Fuel Prices and their Effect on Your Flying

Yes a TCM 200 hp IO-360-A3B6D with no GAMI's. I usually cruise 5-6k 24
squared and 20-30 LOP.

Matt Barrow wrote:
"Jon Kraus" wrote in message
.. .

Third I am now learning and practicing everything I can about Lean of Peak
(LOP) operations in order to save money on fuel.


http://www.advancedpilot.com/index.html - expensive ($1000), but worth every
penny Save gas, but more importantly, your engine. (see below)


I have found that in cruise I can save many gallons-per-hour by twisting
the red knob until the EGT's peak and then get to 10-20 degrees on the
other side of peak temperatures. I know that this will not work for
everyone but for my IO-360 it gives me a cool, smooth running engine that
is only drinking 9.5 GPH.


At what MP? Throttle setting? Altitude?

http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182045-1.html

Yes, cool and smooth...but possibly with excessive internal pressure.

Red Box = No Fly Zone
At and below about 60% power, there is no red box.
At about 65% power, 100ºF ROP to Peak.
At about 70%, 125ºF ROP to 25ºF LOP.
At about 75%, 180ºF ROP to 40ºF LOP.
At about 80%, 200ºF ROP to 60ºF LOP


http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182084-1.html


Have higher fuel prices forced you to adjust your operations?


Fuel here is $4.15, up from $3.45 so it translates to about $11 more an
hour. Considering our hourly DOC & Reserve is around $135 an hour, $11 is
minor.

We did cancel a optional trip to the "Big City" for shopping.


I'm sure that over the years when fuel prices have peaked, folks have made
changes, but since I am a new owner (working on our second year) it is my
first experience at spiking prices. So what say you?


LOP is your best bet. IIRC, the Mooney is running a TCM? If so, GAMIjectors.

Jon Kraus wrote:
: Have higher fuel prices forced you to adjust your operations? I'm sure
: that over the years when fuel prices have peaked, folks have made
: changes, but since I am a new owner (working on our second year) it is
: my first experience at spiking prices. So what say you?

Sold my airplane.
--
Aaron C.

: Have higher fuel prices forced you to adjust your operations?

Sold my airplane.

That sucks, Aaron.

:-(
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jon Kraus wrote:

snip
Have higher fuel prices forced you to adjust your operations? I'm sure
that over the years when fuel prices have peaked, folks have made
changes, but since I am a new owner (working on our second year) it is
my first experience at spiking prices. So what say you?

I alter my weekly commute to include a fuel stop at an airport where fuel
is about $1.60 (US) cheaper per gallon than either my home airport or my
destination airport. Once there, I fill the Bonanza's mains and tip tanks
to capacity. I also reduced my Angel Flights by about 25%.


--
Peter

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 16:20:02 GMT, Jon Kraus
wrote:
snip

Have higher fuel prices forced you to adjust your operations? I'm sure

Not really. I might stop at places selling fuel cheaper on long
trips, but I don't go out of my way to get it. It normally takes 20
to 30 gallons to top off. At a $1.00 a gallon cheaper I can't save
anything by making a 20 mile hop to fill up.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

that over the years when fuel prices have peaked, folks have made
changes, but since I am a new owner (working on our second year) it is
my first experience at spiking prices. So what say you?

Jon Kraus
'79 Mooney 201
4443H @ TYQ

Roger wrote:
: Not really. I might stop at places selling fuel cheaper on long
: trips, but I don't go out of my way to get it. It normally takes 20
: to 30 gallons to top off. At a $1.00 a gallon cheaper I can't save
: anything by making a 20 mile hop to fill up.

30 gallons at $1.00 cheaper = $30 savings

20 miles at 12 mpg = 1.7 gal @ $4/gal = $7

Bzzzt! Try a different argument....

For long trips (especially to popular/large places with expensive fuel) one
can usually find less expensive fuel with very little additional distance. If you
don't want the aggravation, that's a different story.

-Cory


--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

On Wed, 3 May 2006 11:53:36 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

Roger wrote:
: Not really. I might stop at places selling fuel cheaper on long
: trips, but I don't go out of my way to get it. It normally takes 20
: to 30 gallons to top off. At a $1.00 a gallon cheaper I can't save
: anything by making a 20 mile hop to fill up.

30 gallons at $1.00 cheaper = $30 savings

20 miles at 12 mpg = 1.7 gal @ $4/gal = $7

Bzzzt! Try a different argument....

Try again. At $115 to $125 and hour I'm looking at roughly half an
hour total round trip counting taxi time at both airports. That works
out to about $55 to $62.50 minus $30 still costs me $25 to $35 over
the gas savings.
So instead of saving a dollar a gallon I'm spending an extra dollar a
gallon. IE, it costs me $2 a gallon to save a dollar a gallon.

There's a lot more to the cost of flying than gas.
Now if I'm coming back from a trip in that direction it makes sense to
top off before coming the rest of the way home.


For long trips (especially to popular/large places with expensive fuel) one
can usually find less expensive fuel with very little additional distance. If you
don't want the aggravation, that's a different story.

On trips where I can plan ahead even the extra 20 miles of so makes
much less difference and there I'm often putting in 60 to 70 gallons.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


-Cory

Roger wrote:
: Try again. At $115 to $125 and hour I'm looking at roughly half an
: hour total round trip counting taxi time at both airports. That works
: out to about $55 to $62.50 minus $30 still costs me $25 to $35 over
: the gas savings.
: So instead of saving a dollar a gallon I'm spending an extra dollar a
: gallon. IE, it costs me $2 a gallon to save a dollar a gallon.

OK... I thought you were talking about diverting an additional 20 miles to get
fuel on a trip... not making a special trip somewhere for fuel.

: There's a lot more to the cost of flying than gas.
: Now if I'm coming back from a trip in that direction it makes sense to
: top off before coming the rest of the way home.

That's what I was thinking.

As far as the cost of flying, I know everyone justifies it in different ways.
As far as our partnership goes, we are pretty loose, and don't charge an hourly rate.
My own (personal) justification is that the only expense I care about is direct
operating (fuel, oil, and operating fees like tiedowns elsewhere, etc). All the rest
are fixed and become *smaller* the more it is flown... and it's already split 3 ways.
Kind of a justification for flying more hours.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************