Where is everyone?

BT wrote:
Unfortunately, yes. I raised it again last week and the membership has
agreed to discuss this at our next meeting, but I found out from the
treasurer that rather than raise hourly rates the club has been burning
its capital fund which is now down to an amount that won't even replace
the run-out engine let alone the entire airplane. So, I'm going to this
meeting, but I fully expect to leave the club after the meeting.
Matt

Sounds like fiscal irresponsibility to spend set aside engine rebuild funds
on something other than the engine.
Are there by-laws in this club? Does not sound like a club at all.

Sure, but they don't cover things like this. I've rarely seen bylaws
that have this level of detail. It is mostly club history and
convention going back many years I'm told (I joined just 3 years ago).
I never even thought about this before and thus hadn't asked the tough
questions or dug into the financials (most meetings don't even happen
due to lack of a quorum). I should have dug in sooner, but just never
envisioned this happening. I didn't join the club for a number of years
as it was glaringly mismanaged financially and was in debt. It was 8
months behind on its fuel bill to the FBO so something like that and I
was surprised they could still buy fuel. They had two airplanes and
sold one and got the bills paid up and had $30K in the bank. They also
got a new treasurer so I joined. I thought they had turned the corner,
but I guess old habits die hard...

Matt

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
A friend of mine flew his Cherokee Six from PA to MI last week, in
perfect weather, and told me that he was one of three GA planes on any
center or approach frequency for the entire flight...

Mary, the kids, and I flew (in absolute perfect VFR conditions) to
Springfield, IL this past Sunday. Cedar Rapids approach was dead (it
was us and a commuter), Quad Cities approach was dead (it was us and
one guy practicing approaches), Chicago Center was nearly dead (it was
us and a few airliners), Peoria Approach was utterly dead (it was just
us, for the entire time it took to cross his airspace), and
Springfield had only us in the pattern.

This on a picture-perfect, springtime weekend. In years past, those
frequencies would have been JAMMED with pilots looking for flight
following, picking up IFR approaches, etc.

We've got Unicom playing in the lobby here, and I haven't heard a
single plane all morning -- and it is again, perfect VFR today. Here
at the hotel, we had one fly-in guest last night (a very cool United
pilot who is re-tracing a Chicago-to-Los Angeles flight he made 30
years ago -- in the same Cessna 170 he flew in 1974!), and half a
dozen guys flew in over the weekend (thanks to a type-specific fly-in)
-- but those were the first fly-in guests we've had in several weeks.

I know gas prices are up, but fuel is still a (relatively) small part
of the cost of aircraft ownership. What else it going on here? Are
you guys flying less, too?
--

Might just be the usual period before the holiday. I don't have a feel for
the GA indicatiors, but I know the lakes have been slow around here the past
couple of weeks. But it always is before a summer holiday weekend like
Memorial Day.

Could be a trend too. I think I heard on CNN a week or so ago, that WalMart
reported the largest single month sales decline in 20 years or so.

Could be a trend too. I think I heard on CNN a week or so ago, that WalMart
reported the largest single month sales decline in 20 years or so.

Our business is level which, considering the addition of three major,
government-funded hotels in our market, we consider a "victory".

Of course, this comes after four years of double-digit growth, so
suddenly going flat "feels" like losing...

I think gas prices are really, really hurting the "common man". I've
got housekeepers and desk staff who have seen a HUGE increase in their
driving expense, with no compensating increase in wages. This
shortfall has to be made up somewhere -- so I suspect we're seeing Wal-
Mart (and other stores) get hit by the back wash.

IMHO, the big-box restaurant chains ("Applebees" and such) will get
hit the worst in an economic downturn. That's where a lot of
discretionary American income gets ****ed away nowadays, and it'll be
the first thing eliminated.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

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

Our business is level which, considering the addition of three major,
government-funded hotels in our market, we consider a "victory".

Of course, this comes after four years of double-digit growth, so
suddenly going flat "feels" like losing...

I think gas prices are really, really hurting the "common man". I've
got housekeepers and desk staff who have seen a HUGE increase in their
driving expense, with no compensating increase in wages. This
shortfall has to be made up somewhere -- so I suspect we're seeing Wal-
Mart (and other stores) get hit by the back wash.

IMHO, the big-box restaurant chains ("Applebees" and such) will get
hit the worst in an economic downturn. That's where a lot of
discretionary American income gets ****ed away nowadays, and it'll be
the first thing eliminated.
--

I think so too. I think everyone tried to ignore the gas hikes last year and
continue business as usual as much as possible, hoping it would be
temporary. Then prices backed up a bit, and kind of reassured us. But this
time I think we are all having to admit to a serious problem, it's here to
stay, and people are starting to react.

Hopefully your business is specialized enough to fair better than most. But
I'm guessing most of us are in for a whole new ballgame, at least until post
election 2008.

