150's and 172's about the only planes flying!!

WOW!!

Flew my Cessna '150/150 (Sipping MOGAS) today to the local
airport to get some maint items done. FBO told me the only airplanes
flying anymore are 150's, 172's, small pipers and a few other single
engine MOGAS sipping airplanes!!

T hangers are full of NON flying 100 LL gas guzzlers (singles and
twins) that the owners can no longer afford to fly!

I LOVE MY 150 / 150! I just about have the Sky all to my self
now!! I have my own runway
so the cost of aircraft ownership is very low!!!

dosen't get any better!!

Would that be the runout 150 that you paid $30,000 for you freakn'
moron.... What a jackass.... Go away troll...

wise purchaser wrote:
WOW!!

Flew my Cessna '150/150 (Sipping MOGAS) today to the local
airport to get some maint items done. FBO told me the only airplanes
flying anymore are 150's, 172's, small pipers and a few other single
engine MOGAS sipping airplanes!!

T hangers are full of NON flying 100 LL gas guzzlers (singles and
twins) that the owners can no longer afford to fly!

I LOVE MY 150 / 150! I just about have the Sky all to my self
now!! I have my own runway
so the cost of aircraft ownership is very low!!!

dosen't get any better!!

On 4/30/2007 5:42:08 PM, wise purchaser wrote:

Flew my Cessna '150/150 (Sipping MOGAS) today to the local
airport to get some maint items done. FBO told me the only airplanes
flying anymore are 150's, 172's, small pipers and a few other single
engine MOGAS sipping airplanes!!

Based on your other posts, this looks like nothing but a troll, but for
discussion purposes the lack of others flying will be a bad thing for you
someday, too, since this will result in airports closing up, maintenance
shops and FBOs going out of business, and an industry disappears.

What you think doesn't affect you will.

--
Peter

Check out something more modern, for example if a trainer something like the
Diamond DA-20 Eclipse. With an O-235 engine the DA-20 climbs 1,000 fpm and
goes about 150mph, all for little 100LL. The DA-20 rents for only $83 per
hour wet locally. We also have a small airport out here, Palo Alto (PAO)
which has 400 small airplanes on the field. The flying club I belong to
there has about 60 airplanes of many different types. Aviation is not
dead, not even close. See www.wvfc.org for that flying club info and list
of its rental airplanes, this is typical for California and the West where
the economy is good and all is well.

Lee McGee
Mount Aukum, California

"if you think you can't afford something, go make more money. this is not
rocket science."


"Peter R." wrote in message
...
On 4/30/2007 5:42:08 PM, wise purchaser wrote:

Flew my Cessna '150/150 (Sipping MOGAS) today to the local
airport to get some maint items done. FBO told me the only airplanes
flying anymore are 150's, 172's, small pipers and a few other single
engine MOGAS sipping airplanes!!

Based on your other posts, this looks like nothing but a troll, but for
discussion purposes the lack of others flying will be a bad thing for you
someday, too, since this will result in airports closing up, maintenance
shops and FBOs going out of business, and an industry disappears.

What you think doesn't affect you will.

--
Peter

On 5/2/2007 7:22:13 PM, "Lee McGee" wrote:

Aviation is not dead, not even close.

Certainly not country-wide, but regionally there are signs of a decline. For
example, the largest flying club at my home airport of Syracuse, NY, at their
peak had over 60 members and three aircraft. These days they have one
aircraft and 25 members.

The flight school at the same airport's FBO at one time had four aircraft and
something like 4,500 hours per year being logged between them. I was told
recently by the flight school manager that they now have two aircraft that
logged about 1,200 hrs last year.



--
Peter

Itinerant traffic at KSSQ has gone to about zero, even with the
excellent VFR WX this spring. This is an airport with insrument
approaches, close to town in vacationland, good for $100 hamburgers, &
no noise problem. We do not have fuel or an FBO, but the City is
supportive of the airport. Even the airport neighbors are talking
about it. Everyone active is old & selling their airplanes. Good
hangar space is available for renters, and land is available at a good
rate for future hangar-builders.

