Its almost time....

wsuffa

wsuffa

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Display name:
Bill S.
I promised myself that I would sell the plane when I didn't fly it enough or I didn't have time to stay current enough.....

It's about that time.

I'm considering selling my Commander. Currently at HEF. If y'all run across somebody that's looking, I'd be interested in talking.

1976 Commander 112TC.
 
wsuffa said:
I promised myself that I would sell the plane when I didn't fly it enough or I didn't have time to stay current enough.....
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C'Mon. I'm in the same boat but I'm going to hang on for a while. After all I moved next to the plane.

I do have a strong fear that I'll hang on just long enough to be the one standing when the music stops when they're all worthless due to $20 a gallon gas or a similar disaster.

I need a partner! Mere mortals are not supposed to own airplanes.

(e.g. I told the guy with the mower that I had a plane next door. He had no idea there's a an airport nearby. I'm convinced he thinks I'm insane, as in, delusional about having a plane. I'm convinced that some of my neighbors think so, too.)
 
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mikea said:
do have a strong fear that I'll hang on just long enough to the one standing when the music stops when they're all worthless due to $20 a gallon gas or a similar disaster.
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I doubt that's going to happen.

We've been here before. 1973 is a good example. A large part of the price of oil right now comes from the devaluation of the USD. Just thinking about it - it has lost more than half its value against most foreign currencies since 2000. Since oil is traded in USD, of course that will have a huge impact. Also, GA/Airlines are a lot more flexible in regards to price than the average car driver, yet we only use a few percent of annual oil output. I suspect that oil will keep getting more expensive for a few years, but I wouldn't be surprised if it came down again in the next few years.

-Felix
 
mikea said:
C'Mon. I'm in the same boat but I'm going to hang on for a while. After all I moved next to the plane.

I do have a strong fear that I'll hang on just long enough to the one standing when the music stops when they're all worthless due to $20 a gallon gas or a similar disaster.

I need a partner! Mere mortals are not supposed to own airplanes.

(e.g. I told the guy with the mower that I had a plane next door. He had no idea there's a an airport nearby. I'm convinced he thinks I'm insane, as in, delusional about having a plane. I'm convinced that some of my neighbors think so, too.)
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Mike, if you'd be willing to base at Clow or Lewis, I'd be in!:yes: OTOH, getting into the same situation you were in before you moved... :no:
 
mikea said:
C'Mon. I'm in the same boat but I'm going to hang on for a while. After all I moved next to the plane.

I do have a strong fear that I'll hang on just long enough to be the one standing when the music stops when they're all worthless due to $20 a gallon gas or a similar disaster.

I need a partner! Mere mortals are not supposed to own airplanes.

(e.g. I told the guy with the mower that I had a plane next door. He had no idea there's a an airport nearby. I'm convinced he thinks I'm insane, as in, delusional about having a plane. I'm convinced that some of my neighbors think so, too.)
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I keep converting my miles per gal if I would drive or fly and I'm still getting 16-18mpg so I'm gonna still keep flying.
 
mikea said:
C'Mon. I'm in the same boat but I'm going to hang on for a while. After all I moved next to the plane.
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Yabut the plane likes it better to be flown more often.

I've held on for a year now - have a minimal number of hours in that time. Unfortunately, I can't even justify it for business right now - most of the travel is International, West Coast or NYC - two of which are completely impractical the time to fly in a single, and the third is faster/cheaper/and more efficient by train.

Not to say I won't buy something again when the time is right - and a club or partnership might be feasible if I find the time. Planes like to be flown.
 
Skyhawk4754 said:
I keep converting my miles per gal if I would drive or fly and I'm still getting 16-18mpg so I'm gonna still keep flying.
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I get instantaneous MPG with my JPI EDM connected to Garmin 295.

~10 MPG depending on the wind even though the M's are nautical (+15%).

