GA Flying Down 20%

On May 31, 8:05 am, Jay Honeck wrote:


"The good news: the number of GA accidents in 2006 declined to 1,515
from the 1,669 accidente in 2005. The bad news: The NTSB reports that
part of the decline was due to the steady decrease in the amount of GA
activity. Since 1990, says the Safety Board, GA hours flown each year
have declined, totalling a 20% drop".


Just look at the drops of avgas consumption:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/a403600001m.htm

Just look at the drops of avgas consumption:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/a403600001m.htm

Oh, my God. That is incredible. And awful.

I wonder if those sales figures from the 1980s included military
aircraft? There used to be lots of military hardware burning avgas
-- not any more...

If not? Holy moley...GA really is dead.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
We were the ONLY airplane flying, at either airport. I heard a couple of
planes at distant airports on 122.8 -- but that's it.


I was at our EAA Hangar from noon till 5pm today. We had the doors open and
were out on the cement slab for much of the time ...working (mostly).

I saw:
Four corporate-type jets take off
An OV-1 Mohawk, from American Wings Museum, flew around
A biplane was taxiing - never did see it in the air
Maybe five Cessnas and a Beech flew past our spot

All in all, it was a pretty quiet afternoon. The tower log might prove me
wrong, those are the planes I remember seeing - that's all. Like I said,
quiet.

http://www.goldenwingsmuseum.com/Photo's/Stin.%20A%20Flgt%20-%201a.jpg
Across the parking lot from us, this guy was pushed out onto the ramp, for a
little flying time. It never did get into the air, today. Drat.

Yes, I was available for a ride!


Montblack

Ken Finney writes:

There is a reason millionaires are millionaires. The ones I know recycle
their aluminum cans for the money and will always stop to pick up a penny.

Additionally, millionaires are no longer rich, so they may have to recycle
their aluminum cans.

"Jay Honeck" wrote

Oh, my God. That is incredible. And awful.

I wonder if those sales figures from the 1980s included military
aircraft? There used to be lots of military hardware burning avgas
-- not any more...

If not? Holy moley...GA really is dead.

But, don't forget. There is a hell of a lot of mogas being burned now,
where there was mostly all avgas being used, back then.
--
Jim in NC

On May 31, 1:32 pm, "Dan Luke" wrote:
"Jim Logajan" wrote:
It does seem that there's an awful lot of used airplanes on the market
now. Anybody know how to find out statistics on this?

I have no answer for size of used market, but this web site has links to
trends in the size of new aircraft market:

http://www.gama.aero/home.php

It says shipments of new piston aircraft are down nearly 8%. Somewat ominous
in light of the fact that the last time the stock markets were this hot,
airplanes were selling like hotcakes.

--
Dan
? at BFM

The stock market is hot because companies are in cost cutting mode,
laying off americans and sending jobs overseas. At the same time,
they have succeeded in keeping salaries flat while inflation marches
on... Its great for short-term investors but hell for the middle
class.

On May 31, 8:29 pm, Jay Honeck wrote:

I wonder if those sales figures from the 1980s included military
aircraft? There used to be lots of military hardware burning avgas
-- not any more...

I don't think the Military had active duty piston engine aircrafts in
the 1980s. It was all GA.


If not? Holy moley...GA really is dead.


If ethanol-compatible mogas burning LSAs don't catch on in the next
few years, then you're right. Piston powered GA doesn't have much
future left. I consider myself the last generation of piston GA
flyers, and I'm putting 200hr a year right now on my mogas burning
Grumman to catch some last epic flying. One day I'll probably hang up
my wings, at least I'll have a thousand or two hours of flying memory
to remember.

On May 31, 9:31 pm, "Morgans" wrote:


But, don't forget. There is a hell of a lot of mogas being burned now,
where there was mostly all avgas being used, back then.

I wonder if there's any statistics on this. I know I'm burning mogas
in my plane like no tomorrow. It's a psychological thing, like
reverse commute and watching people stuck on the freeway in the
opposite direction. Mogas at AWO is $3.81 right now, but compared to
100LL's $4.82 it's a steal, and I can't fly enough of it before it'll
go even higher next year.

In article .com,
M wrote:
On May 31, 8:29 pm, Jay Honeck wrote:

I wonder if those sales figures from the 1980s included military
aircraft? There used to be lots of military hardware burning avgas
-- not any more...

I don't think the Military had active duty piston engine aircrafts in
the 1980s. It was all GA.

One thing to consider is old frieght dogs changing from piston
powered beasts to turbine monsters. A Twin Beech or DC-3 burns
quite a bit of fuel.

One stat I've seen, but can't source right now, is that $bignum
percent of piston engines could run on a 95UL fuel (basically a
super premium blend of mogas), but the majority of avgas burnt goes
into the $smallnum percent of engines that can't burn 95UL and need
100 octane. I wonder if that stat is still true, with there being
a lot less big piston aircraft out there now.

John
--
John Clear - http://www.clear-prop.org/

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Ken Finney writes:

There is a reason millionaires are millionaires. The ones I know
recycle their aluminum cans for the money and will always stop to
pick up a penny.

Additionally, millionaires are no longer rich, so they may have to
recycle their aluminum cans.


You're an idiot.

bertei