wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja) (04/12/85)
I've received some mail, and read some postings, by folks who think that I should include the "lost interest" as part of my aircraft operating costs. Hmmmmm..... Can't quite abide it, myself. True, I could have invested the aircraft purchase price instead, and rented 30 hours of flying, each year, just from the interest. But I didn't buy the airplane for business, or as an alternative to driving, or even as an alternate to renting a plane- I bought it to own an airplane! Let me put it another way... if I had posted an article to net.auto about the joys of owning a brand new Porsche, would there still be the same comments? Undoubtedly not! I could still be living in a $350/month apartment, instead of paying over twice that in house payments. Even with the tax savings, I still am "losing" a lot of money living in a house. But I *prefer* a house. I don't consider the "lost interest" from owning cars (I own three) or a VCR, or four computers, or whatever. The point is, I use the plane for two things: Remaining proficient at flying, and for the pure joy of flight. Owning gives me maximum convenience and safety for the flying *I* like to do. I'll be honest- I did the calculation in connection with thoughts on selling my 150... but not to start renting. I hadn't flown for EIGHT YEARS when I bought 09T. My last flying had been a Cessna 305 (Bird Dog), renting for $13/hour. I was one of about five people in town (CAP) qualified to fly it, and the only one of the group who *liked* flying it... 'was almost like owning, but without the expense. So without the convenience of ownership (or a similar arrangement to that above), I'll quit flying... this time, probably forever. I haven't decided yet. Ron Wanttaja (ssc-vax!wanttaja) (CAP'ers out there might wonder how a 175-hour pilot got CAP qualified to fly Bird Dogs... but it's true, and I have the form to prove it. Haven't tried to get checked out in any other wing, of course...)