Me too... plus the arguments about partnership. Our plane has three people in
on it. Big expenses are split so they don't hurt quite as much. Also, you're a lot
more likely to find a slightly higher class IFR-equipped plane (think Cherokee
140/180) that doesn't have some major issues for $35-40k that you can split with a
partner than you are to find a solid low-end (think IFR Cessna 152) one for $25k.

As far as direct operating expenses... I flew to see my sister last weekend.
It was 400 nm round trip, beautiful VFR. Cost me 32 gallons ($50 here) of cargas
(Cherokee 5D 180... I flew slowly). I certainly wouldn't have done it on a whim if I
was shelling out $90/hour "direct" operating cost (probably $350 total) for renting.

It's the intangibles of ownership that make it worthwhile. Of course it can
screw you, but a partner helps with little degradation in availability.

-Cory

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
: That is pretty much exactly how I would state my reasoning for owning
: (which I don't, yet).

: My motive for owning was not to save money. Instead, because my direct
: hourly operating cost is now much lower, psychologically I feel free
: to fly whenever and how often I want, without worrying about the
: dollars per hour of that flying. I now fly a lot more and have a lot
: more fun at it.

--
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* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
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