Maybe I'm Just Cheap?

E

EminiTrader

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Emini Trader
Sitting here in front of my computer keeping an eye on the markets and I get an email from Fidelis Aviation (I used them once when I was broke down).

For $1500 I can buy a VIP Package that gets me the following:

4 Labor free oil changes per year - SAVING ME $150 per change
2 free dry washes per year - savings of $900
4 Free interior cleanings - savings of $700
and some more bs they threw in. No call out fees on weekends and something else irrelevant.

I thought HOLY S**T!! This is what I do:
My own oil changes - 7 quarts of Aeroshell, 1 pint camguard, 1 oil filter - about $100 bucks - total time - one hour.

After every flight I wipe down the leading edges with WashWax (or whatever its called) - 10 minutes. But every month I do wipe down the whole plane and coat with Rejex. If I am feeling really froggy I'll put some of LoPrestis Speed Coat on top of the Rejex - total time maybe 2 hours.

Interior - I do the windows, and vacuum. Total time - 20 minutes.

I just dont see the $1495 value here.... now I do change my oil every 30 hours (its about the cheapest thing I do on my plane) and I flew 300 hours in 2014 so a lot of oil changes!

Am I just an old cheap SOB ? Is there value here? I know some have the attitude if it's a Cirrus the owners gotta be rich. but not me.. I do whatever I can to save a buck! I eat mac and cheese to save for 100LL... :)
 
Your math looks correct to me. Of course, if you had a Challenger BizJet, that $1500 might look like a bargain.
 
EminiTrader said:
Am I just an old cheap SOB ? Is there value here? I know some have the attitude if it's a Cirrus the owners gotta be rich. but not me.. I do whatever I can to save a buck! I eat mac and cheese to save for 100LL... :)
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There is, for the "time is money" set that can make far more money than that in the time it would take them to service/clean their own aircraft.

Most of us hobby spam can drivers are not in that set.
 
Bill Jennings said:
There is, for the "time is money" set that can make far more money than that in the time it would take them to service/clean their own aircraft.

Most of us hobby spam can drivers are not in that set.
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Nobody who 'makes' that amount of money per hour is actually spending their time 'making it' (except maybe counterfeiters ;)), they have other people making it for them, usually lots of them. Most guys sitting around on their yachts doing blow and screwing hookers are 'making money' and lots of it at the same time.
 
Henning said:
Nobody who 'makes' that amount of money per hour is actually spending their time 'making it' (except maybe counterfeiters ;)), they have other people making it for them, usually lots of them. Most guys sitting around on their yachts doing blow and screwing hookers are 'making money' and lots of it at the same time.
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Every time you say "hookers and blow" a tooth decayed Charlie Sheen image pops into my head.
 
bnt83 said:
Every time you say "hookers and blow" a tooth decayed Charlie Sheen image pops into my head.
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It's not an entirely inaccurate image.:rofl: Most of these guys are a far cry from being "The Beautiful People.":lol:
 
I would agree with your math, however "value" is relative and it just depends whom you are dealing with whether that is perceived as a value.
 
Henning said:
Nobody who 'makes' that amount of money per hour is actually spending their time 'making it' (except maybe counterfeiters ;)), they have other people making it for them, usually lots of them. Most guys sitting around on their yachts doing blow and screwing hookers are 'making money' and lots of it at the same time.
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Yeah, but my point is, those people have no qualms over paying guys like you to sweat (what is to them) the small stuff.

Everything in life is relative.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Yeah, but my point is, those people have no qualms over paying guys like you to sweat (what is to them) the small stuff.

Everything in life is relative.
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Well, not the 'small stuff' they don't pay my rates for that.:lol: Usually I don't get called until they are looking at dealing with big ticket issues or safety of their life issues. Otherwise they hire the cheapest person they can find. Usually several of them have been gone through by the time I get a call. Sometimes they balk at my rate and I tell them to hire someone cheaper. Since they are calling me because they already did that and they have the results to show for it they need squared away, it usually ends the negotiations at that point and I'm on the next flight out.
 
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Well... I can see the time is money value. Lord knows it is. But it seems to me that some things are simply overpriced. A Cirrus SC quoted me about 500 for an oil change. I nearly spit out my coffee.

I am a neophyte and can do an oil change in under one hour... so again, time IS money - but I still wouldn't pay that much for an oil change :)

I also enjoy learning and doing some of this stuff.. When I had my Sea Ray I would wax that thing every few months and on a lazy afternoon on the water - everyone is drinking and tanning but I am cleaning and polishing :)
 
According to my math, that works out to about $300 an oil change. That's not too outrageous, although like you, I'll do it myself.

With costs, that works out to about $200, or 2 hours of shop time. Considering it takes every bit of an hour to open up, drain, replace, refill, cut and inspect filter, take sample, test run-up, replace cowling, clean up and complete paperwork. Some of that time may require a helper. Considering it's a small job, two hours of labor is not out of line.
 
I appreciate everyone's input... I guess as Bullwinkle said - if I had a challenger - yaeh maybe.. but I guess i'll not join the VIP status club and continue to clean my own plane!
 
EminiTrader said:
Sitting here in front of my computer keeping an eye on the markets and I get an email from Fidelis Aviation (I used them once when I was broke down).

For $1500 I can buy a VIP Package that gets me the following:

4 Labor free oil changes per year - SAVING ME $150 per change
2 free dry washes per year - savings of $900
4 Free interior cleanings - savings of $700
and some more bs they threw in. No call out fees on weekends and something else irrelevant.

