How have fuel prices impacted your flying?

[TangoWhiskey]

While reading Larry Ball's excellent "Those Incomparable Bonanzas" I came across two accounts of long-distance records set in Bonanzas. Note the fuel and oil consumed, and the cost of these. And talk about airmanship. Note the FUEL REMAINING... these guys were doing this with a timer and a map, no moving GPS and fuel totalizer.

I know there are multiple ways to do the math, but if you take the first example, with 272 gallons used, and $75 cost, ignore the oil used, and conservatively assume the cost is for the fuel used and not the fuel carried, then he paid 27.5 cents per gallon.

The 1949 average household income was $5,292; the inflation adjusted 2012 average household income is $50,964, a factor of 9.6x, which, if applied to the fuel cost, would suggest $2.64/gallon.

Where would you fly if avgas was still that inexpensive? How much more would you fly?

Odom's most famous flight was to occur nearly two months later on March 7, 1949, when he again departed from runway 8 at Hickam Field, in the same Bonanza, and successfully flew the distance of 4957 miles to Teterboro, New Jersey, thus setting a new world record for non-stop distance flying for all light airplanes, not only in the Bonanza category, (those weighing from 2204.7 to 3858 pounds) his record exceeded the mark for all other light plane categories as well. The Waikiki Beech was in the air for 36 hours and 2 minutes. Both flights were sponsored by Beech Aircraft Corporation and emphasized as a test of the Bonanza's efficiency and dependability ... in contrast to distance flights of the prewar era, which were often more accurately described as daredevil ventures. Statistics of the Honolulu to Teterboro flight are impressive.

Takeoff weight: 3858 pounds
Average ground speed (distance flown): 146.3 MPH
Average miles per gallon (distance flown): 19.37 MPG
Average gallons per hour: 7.56 GPH
Fuel carried: 288 gallons
Fuel used: 272.25 gallons
Remaining: 15.75 gallons
Oil carried: 7.5 gallons
Oil used: 1.5 gallons
Remaining: 6.0 gallons
Distance over water: 2474 miles
Distance over land: 2799 miles
Total distance actually flown: 5273 miles
Accredited great circle distance: 4957 miles
Extra distance possible on fuel remaining: 372 miles
Total cost of gas and oil: $75.00

In addition to breaking all light plane distance records, Odom's flight came within 191 miles of equalling the longest single leg between refuelings (5464 miles) of the non-stop, round the world flight of a U. S. Air Force B-50, made February 26 through March 3. Without question, his flight demonstrated to the American public the efficiency, dependability and sophistication of the Beechcraft Bonanza.

And an even longer flight, in 1957, by Marion (Pat) Boling:

Like Odom, Pat Boling was originally from the middle west. He was born in Eddy, Oklahoma, September 7, 1914. His experience for the trip was considerable. After winning his wings in the U. S. Navy, he joined United Airlines in 1941 and rose to the position of captain on transcontinental flights in DC-7s from San Francisco to New York. Boling had stood on Honolulu Airport that night on March 7, 1949, when Bill Odom took off for New York. He resolved then and there to someday beat Odom's record.

In 1957, Boling advised Beech he was interested in buying a Bonanza to attempt a new long-distance record with the backi ng of some of his friends. Jack Gaty, who had backed Odom's flights in 1949, decided Boling was the man to set a new record and the Beech factory should again back the attempt. It had been nine years since a record had been set and a new success would serve as dramatic proof of the even greater efficiency and reliability of the latest model Bonanza. The flight did just that.

Total distance actually flown: 7090 miles
Official great circle route distance: 6856 miles
Over water: 6555 miles
Over land: 535 miles
Extra distance possible on remaining fuel: 253 miles
Total time: 45:43 hours
Takeoff weight: 4964 Ibs.
Normal gross weight: 2900 Ibs.
Average ground speed (actual distance): 155 MPH
Average gallons per hour (actual distance): 8.55 GPH
Total gas carried: 402 gallons
Total gas used: 391 gallons
Total gas remaining: 11 gallons
Total value of gas and oil used: $139.85

The flight was a tremendous success, but the distance flown was actually short of expectations. Manila had been selected as a starting point to give the Bonanza more land to cover at the end of the trip. (Odom could have gone even farther had there been a place to land east of New York.) It was hoped that with some favorable tail winds Boling might reach Wichita, Kansas. The tail winds failed to develop, however, and in addition he encountered icing in the area of the Queen Charlotte Islands which may have frozen over a fuel tank vent, causing some siphoning-off of fuel. The trip did accomplish the objective of proving the superiority of the latest model Bonanza and Continental's new 250 horsepower, fuel-injected engine.

