USA Today .. Positive GA Pub

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

That's still $200,000. For most people, it might as well be
$200,000,000.

Certainly for people who earn $100/wk tutoring that's true.

In 2004 the median US Income was reported as $43,389. Certainly someone
earning $43,389 might have trouble paying for a $200,000 loan for a Cessna
172SP, unless he planned to make it into a 30 year mortgage.

However, he would probably be able to afford the loan on a used model 172
that he bought through www.aso.com for $34,500 - the lowest priced 172
currently listed there. With $4,500 down, the monthly payment for a 7 year
loan on the balance would be about $450/month.

I know several people who earn about that and pay more for their car...

Judah writes:

In 2004 the median US Income was reported as $43,389. Certainly someone
earning $43,389 might have trouble paying for a $200,000 loan for a Cessna
172SP, unless he planned to make it into a 30 year mortgage.

However, he would probably be able to afford the loan on a used model 172
that he bought through www.aso.com for $34,500 - the lowest priced 172
currently listed there. With $4,500 down, the monthly payment for a 7 year
loan on the balance would be about $450/month.

I know several people who earn about that and pay more for their car...

They get a lot more use out of their car than they could ever get out
of an aircraft.

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Mxsmanic wrote in
:

They get a lot more use out of their car than they could ever get out
of an aircraft.

Irrelevant.

Judah writes:

Irrelevant.

You think that the amount of money a person spends on something should
be uncorrelated with the use he gets out of it?

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Mxsmanic wrote in
news
You think that the amount of money a person spends on something should
be uncorrelated with the use he gets out of it?

People spend similar amounts of money on cigarettes. I believe a plane is
more useful than cigarettes.

People spend less money on childbirth. I believe a child is more useful than
a car, a plane, or a cigarette.

But value is personal. And spending priorities even moreso. What you or I
think about how someone else should spend their money is irrelevant.

I'm not suggesting that everyone who makes $50,000 / yr should go out and buy
a plane. I'm merely pointing out the absurdity of your suggestion that most
people don't have the option.

Judah writes:

People spend similar amounts of money on cigarettes. I believe a plane is
more useful than cigarettes.

Not to heavy smokers.

People spend less money on childbirth. I believe a child is more useful than
a car, a plane, or a cigarette.

Useful? I suppose if there are no child labor laws.

But value is personal. And spending priorities even moreso. What you or I
think about how someone else should spend their money is irrelevant.

The problem is that people who don't share your preferences may find
them unacceptable or excessive. So it might not be a good idea to
advertise them.

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Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Judah writes:

People spend similar amounts of money on cigarettes. I believe a plane
is more useful than cigarettes.

Not to heavy smokers.

Exactly - beauty is in the eyes of the beholder...

People spend less money on childbirth. I believe a child is more useful
than a car, a plane, or a cigarette.

Useful? I suppose if there are no child labor laws.

Again, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder...

But value is personal. And spending priorities even moreso. What you or
I think about how someone else should spend their money is irrelevant.

The problem is that people who don't share your preferences may find
them unacceptable or excessive. So it might not be a good idea to
advertise them.

No, the problem is that YOU don't share my preferences and find them
unacceptable or excessive. And you think that the rest of the world feels
the same way as you "because it's obvious" to you.

But the fact is that there are hundreds of millions of people in the US,
and perhaps 6 Billion in the world, and you have no idea what their
priorities are, or what they value.

Perhaps there are people out there who have dreamt about flying since they
were little boys or girls, but never heard of GA, and didn't know they
could just hop on over to the airport and learn to fly. Perhaps they were
never exposed to a story like the one in USA today.

Is that so far-fetched?