High Fuel Prices

[vorlon1]

22 hours ago, Mooney Dog said:

god dam i need this upgrade 

 

Yeah the higher prices have hurt but hasnt stopped me from flying yet. About to take a trip out to the west coast again. Not looking forward to fueling out there. 

I think you can make your point without the foul language. 

[A64Pilot]

17 hours ago, Fly Boomer said:

According to the latest data set from the Bureau of Land Management, as of December 31, 2021, the oil companies were sitting on 9,173 approved permits to drill.  I'm sure they want more, but they could extract more petroleum from their existing sources, and they could start drilling on some of those unused permits.  BTW, remind me what the oil companies gain by increasing supply?

The largest oil and gas companies made a combined $174 billion in profits in the first nine months of last year as gasoline prices climbed, and have so far resisted calls for increased production.  They are, after all, businesses, and the reason businesses exist is to make profit for their owners.  Sounds to me like they are doing exactly what they are supposed to do.  Increasing supply would just drive prices down.

As a shareholder (and receiver of dividends) I am opposed to that.

 

I keep saying that I think many industries learned something new a year or so ago, and that there’s profit in shortages. Led by the rental car companies, fewer cars to buy, reduced employees and overhead, 100% or close to it rental, no cars sitting and double the rates for each car that was rented.

Every shortage there has been of course drives prices crazy high, and as prices go through the roofs, so do profits, at least in the short term and that’s about as far as many look.

There is big money in shortages

I can get close to 20 MPG with the Mooney, but it’s tough, you have to really slow down, I have to be in the 120’s speed wise.

However the little Cessna 140 has been forever one of the most efficient little airplanes there is, the same 85 HP motor cubs and most other little airplanes fly at 80 MPH, the 140 cruises along about 105 or so with the same 5 to 6 GPH fuel burn.

But interestingly I can get as good a fuel mileage with my J that I can my 140.

Edited May 22 by A64Pilot

[chriscalandro]

On 5/21/2022 at 6:32 AM, Austintatious said:

 

 Relax everyone... You have the most fuel efficient GA aircraft

The Lancair and glasair series are more fuel efficient than a Mooney. 

[EricJ]

1 hour ago, chriscalandro said:

The Lancair and glasair series are more fuel efficient than a Mooney. 

So are most RVs.   An RV-14 does something like 165 kts with the same IO-390 that can go in a J model, i.e., 9-10 gals/hr.    

[A64Pilot]

Those are all 2 pax airplanes?

[Austintatious]

14 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Those are all 2 pax airplanes?

And they are experimental.   Lancair 4 insurance rates are sky high.

[Austintatious]

My milk run in from FTW to GLS  ....  I burn 30 gallons each way.   At 6 bucks a gallon that cost me  360.00 in fuel round trip.

I could drive my F250 and I would burn about 40 gallons round trip.  That would cost me about $200.00.

 

I have to say I am happy to spend the extra 160 bucks + another 150.00 in reserves to save myself the 12 hours of driving.

[Parker_Woodruff]

Besides a Mooney Ovation, I'd love a Piper Seneca IV/V.

Not ready to pull the trigger on either.  But a blip like this keeps the Ovation valuable (great for owners) and the Seneca less so (great buying opportunity).

[A64Pilot]

Some of us don’t believe it’s a “blip”.

Maybe a big shift in energy policy I guess is the polite way of saying it might change things, but do you see that happening quickly?

If you want that big twin, stuff a bunch of cash aside, and in a year or so I think you can have one, but not because of fuel price.

[A64Pilot]

46 minutes ago, Austintatious said:

My milk run in from FTW to GLS  ....  I burn 30 gallons each way.   At 6 bucks a gallon that cost me  360.00 in fuel round trip.

I could drive my F250 and I would burn about 40 gallons round trip.  That would cost me about $200.00.

 

I have to say I am happy to spend the extra 160 bucks + another 150.00 in reserves to save myself the 12 hours of driving.

That is the most logical reason for having an airplane, that is they are a “time machine”

Edited May 23 by A64Pilot

[Evan]

On 5/21/2022 at 8:40 AM, A64Pilot said:

We are at the beginning of a recession in my opinion, all I can think of to do myself is cut expenses and ride it out. I’m Retired so I can’t increase income.

Airplanes are Luxury items, and if your having to cut expenses Luxury items are the first to not be purchased, so yes I believe aircraft values will tank and those that borrowed money to buy one will be upside down. I expect huge devaluation.