 

[denverpilot]

Judging by the numbers, a little less than double what I do today.

 

[wabower]

Interesting to think about. Even more interesting to conclude that fuel price would never have impacted my flying time.

When I was learning, I never knew the price, only the rental rate. Fuel was so cheap that it really didn't matter anyway, but I was clueless about cost. If I wanted to finish the rating, I couldn't do it without renting the plane and paying the instructor.

With a young family I couldn't afford to fly much anyway, and again fuel price swings didn't matter.

When I needed the plane for business, I had to go where I needed to go. No matter the fuel cost, I had to buy it.

Now I fly because I still enjoy it. The annual own/op budget doesn't change much whether fuel is $4 or $6, so I never think about fuel cost when planning a trip or burger run.

But if it's ever under a buck again, I'm going to pre-buy 10,000 gallons and pay the FBO to pump it.

 

[JOhnH]

My wife and I are both busy with our careers. We don't get to spend that much time together, but we both love flying. So more expensive fuel makes it more expensive to fly, but we don't fly any less because of it because flying is the second best time we have together.

 

[MSPAviator]

I fly less. I drive less. I ride a bicycle more.

I would definitely fly more for the sheer hell of it, if it only cost me $150 instead of $300 for a trip from MIC > TWM > MIC. Go look it up on a map, it's a very scenic day trip.

 

[EppyGA]

Not all fuel prices, but lack of a job and adding two partners to our plane which required a more organized system and thus a monthly fee as well as an hourly fee have required me to cut back my monthly flying.

 

[tonycondon]

the retrieves get more expensive but it's worth it.

 

[Ghery]

No impact on my flying, at all. I don't fly enough, gas prices notwithstanding. For one thing, I travel too much (writing this from Taipei). For another, weather for flying light aircraft in western Washington sucks much of the year. And, my boss thinks I should be in the office during the day when the flying weather is best.

 

[NineThreeKilo]

I fly company aircraft (470pph climb, 140pph idle), drive a vette and dont worry about it.

Fuel prices change the way I vote, but not the way I live.

 

[iflyblog.com]

Yes for my recreational flying...

 

[douglas393]

Has not affected it much at all, but then again I started flying in 2010 got my PPL in 2011, and my IFR in 2012 so I am a bad example, as for me fuel prces are pretty stable.

How much of the relative increase in the price of fuel today is taxes, and how much in the is because of the change in formulation?

Doug

 

[Geico266]

Not in the least. I burn mogas at 4 gph.

 

[DavidWhite]

Yes. I bought a faster airplane with the same fuel burn as the slower one. 160KTAS on 9.5gph vs 112KTAS on about 9gph.

 

[Threefingeredjack]

Not at all. Flying is still cheaper than a psychologist.

 

[John Baker]

The cost of flying has brought it to a screeching halt for me. If fuel prices were as low as the OP suggested, I would have:

. Not sold my airplane
. Retaken the stupid test.
. Would still be flying at least once a week.
.Taken my medical test that is due this month.
.Done my BIFR last month.

As it is now, I no longer have any of those expenses.

-John

 

[JoeSelch]

Not at all ... I don't fly enough for it to matter. That said, I did pick up a much more fuel-efficient plane so I can go nowhere faster.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Not really. Lack of time has probably had more of an effect, currently offset by having an airplane in a hangar 15 minutes away from home and work that nobody else gets to fly. Sure helps that it gets 170 knots on 12 gph, though... Efficiency rocks!

 

[Henning]

The Turbo Travelair was downright thrifty for what it would do for you. She hauled a load of ice to the runway for me that I had no right to expect that performance. It was the only time I was cognizant in an airplane that I was about to die, I had no mistakes left. Above 12'500 pulling 25 square 10*LOP TIT I'd be passing 55 Barons and could usually get a 180 TAS above 170 for 16.2 gph combined for better than 11gph from a plane that with me and a buddy light except full fuel would hold over 13,000' OEI.