Barry Schiff "Back to Basics"

On 7/2/2011 8:41 PM, Alan wrote:
In Bill writes:

At an airshow glider display I was getting some static from a pilot
whose loud opinion was "real" pilots have throttles - the more the
better. I just said "$500 to fill your tanks" and he got "real"
quiet.

However, with a powered aircraft, I can fill the tanks for about $250,
and then head off for about 600 - 700 nautical miles. When there, another
$250 or so, and I can return home.

The glider spends some money on the tow to get started, then at the end
of the 600 trip out, is likely looking for some friend of family to tow
the trailer out to get him. If the route is as direct in the ground
vehicle, he goes 600 * 1.15 miles. Guessing 16 mpg, he goes through about
43 gal. of gasoline each way, and at $3.80/gal costs about $328 in fuel
for that return.


The cost difference may be that the powered aircraft much more frequently
completes the trip to somewhere else (and returns), while most glider flights
are fairly local.

Your comparison seems to miss the point just as much as that "real" pilot.

You are buying distance, the glider pilot is buying flying. Cost
comparisons are meaningless in that case. The glider pilot bought an
exceptional amount of flying that is not measured in just miles, but
great satisfaction. The power pilot likely did not have an exceptional
flying experience, but it still cost him a bundle.

The costs of owning and operating an aircraft are much more complex than
the fuel burned in an airplane and the retrieve cost for the glider, so
the numbers used in your example are not even a good measure of the cost
per year.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what
you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz