Where is everyone?

On 2007-05-23, Jay Honeck wrote:
THAT is why so many people are in debt to their eyeballs, IMHO. And
it's also why people feel they can't afford flight lessons.

They just aren't committed to aviation if they aren't prepared to
sacrifice some of those frivolous things.

I started to learn to fly in 1997. (10th anniversary of my 1st solo in a
couple of weeks!)

I was on international assignment, living in Houston. My employer gave
me a free money transfer for a proportion of my home country salary each
month plus an international service allowance - all in all, I had an
income going into my US bank account of about $30K a year. I banked the
rest of my salary in my home country and saved the entire lot. On $30K a
year, I managed to not only learn to fly (three to four lessons a week)
but by the end of 1999, afford a half share in the Cessna 140.

My living arrangements - apartment (in a nice area), no cable TV, no
cellphone, second hand vehicle with no repayment. No debt. I flew three
to four times a week, and I could afford it solely on that $30K. In late
1999, I bought half a share of a Cessna 140. Without dipping into my
home country savings!

Granted, you can't do that if you have a family, but if you don't care
one whit about keeping up with the Joneses, you can live debt free AND
fly without breaking the bank.

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Dylan Smith writes:

They just aren't committed to aviation if they aren't prepared to
sacrifice some of those frivolous things.

Why must they be committed?

Would you enjoy it if you could only drive a car by sacrificing everything
else in your life? Is it wrong for people to want to drive cars even though
they are not willing to sacrifice everything else to do so?

Why must a person practically become a martyr in order to fly?

With attitudes like that, there won't be any pilots at all one day. Saying
"if you want to fly, you must suffer in every other way" isn't going to swell
the ranks.

Granted, you can't do that if you have a family, but if you don't care
one whit about keeping up with the Joneses, you can live debt free AND
fly without breaking the bank.

Unless you have a family, as you say. Or perhaps you should abandon your
family in exchange for the celestial privilege of flying?

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Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Dylan Smith writes:

They just aren't committed to aviation if they aren't prepared to
sacrifice some of those frivolous things.

Why must they be committed?

Would you enjoy it if you could only drive a car by sacrificing
everything else in your life? Is it wrong for people to want to drive
cars even though they are not willing to sacrifice everything else to
do so?

Why must a person practically become a martyr in order to fly?

With attitudes like that, there won't be any pilots at all one day.
Saying "if you want to fly, you must suffer in every other way" isn't
going to swell the ranks.

Granted, you can't do that if you have a family, but if you don't
care one whit about keeping up with the Joneses, you can live debt
free AND fly without breaking the bank.

Unless you have a family, as you say. Or perhaps you should abandon
your family in exchange for the celestial privilege of flying?


You're an idiot.


Bertie

On 2007-05-24, Mxsmanic wrote:
Why must they be committed?

To be not committed in aviation is a very dangerous thing indeed. I
think the tired old quote is something like "aviation is not inherently
unsafe, But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly
unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect."

So if you want to be in the game, you need a bit more commitment to it
than, say, playing pool at the local.

Why must a person practically become a martyr in order to fly?

Going without a brand new gas guzzling SUV or two is hardly being a
martyr. Not buying a McMansion is hardly being a martyr. Not keeping up
with the Joneses or engaging in conspicuous consumerism is not
martyrdom.

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Going without a brand new gas guzzling SUV or two is hardly being a
martyr. Not buying a McMansion is hardly being a martyr. Not keeping up
with the Joneses or engaging in conspicuous consumerism is not
martyrdom.


I've met people -- usually women -- who would rather die than not
"keep up with the Jones"...The concept of "giving up the Escalade" in
order to take flight lessons couldn't be more foreign to them.

I don't get it, but that's not unusual.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
Going without a brand new gas guzzling SUV or two is hardly being a
martyr. Not buying a McMansion is hardly being a martyr. Not keeping up
with the Joneses or engaging in conspicuous consumerism is not
martyrdom.


I've met people -- usually women -- who would rather die than not
"keep up with the Jones"...The concept of "giving up the Escalade" in
order to take flight lessons couldn't be more foreign to them.

I don't get it, but that's not unusual.

It's not just women, a lot of men are the same way. They have to drive the
latest and greatest, often diesel pickup. Then live in a TV, and faithfully
purchase everything they are told.

Funny thing they just can't seem to comprehend is, ya just can't keep up
with the Jones. Someone will always have a lot more "toys" than you do. Ya
just have to say the serenity prayer, buy the toys that matter most to you,
and learn to enjoy them.

The biggest lesson an man, woman or child can learn - is how to find
happiness with the things you can afford, instead of wasting you life
greving over the things you can't.

Dylan Smith writes:

To be not committed in aviation is a very dangerous thing indeed. I
think the tired old quote is something like "aviation is not inherently
unsafe, But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly
unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect."

Being committed in the sense of sacrificing else is not the same as being
committed to flying safely, and the latter does not require the former.

Going without a brand new gas guzzling SUV or two is hardly being a
martyr.

Doing without one will not pay for flying, which is much more expensive. And
for people who can't afford the SUV to begin with, it's a useless suggestion.

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On 24 May, 20:16, Mxsmanic wrote:
Dylan Smith writes:
To be not committed in aviation is a very dangerous thing indeed. I
think the tired old quote is something like "aviation is not inherently
unsafe, But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly
unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect."

Being committed in the sense of sacrificing else is not the same as being
committed to flying safely, and the latter does not require the former.

Going without a brand new gas guzzling SUV or two is hardly being a
martyr.

Doing without one will not pay for flying, which is much more expensive.

Yes it will fjukktard. My airplane cost me less than a fast bike.


Bertie

"Mxsmanic" wrote

Why must a person practically become a martyr in order to fly?

One doesn't, but one might have to make some choices as to what one spends
their money on. You can get your license for the same money that you might
spend on new furniture, remodeling a room, putting in a hot tub, etc.

Not having a hot tub does not a martyr make - at least not where I come
from.

With attitudes like that, there won't be any pilots at all one day.
Saying
"if you want to fly, you must suffer in every other way" isn't going to
swell
the ranks.

The tendency towards people wanting/expecting immediate gratification is a
more serious threat than anything else IMO.

Unless you have a family, as you say. Or perhaps you should abandon your
family in exchange for the celestial privilege of flying?

Lots of pilots have families.

BDS

BDS writes:

One doesn't, but one might have to make some choices as to what one spends
their money on. You can get your license for the same money that you might
spend on new furniture, remodeling a room, putting in a hot tub, etc.

Getting a license costs a lot more than any of these things, at least around
here. And I can't afford any of them. Neither can many other people.

Not having a hot tub does not a martyr make - at least not where I come
from.

Doing without a hot tub will not help most people to afford flying.

The tendency towards people wanting/expecting immediate gratification is a
more serious threat than anything else IMO.

Well, perhaps that problem will be solved, and GA will disappear, and you'll
get your wish.

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