On Jun 19, 8:42 am, "Peter R." wrote:
On 6/19/2007 12:17:16 AM, Jay Honeck wrote:

I don't know an average person's income versus 20 years ago, but I do
know that you can buy a nice Cherokee 140 for about $30K.

As you know, but for the benefit of those who don't own, operating costs for
older aircraft become more of a barrier than acquisition cost.

Right. For example I've run the numbers on various AOPA sweepstakes
planes and come to the conclusion that I couldn't afford one even it
it was given to me.

Acquisition cost of a very low-end plane may be comparable to a high-
end car. But the cost of keeping it is way out of the ballpark. In
six years of owning my Lexus, which cost about the same to acquire as
an entry-level used Cherokee, I've only had to spend $1K on
maintenance once -- a 90K service that included a new timing belt and
water pump. My "required annual" is a state emissions inspection at
$30 a pop. And I don't have to rent a place to keep it. And it
costs a lot less to insure than... well, you get the picture. Saying
that a plane costs about the same as a high-end vehicle is simply
wrong. It's way more. Not even close.