I try to avoid looking. :(
 
Bill, I am in the same boat. Unfortunately -- or fortunately -- the market is dead, dead, dead right now.
 
mikea said:
I get instantaneous MPG with my JPI EDM connected to Garmin 295.

~10 MPG depending on the wind even though the M's are nautical (+15%).

I try to avoid looking. :(
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10 is pretty good. Best I've ever seen in the 421 is around 5, maybe 5.5
 
10 is pretty low for a single. I get 14.5 mpg @ 170 knots 300 below max gross.

-Felix
 
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TangoWhiskey said:
Interesting thread!

Diamond DA40: 16 nmpg
Mooney M20K 252: 13 nmpg
F33 Bonanza: 11 nmpg
Cirrus SR22: 8 nmpg

NOTE: the MPG figures above are nautical miles per gallon not statute miles per gallon you would get in a car. Here's the conversion to Statute MPG: Diamond: 18 SMPG; Mooney 15 SMPG; Bonanza 13 SMPG; Cirrus: 9 SMPG.

Source: http://n252q.blogspot.com/2008/01/mooneyis-it-really-best.html
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That's not an accurate statistic, provided you fly your engine LOP. I easily get 14.5 nmpg in a 285 hp IO 520. If I was willing to slow down to 140 or so, I bet I could get up to 18 or 19 nmpg.

-Felix
 
Bill,

I'm local and would be happy to fly your airplane for you so it gets some use. I'd even be willing to pay for the fuel, and the difference in insurance premiums (Lots of retract time and turbocharged experience but no Commander time yet).
 
Now that you are on the subject, I just figured it out for the Tripacer, @ 16.5 mpg, sm. and that is on auto fuel.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Interesting thread!

Diamond DA40: 16 nmpg
Mooney M20K 252: 13 nmpg
F33 Bonanza: 11 nmpg
Cirrus SR22: 8 nmpg

NOTE: the MPG figures above are nautical miles per gallon not statute miles per gallon you would get in a car. Here's the conversion to Statute MPG: Diamond: 18 SMPG; Mooney 15 SMPG; Bonanza 13 SMPG; Cirrus: 9 SMPG.

Source: http://n252q.blogspot.com/2008/01/mooneyis-it-really-best.html
Click to expand...

The numbers aren't right. Diamond DA40 book values are 143 knots on 9.5 gallons per hour, or 15 NMPG. And getting that speed requires a clean airplane in good rig - I get about 136-138 or so in the rental DA40. That wing is really sensitive to bugs.
 
Ignorance is a terrible thing- when I get my plane back from the shop after the WAAS upgrade, I will have (for the first time) the JPI FS450 cross-linked to the Garmin 430W; does that mean I'll be able to get a real-time MPG reading?
 
SCCutler said:
Ignorance is a terrible thing- when I get my plane back from the shop after the WAAS upgrade, I will have (for the first time) the JPI FS450 cross-linked to the Garmin 430W; does that mean I'll be able to get a real-time MPG reading?
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Not sure about the 450, but with a 700... yes.
 
SCCutler said:
Ignorance is a terrible thing- when I get my plane back from the shop after the WAAS upgrade, I will have (for the first time) the JPI FS450 cross-linked to the Garmin 430W; does that mean I'll be able to get a real-time MPG reading?
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I don't think you will get MPG, You will get NMPG :D
 
bjohnson said:
I don't think you will get MPG, You will get NMPG :D
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I just got back from flying the Mooney to Cocoa Beach and back for the holiday, and the JPI was showing 15.5 - 18.5nmpg depending on wind. So, that works out to 17.8 - 21.2 smpg. Not shabby for a 155kt airplane.

My 4x4 truck eats 0.257/mi in gas, the Mooney eats 0.282/mi in gas. No brainer, for an extra 0.025/mi, I'll fly, thanks.

