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"

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.

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/

Good point. and the aerial applicators as well.
Jim

"John Clear" wrote in message
...
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/

Well most of the LSAs out there only burn 4 to 6 gph of auto gas. Sun n Fun
was jammed full of LSAs this year.


Have a good day and stay out of the trees!
See ya on Sport Aircraft group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sport_Aircraft/





"M" wrote in message
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.

"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, 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.

Jay Honeck wrote:
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.

I don't think many military airplanes have used avgas since 2000, and
the drop since this is still very dramatic. I won't say GA is dead, but
it certainly is very sick. I'm looking at BMW motorcycles this weekend,
having decided I simply can't afford an airplane of the capability I
really need to be useful (Skylane or better) and the inconvenience of he
nearest airport with hangars being 45 minutes away. If I buy a new
bike, I'll probably drop my flying club membership and ride.

Matt

I don't think many military airplanes have used avgas since 2000, and
the drop since this is still very dramatic. I won't say GA is dead, but
it certainly is very sick. I'm looking at BMW motorcycles this weekend,
having decided I simply can't afford an airplane of the capability I
really need to be useful (Skylane or better) and the inconvenience of he
nearest airport with hangars being 45 minutes away. If I buy a new
bike, I'll probably drop my flying club membership and ride.

Don't get me wrong -- riding is great. (Just got my Goldwing out of
winter storage last weekend.) But it ain't flying...

Nothing is.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"