Fuel cost I’m afraid will continue to increase until it gets so high people can’t afford it and the decreased demand will cause the price to stabilize. How high is that? I don’t know, frankly I can’t understand how the average person is affording the increased spending that comes from inflation now, I’m afraid they are doing so by increasing debt, which of course can only work temporarily and then you have not only the increased costs due to inflation, but the debt to service.

What amazes me is people seem to still be buying big ticket items, and doing so on credit of course.

Of course this is all my opinion, but I think it’s going to get worse and for a long time.

Watch the Market, we are very soon to be in a Bear market, last one was 08, remember then? This one could be worse because we are continuing the policies that put us here and it’s not getting the attention it should.

We actually touched a bear market on Thursday/Friday of last week. Also, you're forgetting the bear market in 2020, remember that?

[Fly Boomer]

28 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

Some of us don’t believe it’s a “blip”.

Some recent bear and bull markets (apparently, I can no longer drag and drop -- only attach):

BUT, once you submit, it looks like you used drag and drop.  No idea what's going on here.

Of course, this is only the S&P -- stock pickers may be able to avoid the dips.

 

[flyboy0681]

23 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

Some of us don’t believe it’s a “blip”.

 

"This time it's different".

[amillet]

Increased $1 over last week at home airport 

[hammdo]

On 5/23/2022 at 9:25 AM, Austintatious said:

My milk run in from FTW to GLS  ....  I burn 30 gallons each way.   At 6 bucks a gallon that cost me  360.00 in fuel round trip.

I could drive my F250 and I would burn about 40 gallons round trip.  That would cost me about $200.00.

 

I have to say I am happy to spend the extra 160 bucks + another 150.00 in reserves to save myself the 12 hours of driving.

Agreed!

I did that run from HQZ to GLS Monday, 45 gallons round trip in my C. I'm sure you got there way sooner than I did. 2 hrs 18 minute in route there IFR with my instructor ;o). Was my long IFR x country. Did RBD and HQZ on the way back.

GLS is a nice airport...

-Don

[hais]

On 5/22/2022 at 5:10 AM, MatthiasArnold said:

I feel your pain...
Maybe you will get some relief when you learn that we have to pay close to 12USD/USGal for AVGAS100LL in good old Europe.. 
Anyway, we keep on flying (LOP most of the time ).
Best from Germany,
Matthias

Weren't those Austros made just for you?

[hais]

On 5/22/2022 at 5:10 AM, MatthiasArnold said:

I feel your pain...
Maybe you will get some relief when you learn that we have to pay close to 12USD/USGal for AVGAS100LL in good old Europe.. 
Anyway, we keep on flying (LOP most of the time ).
Best from Germany,
Matthias

Weren't those Austros made just for you?

[Mooney Dog]

1 hour ago, hammdo said:

GLS is a nice airport...

I miss when the crew car was free. 

[hammdo]

We got an FBO van free, no problem. Went into town and ate at Tortuga's...

They handed us the keys to the van and off we went...

I wonder if something changed...

-Don

[Schllc]

The effects of the pandemic have distorted the GA market like we have never seen, and the change in the cost of gas is a pretty minor part of ownership cost. 
Anyone who flies commercial has a nightmare story to tell. 
I myself will not fly commercial at all unless it’s a non stop to my destination. 
I personally know at least eight people who have gotten involved in GA, either in ownership or just jet cards or partnering simply because of the hassle and unreliability of commercial travel. 
Remember, it doesn’t have to be a lot of people for it to affect our market.  In 2018 there were only 173,000 piston planes registered in the US. To put that into perspective 373,000 Toyota Camrys were imported/made into the US in 2021. 

I don’t think GA will crash with the same timing as normal recessions, simply because there aren’t that many airplanes and there are enough people willing to pay for the convenience. 
That’s my two cents anyway… 

Time will tell and I am glad I am debt free, keeping my powder dry and waiting for the opportunity to start buying again.

“Bad times make strong men, strong men make good times, good times make weak men, and weak men make bad times…”

It’s the natural cycle…

[jetdriven]

On 5/22/2022 at 5:04 PM, EricJ said:

So are most RVs.   An RV-14 does something like 165 kts with the same IO-390 that can go in a J model, i.e., 9-10 gals/hr.    

So it’s only 5kt faster but half the seats. 

[steingar]

Like the man said, despite the spectacular rise in gas prices it's still the least expensive part of ownership.  And we've go the most efficient machines.  The only thing less reliable than my VFR-only trips is the airlines.

[M20F]

Every hour I fly my cost per hour goes down.