40 years ago

[H. Adam Stevens]

Greetings

On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the first
student to solo in it.
The rent was $7/hr wet.

Cheers
H.

ex 502TB, 739CD, 2196B

[Gene Seibel]

On Apr 30, 8:25 pm, "H. Adam Stevens" >
wrote:
> Greetings
>
> On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
> I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the first
> student to solo in it.
> The rent was $7/hr wet.
>
> Cheers
> H.
>
> ex 502TB, 739CD, 2196B

Passed my checkride 30 years ago, May 6, 1977. 150's were going for
$16 wet then.
--
Gene Seibel
Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

[Maxwell]

"H. Adam Stevens" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings
>
> On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
> I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the
> first student to solo in it.
> The rent was $7/hr wet.
>
> Cheers
> H.
>
> ex 502TB, 739CD, 2196B


Congrats on your 40th annaversary, lots of fond memories I'm sure.

I soloed at 7.3 hours, about 5 years later in 1972. Apparently I was getting
robbed. I was having to get $10/hr wet, and $15/hr for dual. I think avgas
was about 45 cents a gallon at that time.

[Ron Wanttaja]

On 30 Apr 2007 20:13:16 -0700, Gene Seibel > wrote:

> On Apr 30, 8:25 pm, "H. Adam Stevens" >
> wrote:
> > Greetings
> >
> > On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
> > I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the first
> > student to solo in it.
> > The rent was $7/hr wet.
> >
> > Cheers
> > H.
> >
> > ex 502TB, 739CD, 2196B
>
> Passed my checkride 30 years ago, May 6, 1977. 150's were going for
> $16 wet then.

Back in '76, our CAP Citabria was going for $10/hour and the L-19 Bird Dog for
$13/hour. Wet, of course.

Ron Wanttaja

[[email protected]]

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ is interesting for things like this.
Some economists will argue with the numbers but it at least gives some
kind of indication. Since it doesn't yet go to 2007, I used 2006 as
the ending year and moved the start back a year for all of these.


H. Adam Stevens > wrote:
> I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the
> first student to solo in it.
> The rent was $7/hr wet.

$7 in 1966 -> $43 in 2006


Richard Riley > wrote:
> In 1967, my parent's house sold for $25,000. My dad bought a new
> Chevy for about $2100, and a gallon of regular was about $.35.

$25,000 in 1966 -> $150,000 in 2006
$2,100 in 1966 -> $13,000 in 2006
$0.35 in 1966 -> $2.20 in 2006


Gene Seibel > wrote:
>Passed my checkride 30 years ago, May 6, 1977. 150's were going for
>$16 wet then.

$16 in 1976 -> $58 in 2006


From: Ron Wanttaja > wrote:
> Back in '76, our CAP Citabria was going for $10/hour and the L-19 Bird
> Dog for $13/hour. Wet, of course.

$10 in 1976 -> $36 in 2006
$13 in 1976 -> $47 in 2006


"Maxwell" > wrote:
> I soloed at 7.3 hours, about 5 years later in 1972. Apparently I was
> getting robbed. I was having to get $10/hr wet, and $15/hr for dual.
> I think avgas was about 45 cents a gallon at that time.

$10 in 1971 -> $50 in 2006
$15 in 1971 -> $75 in 2006
$0.45 in 1971 -> $2.30 in 2006


Me, I only soloed about a month and a half ago, so I don't have any "Old
Fart" credentials. :)

Matt Roberds

[Montblack]

("Richard Riley" wrote something I needed to look up)
> ....So. Cal real estate being an outlier


out·li·er (outlr) n.

1. One whose domicile lies at an appreciable distance from his or her place
of business.

2. A value far from most others in a set of data: "Outliers make
statistical analyses difficult" Harvey Motulsky.

3. Geology: A portion of stratified rock separated from a main formation
by erosion.


I'm going with # 3 ....for its none-too-subtle (subtextual) possibilities.


Montblack

[ManhattanMan]

H. Adam Stevens wrote:
> Greetings
>
> On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
> I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150,
> the first student to solo in it.
> The rent was $7/hr wet.
>


That's about the time I did the same, 9 hrs, C-150 N8722G..
Flew out of the now defunct Fairfax airport in Kansas City, Kansas,
presently a GM assembley plant..
Seem to remember dual was $15/hr.