Soon I will have to go to the Council for ~$50K for their share of a
runway upgrade program. I am VERY concerned about the collapse of
traffic, and don't know what to do about it.

"wise purchaser" wrote in message
ups.com...
WOW!!

Flew my Cessna '150/150 (Sipping MOGAS) today to the local
airport to get some maint items done. FBO told me the only airplanes
flying anymore are 150's, 172's, small pipers and a few other single
engine MOGAS sipping airplanes!!

T hangers are full of NON flying 100 LL gas guzzlers (singles and
twins) that the owners can no longer afford to fly!

I LOVE MY 150 / 150! I just about have the Sky all to my self
now!! I have my own runway
so the cost of aircraft ownership is very low!!!

dosen't get any better!!



Not True!!!!! I am taking a 100LL Guzzling 182 to the UK or Germany this
Weekend! A 150 to Peru After That then no telling what other I will have
lines up I hope it's the 172RG to FIJI! Avgas is not that expensive in the
States!!! Try $3.00 Yes USD A Liter In Luanda, Angola!!!! or About $16.00 a
gallon in Narsarsuaq, Greenland + A massive landing fee! Many other pilots
I know are flying 100LL Guzzling birds every day. Now only if i could fly my
C-150 more I may have to sell it becuse of lack of use 3 hours Since
december!

"nrp" wrote...

Itinerant traffic at KSSQ has gone to about zero, even with the
excellent VFR WX this spring.

There's a perfect storm working against us prop pounding GA guys:
1. The age of the average flyer/owner is transitioning from the peak earning
years into the fixed income period. A scary phase to own a 30+ year old
money hole.
2. Avgas costs are up at around $4/gal, that's almost a 100% increase in 10
years. Makes forward looking projections very difficult.
3. Administrative, operational and insurance hurdles have risen to a point
where they seem to dominate every hanger/coffee discussion. This involves
everything from changing the 4ft high airport fence to one 8ft barb wire
topped with coded security gates. Airport authorites increasing insurance
minimums for aircraft in hanger and tiedowns. And limiting access rules for
personal cars and family tours.

I may see more of this as I'm in a suburban enviornment, but this is where
the people (read that as future pilots) are, and I see nothing inviting them
in.

AOPA has finally ramped up the Project Pilot program to focus on getting new
blood into our ranks, but their goals need to be much bigger. I'm talking
100,000 new pilots in the next ten years big. I really want to say 100k in
five years should be our growth goal, but 100k in ten years will at least
keep us alive.

One of the real bright spots the last two years has been the Sport
Plane/Pilot arena. Two years ago at SNF I saw ULs with bicycle parts, but
now I'm trying on real airplanes and some of them I can actually fit into.
They have reduced the kite/glider feel (increased wing loading??), and are
starting to demo them at less than WOT settings. My last ride the guy even
pulled out a homemade power table, and at 65% that plane felt pretty smooth.
All at 4 to 5 gallons/hr for the same speed as a c172/pa28 (minus the two
extra seats and baggage).

I hope the LSA/SP bring in a new breed of hobby flyers who can stay in for
the long haul. This is not intended to put down the Airline Capt wannabees,
but I do not think that "new student pilot model" has served Rec GA well.
The guys who go career aviation don't tend to do much small GA flying, and
I've seen too many bitter outcomes from the student to private to CFI (time
building) pyramid scheme.

Just my thoughts,... YMMV.

Another BIG problem with GA is we aren't getting enough kids involved.
The Young Eagles program is great, but it's not enough. Kids can't hang
over the airport fence anymore, model airplanes have just about died, RC
is expensive for a 12 year old. It used to be kids wanted to grow up
and learn how to fly and airplane, now they want to grow up to be a game
programmer. That's a problem! If you look at the kid's birthday party
supply places there are NO airplane things, and you can't buy an
airplane shaped balloon. That says a lot.

