Sun N Fun '07 Redux

TP

When I flew the Merlin (P-51) we burned in the low 60GPH for normal
cruise. At a low crusie we could get down into the high 50's GPH. Take
a flight of 1000 miles to get there and 4-5 hours each way and any
flying at air show you can get an idea of just fuel costs to attend.

It's a sorry state but looks like there will be less and less war
birds at shows ( They are being priced out of the picture.

Big John
************************************************** ***********8

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:11:38 GMT, "muff528"
wrote:


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...

I understand costs are high, but SNF needs to take the "long view" of
this thing. If, as some have stated, SNF attendance has been
dropping, the organizers need to understand two simple things about
airshow crowds:

1. They want warbirds.
2. They won't come back if there aren't warbirds present.


Yes, as a spectator I tend to agree with that.
Also, in past years SNF was scheduled, by design
or by chance, to coincide with the MacDill Airfest.
SNF was treated to some high profile fly-bys by
a/c associated with the Airfest. I really was surprised
to see visits from some of these "exotics" at SNF this
year since the two events were seperated by a couple
of weeks. I think this really says something about how
the military values the SNF. Additionally, I used to
see some of the same vintage warbirds at both events.

I also understand that it is easy for me to complain
and whine about the low attendance numbers for
vintage warbirds, many of which are privately owned
and operated, when I'm not the one paying for
their fuel and maintenance.

TP

"Big John" wrote in message
...
TP

When I flew the Merlin (P-51) we burned in the low 60GPH for normal
cruise. At a low crusie we could get down into the high 50's GPH. Take
a flight of 1000 miles to get there and 4-5 hours each way and any
flying at air show you can get an idea of just fuel costs to attend.

It's a sorry state but looks like there will be less and less war
birds at shows ( They are being priced out of the picture.

Big John

Yes, that adds up fast.........and I can just imagine 4 big radials sucking
gas and oil on that 1000 mile trip! Jay has a point that the event
organizers
should look at the long term benefits of maybe subsidizing some of the
warbirds' appearances. Only problem is you then have the organizers
playing favorites with their choices of who gets what. Decisions would
likely be based on friendships, nepotism, and proximity to the show and some
who already have major investments in their airplanes would still have to
pay their own way or stay home.
Tony P.

When I flew the Merlin (P-51) we burned in the low 60GPH for normal
cruise. At a low crusie we could get down into the high 50's GPH. Take
a flight of 1000 miles to get there and 4-5 hours each way and any
flying at air show you can get an idea of just fuel costs to attend.

Let's see, that's about $240 per hour for fuel. The P-51 alone now
costs over $1 million, and is almost completely useless outside of
being extremely, almost painfully cool to own.

For some reason, I hope that a guy who can afford to own an utterly
useless $1 million dollar plane can probably afford to **** away $240
per hour to fly it.

Maybe I'm getting too cynical in my dotage, but I think there must be
more to the warbird no-show at SNF than economics. Someone forgot to
butter someone's bread, and they simply stayed home, despite perfect
weather.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ps.com...
Maybe I'm getting too cynical in my dotage, but I think there must be
more to the warbird no-show at SNF than economics. Someone forgot to
butter someone's bread, and they simply stayed home, despite perfect
weather.

I agree with the missing butter theory. On the Saturday right before SnF,
Kermit Week's hosted a Mustang's and Mustang's show and Fantasy of Flight. I
didn't go but I flew over the field. There were thousands of people there.
The parking lot looked full. The ramp area was packed with both P-51s and
Fords.

So, economics of travel was certainly not a part of them not showing up.
They could have hung around and spent some time at SnF, if they had wanted
to. Not only did they not do a fly by but they weren't even on the flight
line. All I saw was the pair of acro Mustang's.

Disclaimer: If they were there and I missed them, then never mind!
--
-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK

I agree with the missing butter theory. On the Saturday right before SnF,
Kermit Week's hosted a Mustang's and Mustang's show and Fantasy of Flight. I
didn't go but I flew over the field. There were thousands of people there.
The parking lot looked full. The ramp area was packed with both P-51s and
Fords.

Interesting bringing up Kermit Weeks. Mary and I tried to find our
way to his nearby "Fantasy of Flight" museum during the week, and were
astounded to find that there was NO shuttle bus from the SNF grounds
to his museum. NONE.

Not for any price -- which seemed really, really weird. I figured
there must be bad blood between them.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article . com,
Jay Honeck wrote:

Interesting bringing up Kermit Weeks. Mary and I tried to find our
way to his nearby "Fantasy of Flight" museum during the week, and were
astounded to find that there was NO shuttle bus from the SNF grounds
to his museum. NONE.

That's quite a ways away.
Fantasy of Flight is southwest of Disney World.
That's on the west side of Orlando.
That's about 60 miles away.
Not really a shuttle ride away.

"john smith" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
Jay Honeck wrote:

Interesting bringing up Kermit Weeks. Mary and I tried to find our
way to his nearby "Fantasy of Flight" museum during the week, and were
astounded to find that there was NO shuttle bus from the SNF grounds
to his museum. NONE.

That's quite a ways away.
Fantasy of Flight is southwest of Disney World.
That's on the west side of Orlando.
That's about 60 miles away.
Not really a shuttle ride away.

It is about 22 miles from Lakeland Linder to Fantasy of Flight by road (per
mapquest). I didn't realize how close it was until Sunday. I flew over to
Winter Haven from SnF on Sunday morning. Winter Haven is nautical NE of
Lakeland Linder. There I picked up a buddy and gave him a good ride in the
RV. About 10 miles NNW of Winter Haven, I saw a Lockheed Constellation out
in the middle of a grass field, which caused me to do a double take... I'd
accidentally found Fantasy of Flight from the air...

KB

"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
. ..

"john smith" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
Jay Honeck wrote:

Interesting bringing up Kermit Weeks. Mary and I tried to find our
way to his nearby "Fantasy of Flight" museum during the week, and were
astounded to find that there was NO shuttle bus from the SNF grounds
to his museum. NONE.

That's quite a ways away.
Fantasy of Flight is southwest of Disney World.
That's on the west side of Orlando.
That's about 60 miles away.
Not really a shuttle ride away.

It is about 22 miles from Lakeland Linder to Fantasy of Flight by road
(per mapquest). I didn't realize how close it was until Sunday. I flew
over to Winter Haven from SnF on Sunday morning. Winter Haven is

18 nautical miles NE of


Lakeland Linder. There I picked up a buddy and gave him a good ride in the
RV. About 10 miles NNW of Winter Haven, I saw a Lockheed Constellation
out in the middle of a grass field, which caused me to do a double take...
I'd accidentally found Fantasy of Flight from the air...

KB


KB

In article ,
john smith wrote:

In article . com,
Jay Honeck wrote:

Interesting bringing up Kermit Weeks. Mary and I tried to find our
way to his nearby "Fantasy of Flight" museum during the week, and were
astounded to find that there was NO shuttle bus from the SNF grounds
to his museum. NONE.

That's quite a ways away.
Fantasy of Flight is southwest of Disney World.
That's on the west side of Orlando.
That's about 60 miles away.
Not really a shuttle ride away.

It is just about 8 miles NE of SnF, on I-4. I overfly it enroute to to
the initial point for the "powerplant arrival."

In article ,
Orval Fairbairn wrote:

It is just about 8 miles NE of SnF, on I-4. I overfly it enroute to to
the initial point for the "powerplant arrival."

Thanks. I always thought it was closer to Orlando.