[Paul Riley]

48 years ago I soloed in the L-19 Bird Dog at 8.5 hours. I have no idea what
the fuel rate per gallon was--my "rich uncle" was paying the tab!! Of
course, he collected it from me over the next 20 years!!! :-)))))))))

Paul

"Ron Wanttaja" > wrote in message
...
> On 30 Apr 2007 20:13:16 -0700, Gene Seibel > wrote:
>
>> On Apr 30, 8:25 pm, "H. Adam Stevens" >
>> wrote:
>> > Greetings
>> >
>> > On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
>> > I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the
>> > first
>> > student to solo in it.
>> > The rent was $7/hr wet.
>> >
>> > Cheers
>> > H.
>> >
>> > ex 502TB, 739CD, 2196B
>>
>> Passed my checkride 30 years ago, May 6, 1977. 150's were going for
>> $16 wet then.
>
> Back in '76, our CAP Citabria was going for $10/hour and the L-19 Bird Dog
> for
> $13/hour. Wet, of course.
>
> Ron Wanttaja

[Ross]

ManhattanMan wrote:
> H. Adam Stevens wrote:
>
>>Greetings
>>
>>On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
>>I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150,
>>the first student to solo in it.
>>The rent was $7/hr wet.
>>
>
>
>
> That's about the time I did the same, 9 hrs, C-150 N8722G..
> Flew out of the now defunct Fairfax airport in Kansas City, Kansas,
> presently a GM assembley plant..
> Seem to remember dual was $15/hr.
>
>

In 1970 I soloed from Hillside Airport, south of KCMO. $9.00/hr wet for
a C-150. I got my commercial in ~1973 at the Johnson County Airport (now
Executive) with the Johnson Co community college. C-172 were $16.00 hr
wet and the instructors were salaried, so there were no per hour
instructor charges. And I used to fill my '67 Buick Wildcat (430 CID)
with premium at $0.19/gal.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

[ManhattanMan]

Ross wrote:
> ManhattanMan wrote:
>> H. Adam Stevens wrote:
>>
>>> Greetings
>>>
>>> On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
>>> I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150,
>>> the first student to solo in it.
>>> The rent was $7/hr wet.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> That's about the time I did the same, 9 hrs, C-150 N8722G..
>> Flew out of the now defunct Fairfax airport in Kansas City, Kansas,
>> presently a GM assembley plant..
>> Seem to remember dual was $15/hr.
>>
>>
>
> In 1970 I soloed from Hillside Airport, south of KCMO. $9.00/hr wet
> for a C-150. I got my commercial in ~1973 at the Johnson County
> Airport (now Executive) with the Johnson Co community college. C-172
> were $16.00 hr wet and the instructors were salaried, so there were
> no per hour instructor charges. And I used to fill my '67 Buick
> Wildcat (430 CID) with premium at $0.19/gal.

We used to go to Johnson Co. for touch & goes if Fairfax was busy - made my
all time worst landing there with my CFI practicing full flap short field
and bounced up so high I just hit the throttle for a go around. Really made
me a believer of the 150's main gear! d:->))

[H. Adam Stevens]

"Richard Riley" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:25:05 -0500, "H. Adam Stevens"
> > wrote:
>
>>Greetings
>>
>>On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
>>I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the
>>first
>>student to solo in it.
>>The rent was $7/hr wet.
>
> Heh.
>
> In 1967, my parent's house sold for $25,000. My dad bought a new
> Chevy for about $2100, and a gallon of regular was about $.35.
>
> Just add a zero to everything and it comes out about right (except the
> house, So. Cal real estate being an outlier)

I know inflation happened, a 172 was $14,000 back then.
But I was able to pay for flying lessons in high school by washing
airplanes.

I knew one guy who soloed before he got his driver's license.
He used to ride his bicycle to the airport to fly airplanes.

Cheers
H.

Here's a memory:
http://www.marrazzo.net/~spiderwebnet/Hams%20on%20the%20net/NQ5H%20H/WestOfDenveratFL240.JPG

[Morgans[_2_]]

"H. Adam Stevens" > wrote

> Here's a memory:
> http://www.marrazzo.net/~spiderwebnet/Hams%20on%20the%20net/NQ5H%20H/WestOfDenveratFL240.JPG

OK, I'll bite. What is this a memory of?
--
Jim in NC

[Al G[_2_]]

"Gene Seibel" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Apr 30, 8:25 pm, "H. Adam Stevens" >
> wrote:
>> Greetings
>>
>> On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
>> I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the
>> first
>> student to solo in it.
>> The rent was $7/hr wet.
>>
>> Cheers
>> H.
>>
>> ex 502TB, 739CD, 2196B
>
> Passed my checkride 30 years ago, May 6, 1977. 150's were going for
> $16 wet then.
> --
> Gene Seibel
> Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
> Because I fly, I envy no one.
>
>

January, 1971. $12.00 wet, Stellar City Airpark

Al G

[Jose]

> He used to ride his bicycle to the airport to fly airplanes.

