Almost saw someone crash

Finally, you NEED that Toyota (or equivalent) unless you live
someplace like New York City (where the cheapest tiedown in reasonable
driving distance is $250/month) and the C-150 is discretionary.

Here's where your logic falters: You don't NEED a *new* Toyota.

I drive a '95 Nissan pickup that cost me $1800. I put a fuel transfer tank
in the back that allows me to safely transfer and dispense filtered auto gas
into my '74 Cherokee Pathfinder (235). (See it at
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/fuel_truck.htm )

At a savings of one dollar per gallon (versus avgas), my pickup (AKA: "The
Mighty Grape") has more than paid for itself. In fact, I've now saved over
$1200 in gas expense alone, beyond the cost of the truck, simply by burning
car gas. And the plane runs better.

AND I get to drive the truck back and forth to work every day.

Now, if I were to buy a nice new Lexus (or the equivalent), I could EASILY
spend more per month than I am now spending on flying, just on the monthly
loan payment, insurance, and gas. Throw in an expensive hobby like golf,
and you've got the lifestyle of many of my neighbors -- all of whom think I
must be a millionaire because I own my own airplane.

Do the math. It's pretty easy to see that private flying is well within the
means of many millions of Americans who simply think it's beyond their
reach.

Spread the gospel! :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

[snip]

Do the math. It's pretty easy to see that private flying is well within the
means of many millions of Americans who simply think it's beyond their
reach.

Spread the gospel! :-)

Hell, no! I've seen the way most of them drive! :-)



--
Remove "2PLANES" to reply.

Hell, no! I've seen the way most of them drive! :-)

Ah, now we're into a different vein. The question is now: "SHOULD we be
trying to grow general aviation?"

Which is a totally different question than "Is it affordable?", but the
answer is still a resounding "Yes!"

If we don't try to grow it, in 25 years there won't *be* any general
aviation left to save...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

Finally, you NEED that Toyota (or equivalent) unless you live
someplace like New York City (where the cheapest tiedown in reasonable
driving distance is $250/month) and the C-150 is discretionary.

Here's where your logic falters: You don't NEED a *new* Toyota.

A single professional commuting to work in New Jersey NEEDS a dependable car. That
means one with less than about 60 grand on the clock. If his boss can remember when
the first time he broke down was the second time he broke down, he'll be looking for
a job. It's an absolute job requirement that a single commuter will be trading in his
car about the time he gets it paid off or, better yet, leasing one and never owning
one at all.

Things change once you become a two-car household.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

In article , G.R. Patterson III wrote:
A single professional commuting to work in New Jersey NEEDS a dependable car.

Many older cars are very dependable. The last car I had that *wasn't*
dependable was a 1969 Mini (which I did make dependable in the end when
I learned that you have to replace the points and condenser each oil
change, and waterproof the distributor, and put a battery that was less
than 10 years old in it, owning a car older than you are teaches you
things)

I've not had a car actually break down and leave me at the roadside
since 1994, and I've only owned used vehicles.

A modern turbodiesel should be good for 200-300K miles. My Dad's last
turbodiesel Peugeot lasted 350K miles and was dependable.

Whatever car you own, if your job depends on 100% uptime of your
vehicle, you better have an alternate lined up. Even new cars have been
known to break down.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote:
If his boss can remember when
the first time he broke down was the second time
he broke down...

It's an absolute job requirement that a single commuter
will be trading in his car about the time he gets it paid off ...

?
What have you been driving, George, Jaguars?

I get rid of a car at ~100,00 miles . On occasion, I dropped each of my
last three cars off at the shop for repairs while I was at work, but
none of them ever "broke down."

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

"Dan Luke" wrote What have you been driving,
George, Jaguars?

I get rid of a car at ~100,00 miles . On occasion, I dropped each of my
last three cars off at the shop for repairs while I was at work, but
none of them ever "broke down."

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


Really! I drive a work type cargo van that has 220k miles on it. It only
has failed to deliver me to my destination 2 times. One was an electric
fuel pump that quit suddenly, and one was an alternator failure that the
driver (me) failed to notice.
--
Jim in NC


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Morgans wrote:

Really! I drive a work type cargo van that has 220k miles on it. It only
has failed to deliver me to my destination 2 times.

The race does not always go to the swiftest, but that's the way to bet, and betting
that a van like that will keep going is stupid. If you were single and worked for
Telcordia, AT&T, Johnson&Johnson, or any of many other outfits, you would really be
gambling on keeping your job.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...


Morgans wrote:

Really! I drive a work type cargo van that has 220k miles on it. It
only
has failed to deliver me to my destination 2 times.

The race does not always go to the swiftest, but that's the way to bet,
and betting
that a van like that will keep going is stupid. If you were single and
worked for
Telcordia, AT&T, Johnson&Johnson, or any of many other outfits, you would
really be
gambling on keeping your job.

George Patterson

Bull! It has had frequent maintenance, major and minor parts replaced, and
the engine rebuilt once. Things seldom break without warning. The GM 350
is about as tough of an engine that has ever been built. I'll stack it up
against any foreign crap for reliability, anytime.

Did you read my post? Only TWO letdowns, in 250 k! That is not to say I
have not had to take it out of service for a few days, to fix stuff. I do
nearly all the work myself, and am well familiar with it's condition.

I'm shooting for 500 k. g
--
Jim in NC P.S. I'll see you at OSH, this year in it!


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Morgans wrote:

Did you read my post? Only TWO letdowns, in 250 k!

Yeah, I read it, and I still say you're a lucky man. One shouldn't gamble on getting
that sort of performance.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.