better off in a commercial plane. And if you are alone, it's even worse.

If you own the plane, it's a lot easier to justify using it(fixed expenses are already paid). But buying is completely out of the question for me for foreseeable future
 
genna said:
The problem with that justification is that it's a very narrow distance range that this really works on. In C172, that's about 250-350 nm. Anything beyond that, you are better off in a commercial plane. And if you are alone, it's even worse.
Click to expand...
Well, I'll be alone. But it all depends. On the numbers, flying commercial would be a better choice for my upcoming trip too, except for two things:

1. To get there in < 4 hours, I'd have to pay for a direct flight, which is a lot more expensive than flying myself, and

2. I hate, HATE flying commercial. I would almost sooner drive than fly commercial. :mad:
If you own the plane, it's a lot easier to justify using it(fixed expenses are already paid). But buying is completely out of the question for me for foreseeable future
Click to expand...
No argument there, owning does make it easier to justify. If I didn't own, the calculus in point 1 above would make a direct commercial flight a little cheaper than flying myself - or a lot cheaper, if the FBO charged a minimum daily rate or some similar gotcha.
 
genna said:
....I need excuses and self-delusion here. My wife needs them even more.
Click to expand...

"honey, we can get there so much faster and that means I get to spend more time with you, which is really what makes me happy."


that line of cr@p should stop the nagging, at least for a lil while.
 
When going longer distance,you have to take the costs of an overnight stay and meals into account,when driving. The joy of flying ,you really can't put a price on.
 
I know all the pros and cons. I also know that, if possible and not in bad terrain, driving is always going to be cheaper in raw numbers.

I really did this post because most people do not fully appreciate the cost of driving. It's more than just gas and tolls. In my car is a lot more than 50c/mile as well.

If you look at the whole picture, driving is not as cheap as it first appears. This makes flying not as expensive at it apprears by comparison. And that's the good news :)
 
genna said:
The problem with that justification is that it's a very narrow distance range that this really works on. In C172, that's about 250-350 nm. Anything beyond that, you are better off in a commercial plane. And if you are alone, it's even worse.
Click to expand...
The comparison between GA and airlines definitely depends on where you live and where you normally travel. If you live in a hub, travel to a hub, and there are many non-stop choices, there's no question that airline is cheaper and faster. If not, GA becomes somewhat more competitive, especially if there is more than one person making the trip.
 
How can you quantify that flying to Amarillo gives me effectively another full day of work I can do up there as opposed to being on the road for two full days getting there and back?

There are hidden and very subtle advantages to flying.
 
txflyer said:
How can you quantify that flying to Amarillo gives me effectively another full day of work I can do up there as opposed to being on the road for two full days getting there and back?

There are hidden and very subtle advantages to flying.
Click to expand...

If time was not worth a lot of money to certain people I would be out of a job.

For every trip there is a cost/benefit/time ratio that people need to determine for themselves. If you enjoy flying yourself then then you give extra benefit points to GA. If your time is worth X amount then the fastest method gets more points.
 
Everskyward said:
If time was not worth a lot of money to certain people I would be out of a job.

For every trip there is a cost/benefit/time ratio that people need to determine for themselves. If you enjoy flying yourself then then you give extra benefit points to GA. If your time is worth X amount then the fastest method gets more points.
Click to expand...




No doubt. And the fact that I can fly means I go more often to take care of more business....

There are benefits that are like mist that you can't quantify.

It's kind of magical in a way. Like your own personal flying carpet whenever you want and you get there four times as fast. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top