That's what I did when I was in college. It was downhill to the airport
(ten miles), uphill to go home.

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[H. Adam Stevens]

"Morgans" > wrote in message
...
>
> "H. Adam Stevens" > wrote
>
>> Here's a memory:
>> http://www.marrazzo.net/~spiderwebnet/Hams%20on%20the%20net/NQ5H%20H/WestOfDenveratFL240.JPG
>
> OK, I'll bite. What is this a memory of?
> --
> Jim in NC
>

(chuckles to himself)

Solo in my late P Baron, Colorado Springs to Jackson Hole, Summer 1999.
Taken West of Denver at FL240.

Alas in May of '93 a "microburst" levitated the enormous hangar door on top
of said P Baron.

Cheers
H.

[Peter R.]

On 5/1/2007 5:44:52 PM, "H. Adam Stevens" wrote:

> Solo in my late P Baron, Colorado Springs to Jackson Hole, Summer 1999.
> Taken West of Denver at FL240.
>
> Alas in May of '93 a "microburst" levitated the enormous hangar door on
> top of said P Baron.

Your timeline is off. Do you mean in May of 2003 your aircraft was destroyed?

--
Peter

[ManhattanMan]

Jose wrote:
>> He used to ride his bicycle to the airport to fly airplanes.
>
> That's what I did when I was in college. It was downhill to the
> airport (ten miles), uphill to go home.
>


Oh gawd, I thought it was going to be another one of those "walked five
miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways" stories........ d:->))

[Jose]

>> That's what I did when I was in college. It was downhill to the
>> airport (ten miles), uphill to go home.
> Oh gawd, I thought it was going to be another one of those "walked five
> miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways" stories........ d:->))

Well, it was uphill both ways, but going to the airport it felt like
downhill. :)

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[H. Adam Stevens]

oops


"Peter R." > wrote in message
...
> On 5/1/2007 5:44:52 PM, "H. Adam Stevens" wrote:
>
>> Solo in my late P Baron, Colorado Springs to Jackson Hole, Summer 1999.
>> Taken West of Denver at FL240.
>>
>> Alas in May of '93 a "microburst" levitated the enormous hangar door on
>> top of said P Baron.
>
> Your timeline is off. Do you mean in May of 2003 your aircraft was
> destroyed?
>
> --
> Peter

[H. Adam Stevens]

It was at San Marcos, Texas.

2 0 0 3

or was it 4?

(how embarrassing)

http://www.tsaviation.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=thumbnails&album=19


2004


"Peter R." > wrote in message
...
> On 5/1/2007 5:44:52 PM, "H. Adam Stevens" wrote:
>
>> Solo in my late P Baron, Colorado Springs to Jackson Hole, Summer 1999.
>> Taken West of Denver at FL240.
>>
>> Alas in May of '93 a "microburst" levitated the enormous hangar door on
>> top of said P Baron.
>
> Your timeline is off. Do you mean in May of 2003 your aircraft was
> destroyed?
>
> --
> Peter

[H. Adam Stevens]

the Baron's under the left door.

http://www.tsaviation.com/modules/coppermine/albums/misc/thumb_Gafford01.JPG


"Peter R." > wrote in message
...
> On 5/1/2007 5:44:52 PM, "H. Adam Stevens" wrote:
>
>> Solo in my late P Baron, Colorado Springs to Jackson Hole, Summer 1999.
>> Taken West of Denver at FL240.
>>
>> Alas in May of '93 a "microburst" levitated the enormous hangar door on
>> top of said P Baron.
>
> Your timeline is off. Do you mean in May of 2003 your aircraft was
> destroyed?
>
> --
> Peter

[Erik]

ManhattanMan wrote:
> Ross wrote:
>
>>ManhattanMan wrote:
>>
>>>H. Adam Stevens wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Greetings
>>>>
>>>>On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
>>>>I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150,
>>>>the first student to solo in it.
>>>>The rent was $7/hr wet.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>That's about the time I did the same, 9 hrs, C-150 N8722G..
>>>Flew out of the now defunct Fairfax airport in Kansas City, Kansas,
>>>presently a GM assembley plant..
>>>Seem to remember dual was $15/hr.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>In 1970 I soloed from Hillside Airport, south of KCMO. $9.00/hr wet
>>for a C-150. I got my commercial in ~1973 at the Johnson County
>>Airport (now Executive) with the Johnson Co community college. C-172
>>were $16.00 hr wet and the instructors were salaried, so there were
>>no per hour instructor charges. And I used to fill my '67 Buick
>>Wildcat (430 CID) with premium at $0.19/gal.
>
>
> We used to go to Johnson Co. for touch & goes if Fairfax was busy - made my
> all time worst landing there with my CFI practicing full flap short field
> and bounced up so high I just hit the throttle for a go around. Really made
> me a believer of the 150's main gear! d:->))
>
>

Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
super fast, but jeesh.