WARNING SHAMELESS PLUG FOLLOWS

So if you want to bring the kids out go to

http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/eventD...fm?eventID=602

It will be a great day for the kids! Kids = ages 1-101

Before you ask, all the fly-in spots have been filled for this event and
there is already a waiting list.

Margy

Mike Isaksen wrote:
"nrp" wrote...

Itinerant traffic at KSSQ has gone to about zero, even with the
excellent VFR WX this spring.


There's a perfect storm working against us prop pounding GA guys:
1. The age of the average flyer/owner is transitioning from the peak earning
years into the fixed income period. A scary phase to own a 30+ year old
money hole.
2. Avgas costs are up at around $4/gal, that's almost a 100% increase in 10
years. Makes forward looking projections very difficult.
3. Administrative, operational and insurance hurdles have risen to a point
where they seem to dominate every hanger/coffee discussion. This involves
everything from changing the 4ft high airport fence to one 8ft barb wire
topped with coded security gates. Airport authorites increasing insurance
minimums for aircraft in hanger and tiedowns. And limiting access rules for
personal cars and family tours.

I may see more of this as I'm in a suburban enviornment, but this is where
the people (read that as future pilots) are, and I see nothing inviting them
in.

AOPA has finally ramped up the Project Pilot program to focus on getting new
blood into our ranks, but their goals need to be much bigger. I'm talking
100,000 new pilots in the next ten years big. I really want to say 100k in
five years should be our growth goal, but 100k in ten years will at least
keep us alive.

One of the real bright spots the last two years has been the Sport
Plane/Pilot arena. Two years ago at SNF I saw ULs with bicycle parts, but
now I'm trying on real airplanes and some of them I can actually fit into.
They have reduced the kite/glider feel (increased wing loading??), and are
starting to demo them at less than WOT settings. My last ride the guy even
pulled out a homemade power table, and at 65% that plane felt pretty smooth.
All at 4 to 5 gallons/hr for the same speed as a c172/pa28 (minus the two
extra seats and baggage).

I hope the LSA/SP bring in a new breed of hobby flyers who can stay in for
the long haul. This is not intended to put down the Airline Capt wannabees,
but I do not think that "new student pilot model" has served Rec GA well.
The guys who go career aviation don't tend to do much small GA flying, and
I've seen too many bitter outcomes from the student to private to CFI (time
building) pyramid scheme.

Just my thoughts,... YMMV.

Another BIG problem with GA is we aren't getting enough kids involved.
The Young Eagles program is great, but it's not enough. Kids can't hang
over the airport fence anymore, model airplanes have just about died, RC
is expensive for a 12 year old. It used to be kids wanted to grow up
and learn how to fly and airplane, now they want to grow up to be a game
programmer. That's a problem! If you look at the kid's birthday party
supply places there are NO airplane things, and you can't buy an
airplane shaped balloon. That says a lot.

I ran into this problem a few years ago, while looking for gifts for
my young nephews and nieces. OF COURSE Uncle Jay *had* to give
airplane toys -- yet I had to look long and hard to find them.
Imagine, and entire toy store with just one or two airplanes! It was
depressing.

As for R/C being expensive, I'm happy to report that the trend has
gone quite dramatically the other way in recent years. When I first
got into R/C flight, back in the 1980s, you needed at least $300 to
get started -- AND you had to build your own plane. Now, with the
advent of advanced battery-powered airplanes, you can get into a pre-
built plane for far less -- often under $100. Our local R/C club is
BOOMING.

But you're right about computers. They have sapped the life out of
our kids, by allowing them to experience the world without ever
leaving their chairs. I suppose you might look at this as a good
thing, from an evolutionary standpoint, but I find it terribly sad.

The next ten years will decide the fate of GA. You and Ron do what
you can, and Mary and I will continue to be the "Pied Pipers" of GA in
Iowa. Beyond that, I don't know what else to do. Getting pilots to
do anything -- even if it's to save their own fate -- is like herding
cats...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"