Although not the plane for everyone, the higher gas goes, the happier I am we chose Mooney.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Although not the plane for everyone, the higher gas goes, the happier I am we chose Mooney.
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C'mon Bill. Now's your chance to get a Commander. You know you want one after sitting in mine at the RDU BBQ last fall! :)


-Rich
 
mikea said:
(e.g. I told the guy with the mower that I had a plane next door. He had no idea there's a an airport nearby. I'm convinced he thinks I'm insane, as in, delusional about having a plane. I'm convinced that some of my neighbors think so, too.)
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That just screams, Take 'em flying! This is an awesome opportunity for you to win some new GA converts.
 
It sure sounds like we're getting into justifying the flying, which I've always thought is a futile exercise. there will always be a cheaper way to get there, but the destination for me is often only part of it.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Interesting thread!

Diamond DA40: 16 nmpg
Mooney M20K 252: 13 nmpg
F33 Bonanza: 11 nmpg
Cirrus SR22: 8 nmpg

NOTE: the MPG figures above are nautical miles per gallon not statute miles per gallon you would get in a car. Here's the conversion to Statute MPG: Diamond: 18 SMPG; Mooney 15 SMPG; Bonanza 13 SMPG; Cirrus: 9 SMPG.

Source: http://n252q.blogspot.com/2008/01/mooneyis-it-really-best.html
Click to expand...

Even those numbers are not going to be right all the time. GTG to BCK by road is 180 miles by air 120. From memory but it is close. I can fly it for the same amount of fuel as I can drive it in the Blazer or van. My wife can drive the Malibu for less gallons than I can fly. Go out to NC and it will take 3 hrs to go the same distance as a 10 min flight.

Dan
 
Interesting thread...

Quick and dirty on the RV: 16nm/gal @ 160kts @ 10gph (usually run a little faster and a little less fuel if I play my cards right, but these are average numbers for our trips)
99 VW Passat: 25smpg = 21.25nmpg at interstate cruise (75mph)

Standard trip for us: Ames, Iowa to Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Google Maps driving: 757 sm = 643.45 nm (actual drive travel time of about 12hrs)
GPS Direct Flying: 518.4 nm (actual travel time of about 3.25hrs)

RV 100LL~ $5.00/gal / 16nmpg * 518.4nm = $162
Car Gas~ $3.95/gal / 21.25nmpg * 643.45nm = $120 + (2 meals * 2 people = ~$30) = $150

So for ~$12, I cut off 9 hrs of travel time when I could be working (actually MAKING $$) + the unquantifiable value of not being dead tired and full of road rage when arriving at the destination.

Yeah... I think I'll stick with flying for a while. ;) Even throwing in cost of ownership can be offset somewhat with the extra time that can be spent on the job (if one makes enough $$ at said job ;))
 
I saw 21 NMPG at 170 TAS 225 GS yesterday. That's an astonishing 24 SMPG! Beat that, Mooney drivers! :D

-Felix
 
Heck, I get 19.8 NMPG out of my Zodiac. (115 KTAS, 5.8 GPH, both real world numbers.)
 
jmaynard said:
Heck, I get 19.8 NMPG out of my Zodiac. (115 KTAS, 5.8 GPH, both real world numbers.)
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My 60-year old Ercoupe is getting 21.6 mpg...

(95 mph/4.4 gph)

Dunno about dem "nautical" miles -- old airplanes use REAL miles as a baseline. No "boat stuff" for us!

:goofy:

Of course, we don't want to talk about Atlas' (our '74 Cherokee Pathfinder) miles per gallon... Best guess is around 10.5 nmpg...

:no:
 
The 1947 Bonanza with E-185-1, Electric prop, no speed mods, etc burns 7-9 GPH @ 140-160 MPH (old gauges, too!)

I haven't done the MPG calculation for any trip yet, but it sure is an efficient bird!
 
Jay Honeck said:
My 60-year old Ercoupe is getting 21.6 mpg...

(95 mph/4.4 gph)

Dunno about dem "nautical" miles -- old airplanes use REAL miles as a baseline. No "boat stuff" for us!
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Okkay, just for you alter kackers, 19.8 NMPG is 22.78 SMPG. B)
 
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