Does fuel price control the hours you fly?

[Admin]

Fuel prices are down from what they were. This week, Recreational Flying wants to know how that's affecting your flying (if at all): Are you going to fly more, the same etc?

 

 

[pudestcon]

If I was flying every day Ian it might.

 

The price of fuel has no bearing whatsoever on whether I go flying or not.

 

Pud

 

 

[markendee]

At 12 litres of regular unleaded an hour - 80 horse Rotax is the go.

 

 

[Skyhog]

The more it was going up,the more I was flying.I was trying to beat the price rise I suppose.I had always wanted my PPL so I got it ASAP to save money.As it turns out,it has dropped now,so that means I can fly more than expected.The club had resisted raising hire rates with the rising fuel prices.I think their wet hire rates are very reasonable,Foxbat $95/hr,C152 $130/hr,Archer $170/hr,C182 $215/hr.Have a mate that took a C210 away recently at $380/hr,by the time you start up,warm up,run up,taxi you've done 0.2hr costing you $76 before you have gone anywhere...SCARY

 

 

[Guest Macnoz]

Frankly my fuel is less than 25% of the all up costs of flying and as such would have to multiply before it would impact my flying hours.

 

The associated oil based product cost increases, and diving AUD making spares expensive combined might begin to bite sooner than bowser price

 

 

 

[johnm]

I've got my aircrfat costs on MYOB - this might help some purchasers - cost forthe previous 12 months - say $ 21,000. Fianance 41% Insurance 18%. Fuel 14%. Other (hanger rent, repairs, license, levies etc) 27 %

 

Plane costs $ 130 k and say a tad over 100 flight hours per year

 

So in theory fuel is the cheap bit - a private plane probably burns more cost (in relation to fuel) just sitting there - if its financed and insured

 

I think I am referring to planes in excess of say $ 40 k to $ 60 k value - having said that - those private planes (> $ 40 - $ 60k) would probably not exist if they were not financed and insured ?

 

__________________

 

john m

 

 

[Guest brentc]

For me I own my plane and have almost zero running costs other than fuel, so when the price went from $1.15 per litre to $1.95 it nearly doubled my cost of flying, so that's a yes from me.

 

If I was hiring and paying $100+ an hour, it probably wouldn't bother me paying another $10 or $20 an hour.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Yes Brent but it's the straw and the camel's back argument for an airecraft hirer - a lot of people drop out of flying because their budget just will not allow touring flights; that drops the aircraft utilisation which pays off the standing and consumables costs and that in turn accelerates the hire rate in a spiral.

 

I happily used to cruise around in a Warrior when it was $25.00/hour, but would need to go to the bank manager for the same trips today, and a visit to Moorabbin with it's peeling paint, empty flight lines and ghost town atmosphere shows what the end result can be if the spiral isn't arrested.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I've noticed quite the contrary, Moorabbin is busier than ever at the moment! There are more aircraft parked there than ever before. Even the temporary parking area near the tower has been over-run with permanently parked aircraft and the area to the west next to the road in is chokers with aircraft. Maybe it's because places like Wallan etc have closed.

 

 

[Yenn]

Parked aircraft are not using fuel, it is the ones in the air that use fuel.

 

Price has not affected me yet, what does limit my flying is being able to sit still for only about an hour, then I need to get up and walk around before my back hurts too much.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Brent, I was comparing it with the day I was No 5 on final, and the last couple of months. I know tie downs were being offered at very affordable rates and if that has caused a pick up its great news.

 

 

[BigPete]

I said no - and I will stick by it, but - AVGAS here at Echuca is now down to $1.55 a litre. :thumb_up:

 

regards

 

 

[Tomo]

I said no - and I will stick by it, but - fuel here at Echuca is now down to $1.55 a litre. :thumb_up:regards

Fuel up here (Dalby) "Unleaded" is .98cents a litre:thumb_up:

 

They are actually doing something about it by the looks of things....

 

 

[Guest Macnoz]

yeah

 

"they" being the world market is not consuming or predicted to consume as much but supply output has a lag high production time

 

so supply is temporarily greater than demand (until the next OPEC meeting)

 

so price goes down -- for now --

 

Economics 1.01

 

 

But supply is virtually monopolised because of difficulty of entry into the market

 

You need a very big masonry drill from Bunnings at a minimum

 

Nor is it infinite - peak oil etc

 

 

So guess what

 

 

[turboplanner]

Thought the ABC Four Corners discussion with Dr Colin Campbell was very appropriate to this discussion since we are either at or past Peak Oil (See M. King Hubbert prediction, 1956)

 

Peak Oil has been overshadowed by other major events like Global Warming and the economic crisis, but is relentless - we will face ever increasing fuel prices from now on, albeit in a series of advances and retreats.

 

4 Corners Broadband: Peak Oil?

 

Dr Campbell outlines the downhill run from the last major oil discovery in 1964.

 

Doesn't look good for the long term future of the internal combustion engine, but fuel cells are developing fast - Honda now lease a fuel cell Civic in California. They generate electric power, which can be augmented by solar panels.

 

Solar is leaping ahead too. This year's Darwin-Adelaide race saw cars speed limited to 130 km/hr and required to have upright seating to reduce the available solar panel area. Area is something an aircraft is not short of.

 

It's a great time for lateral thinking entrepreneurs.

 

 

[facthunter]

Poll. Fuel costs.

 

I find I could have answered YES to both of the poll questions. (Before you think I'm a complete ditherer, re-read them yourself.) One is not the negative of the other..I will pose another RELATED question. IF you are not affected by the cost of fuel, is it because you have already bought a plane that is quite good as regards air miles/gall or kilometers/litre and in so doing, (giving this a prominence and expounding this as a virtue of your aircraft), have already been affected by the cost of fuel? Nev..

 

 

[Tomo]

I find I could have answered YES to both of the poll questions. (Before you think I'm a complete ditherer, re-read them yourself.) One is not the negative of the other..

He he! I agree...

 

 

[farri]

Fuel is back to $1 a liter up here and this means I get to stay in the air longer for the same amount of money I was spending when the price was at it`s peak.

 

I fly every few days and the lower price simply means I enjoy it even more.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.