I thought HOLY S**T!! This is what I do:
My own oil changes - 7 quarts of Aeroshell, 1 pint camguard, 1 oil filter - about $100 bucks - total time - one hour.

After every flight I wipe down the leading edges with WashWax (or whatever its called) - 10 minutes. But every month I do wipe down the whole plane and coat with Rejex. If I am feeling really froggy I'll put some of LoPrestis Speed Coat on top of the Rejex - total time maybe 2 hours.

Interior - I do the windows, and vacuum. Total time - 20 minutes.

I just dont see the $1495 value here.... now I do change my oil every 30 hours (its about the cheapest thing I do on my plane) and I flew 300 hours in 2014 so a lot of oil changes!

Am I just an old cheap SOB ? Is there value here? I know some have the attitude if it's a Cirrus the owners gotta be rich. but not me.. I do whatever I can to save a buck! I eat mac and cheese to save for 100LL... :)
Click to expand...

I hear ya, I'm about 100 bucks per oil change myself.

Probably thought you were a DIFM (Do It For Me) type.

Emails like that are why I have a SPAM filter.
 
I'm having a hard time figuring out how any of that stuff is "free" if I just gave them fifteen hundred bucks :dunno:
 
EminiTrader said:
... Am I just an old cheap SOB ? ... I do whatever I can to save a buck! ...
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Be proud of it! Read Millionaire Next Door and you'll feel even better, realizing that you are not alone. Being cheap may not make us millionaires but it is guaranteed that we will have more money than those who waste theirs on "free" things like this "VIP Package." To the FBO, VIP probably means "Very Ignorant Pigeon."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Millionaire_Next_Door
 
airdale said:
Be proud of it! Read Millionaire Next Door and you'll feel even better, realizing that you are not alone. Being cheap may not make us millionaires but it is guaranteed that we will have more money than those who waste theirs on "free" things like this "VIP Package." At the FBO, VIP probably means "Very Ignorant Pigeon."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Millionaire_Next_Door
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Good point, and good book! I consider myself pretty financial savvy. Right up until I bought a Cirrus.. and now that I want another... so yaeh I gotta save wherever I can!
 
I took a case of oil and a filter to my mechanic for the first oil change, plus $40.


I got back 1 qt of oil unopened and an airplane with new oil and a new filter installed, plus a signature in a logbook.

I wanted to do it myself, but, $40 was too good of a bargain to pass up for the use of my time.
 
JoseCuervo said:
I took a case of oil and a filter to my mechanic for the first oil change, plus $40.


I got back 1 qt of oil unopened and an airplane with new oil and a new filter installed, plus a signature in a logbook.

I wanted to do it myself, but, $40 was too good of a bargain to pass up for the use of my time.
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Yaeh for 40 bucks I'd do the same thing :)
 
All depends on what your finances and schedule allow. If you fly your plane for business and fly customers in it, you may not have the time to do those items yourself, and it could be worthwhile.

Most people on here enjoy their planes and fly more for personal reasons, so we more make the time to participate.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
All depends on what your finances and schedule allow. If you fly your plane for business and fly customers in it, you may not have the time to do those items yourself, and it could be worthwhile.

Most people on here enjoy their planes and fly more for personal reasons, so we more make the time to participate.
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I wish I could fly it for business... but all fun and games for me :) At least until I run out of money... :)
 
Well Emini, it appears that I am one of your fellow "cheapskates." I do everything myself that I can possibly do. The annual inspections are done by my mechanic, but I even participate heavily in that.

Two reasons for my approach; keep the flying experience affordable as I enter my retirement years and to be intimately knowledgeable when it comes to the condition of the aircraft that I trust with the lives of myself and my lovely wife.
 
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MBDiagMan said:
Well Emini, it appears that I am one of your fellow "cheapskates." I do everything myself that I can possibly do. The annual inspections are done by my mechanic, but I even participate heavily in that.

Two reasons for my approach; keep the flying experience affordable as I enter my retirement years and to intimately knowledgeable when it comes to the condition of the aircraft I trust to be safe for myself and my lovely wife.
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Two VERY good points sir!! In fact I think I'll go clean the ole plane this afternoon after I fly around on some of that cheap fuel we're enjoying in Florida :)
 
Yep Emini, it looks as if you're not far away from some $3.62 100LL. There's a popular fuel up spot in this area that was at $3.30 as of a few days ago.
 
MBDiagMan said:
Well Emini, it appears that I am one of your fellow "cheapskates." I do everything myself that I can possibly do. The annual inspections are done by my mechanic, but I even participate heavily in that.

Two reasons for my approach; keep the flying experience affordable as I enter my retirement years and to be intimately knowledgeable when it comes to the condition of the aircraft that I trust with the lives of myself and my lovely wife.
Click to expand...

Normally I do as well, but with the 310 I just didn't have the ability since I was working overseas and wanted to fly it when I was on break, not work on it. Even so, and with an average 40hrs a year utilization and playing some catch up engine maintenance since they sat 12 & 13 years as fresh/low time engines, I didn't do too bad on cost per hour competing, often favorably, with the cost of operating an SR-22 having similar capability. Since that's the only competitive plane I would have been happy with and I couldn't afford to get into one, I figure I came out OK.

If the job situation hadn't changed, I would have flown it three times as much seriously reducing the per hour costs.

Actually flying it cost 75¢ per knot, per hour even with expensive fuel.
 
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Ill tell you one thing. If you own a plane everyone thinks you have a lot of money. But the truth is, if you own a plane, you USED to have a lot of money :)
 
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