Jay Honeck writes:

I think gas prices are really, really hurting the "common man". I've
got housekeepers and desk staff who have seen a HUGE increase in their
driving expense, with no compensating increase in wages. This
shortfall has to be made up somewhere ...

Have them buy stock in Exxon. The money they are paying out in gas is going
into shareholders' pockets.

IMHO, the big-box restaurant chains ("Applebees" and such) will get
hit the worst in an economic downturn. That's where a lot of
discretionary American income gets ****ed away nowadays, and it'll be
the first thing eliminated.

Unfortunately, GA will probably go first.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...

Have them buy stock in Exxon. The money they are paying out in gas is
going
into shareholders' pockets.

Now you are a stock expert too.



Unfortunately, GA will probably go first.

We know you are hoping.



Did it rain out the playground, or did you screw up and take double meds
again?

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Jay Honeck writes:

I think gas prices are really, really hurting the "common man".
I've got housekeepers and desk staff who have seen a HUGE increase in
their driving expense, with no compensating increase in wages. This
shortfall has to be made up somewhere ...

Have them buy stock in Exxon. The money they are paying out in gas is
going into shareholders' pockets.

IMHO, the big-box restaurant chains ("Applebees" and such) will get
hit the worst in an economic downturn. That's where a lot of
discretionary American income gets ****ed away nowadays, and it'll be
the first thing eliminated.

Unfortunately, GA will probably go first.

No, it won't fjukktard


Bertie

Jay Honeck wrote:
Could be a trend too. I think I heard on CNN a week or so ago, that WalMart
reported the largest single month sales decline in 20 years or so.

Our business is level which, considering the addition of three major,
government-funded hotels in our market, we consider a "victory".

Of course, this comes after four years of double-digit growth, so
suddenly going flat "feels" like losing...

I think gas prices are really, really hurting the "common man". I've
got housekeepers and desk staff who have seen a HUGE increase in their
driving expense, with no compensating increase in wages. This
shortfall has to be made up somewhere -- so I suspect we're seeing Wal-
Mart (and other stores) get hit by the back wash.

IMHO, the big-box restaurant chains ("Applebees" and such) will get
hit the worst in an economic downturn. That's where a lot of
discretionary American income gets ****ed away nowadays, and it'll be
the first thing eliminated.


Yes, but many low income folks that I know (and I live in a low income
area) spend more each week on cigarettes, beer and lottery tickets than
on the increase in gasoline.

I drive 40 miles to work and back each day for roughly 200 miles per
week not counting trips out to lunch. I drive either my Sonata (29 MPG)
or my Chevy truck (17 MPG), but let's use the truck as the worst case.
The truck burns say 12 gallons/week for my commute. When gas was
$2/gallon this was $24/week. Now at $3.14 I pay $38/week. I'm not
saying that the extra $14/week goes unnoticed, but I know people who
spend far more than that each week on cigarettes alone, not counting
beer and lottery tickets. So, there are many places that can be cut
back, but most folks will give up cigarettes last, beer next to last and
lottery tickets right before the beer! :-)

And if I drive the Sonata (which I do when my daughter doesn't need our
other vehicle), the difference is only about $8/week. Hardly enough to
dramatically change my buying habits. And folks that live closer to
work have commensurately less of a change.


Matt

At this point I'd take the $3.14 a gallon... I just filled up today for
$3.59 for 87 unleaded. I still gave a wink to the Hummer guy next to me
as I topped off my Accord. :-)

I sold my partner my share of our Mooney a few months ago and I honestly
haven't missed it a bit. I gave aviation a fiar shot for over 6 years
and came to the conclusion that the expense wasn't worth the reward.
Then again it has only been a few months without flying. I am reserving
the right to change my mind at any time.

I do know that if I do go back to flying that renting will be the way to
go for me. I sure can do a lot with the 15 AMU's a year I was spending
on owning. YMMV

Jon

Matt Whiting wrote:
Now at $3.14 I pay $38/week.

Jon Kraus wrote:
At this point I'd take the $3.14 a gallon... I just filled up today for
$3.59 for 87 unleaded. I still gave a wink to the Hummer guy next to me
as I topped off my Accord. :-)

I sold my partner my share of our Mooney a few months ago and I honestly
haven't missed it a bit. I gave aviation a fiar shot for over 6 years
and came to the conclusion that the expense wasn't worth the reward.
Then again it has only been a few months without flying. I am reserving
the right to change my mind at any time.

I do know that if I do go back to flying that renting will be the way to
go for me. I sure can do a lot with the 15 AMU's a year I was spending
on owning. YMMV

I would agree if renting was an option. However, of the three airports
within 35 miles of my house, none currently have aircraft available for
rent. The one sold its last rental 172 to a friend of mine and the
owner hasn't replaced it yet. I believe he will, but at the moment
renting isn't even an option. Sigh...

Matt