[ManhattanMan]

Erik wrote:
>
> Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
> decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
> super fast, but jeesh.

How far were your lessons spaced out? I had just finished four years in the
Navy flying back seat as radar operator in S2F sub chasers, so navigation,
general familiarization with aircraft was old stuff, and I was taking
courses through the Junior College on pilot training, so things were going
along at a pretty good clip....
It was still a kick in the pants anyway you slice it though, wasn't it?????
d:->))

[Bob Noel]

In article >,
Erik > wrote:

> Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
> decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
> super fast, but jeesh.

look up old postings in rec.aviation.student. Every once in awhile
there are postings about how long it's taking to solo.

Summary: It doesn't matter, and it depends on a number
of factors including frequency of lesson, prior experience,
weather, traffic density.

bottomline: it doesn't matter

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

[Ron Wanttaja]

On Tue, 1 May 2007 14:14:31 -0500, "H. Adam Stevens" >
wrote:


> I knew one guy who soloed before he got his driver's license.
> He used to ride his bicycle to the airport to fly airplanes.

Well, now you know two. :-)

I got my driver's license about two months after my first solo.

Ron Wanttaja

[Mark T. Dame]

Gene Seibel wrote:
>
> Passed my checkride 30 years ago, May 6, 1977. 150's were going for
> $16 wet then.

At that rate, in 2037 a 152 will go for $380/hour wet. Maybe I need to
rethink my retirement plans. It looks like I'll need more money than I
thought.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame >
## CP-ASEL, AGI
## <insert tail number here>
## KHAO, KISZ
"I love cats. They taste just like chicken."

[Mark T. Dame]

Erik wrote:
>
> Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
> decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
> super fast, but jeesh.

One thing to keep in mind: in the last 20 years the number of people
soloing in less than ten hours has gone way down. I have a friend who
soloed in the late sixties in less than five hours. Basically, his
instructor took him and did turns (climbing and descending) and then
taught him how to flare. After that, solo time.

These days you learn a lot more prior to soloing, so it naturally takes
longer. The average these days is closer to 20 hours than 10. A lot of
factors affect that, as others have said. One of the biggest factors is
how often you fly. If you fly once every week or so, it will take more
hours than if you fly three or four times a week.

But, as someone else pointed out, it doesn't really matter. All that
matters is the end result: passing the checkride.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame >
## CP-ASEL, AGI
## <insert tail number here>
## KHAO, KISZ
"Forget the Joneses, I keep us up with the Simpsons."

[Peter R.]

On 5/1/2007 7:32:00 PM, "H. Adam Stevens" wrote:

> It was at San Marcos, Texas.
>
> 2 0 0 3
>
> or was it 4?
>
> (how embarrassing)

Ah, don't sweat it. :) With three boys I often find myself having to pause to
correctly cite their ages.

--
Peter

[Jay Honeck]

> On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
> I soloed on May 2, at 10 hours, in Cessna N8624J, a brand new 150, the first
> student to solo in it.
> The rent was $7/hr wet.

It seems that most here are concentrating on the costs -- but I'd like
to say "Congratulations" on 40 years in the air!

I wasted my first 35 years on the ground, looking up. As a result of
my procrastination, I doubt that I shall ever have the opportunity to
enjoy aviation for 40 straight years -- it's quite an accomplisment,
IMHO. Good job!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Matt Barrow[_4_]]

"Ron Wanttaja" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 1 May 2007 14:14:31 -0500, "H. Adam Stevens"
> >
> wrote:
>
>
>> I knew one guy who soloed before he got his driver's license.
>> He used to ride his bicycle to the airport to fly airplanes.
>
> Well, now you know two. :-)
>
> I got my driver's license about two months after my first solo.
>
With some states putting higher requirements on "yutes" of 16-18, that might
become more common.

[H. Adam Stevens]

"It was still a kick in the pants anyway you slice it though, wasn't it?????
"

I'll never forget the feeling.
Thinking, "Nobody gonna save your ass now but you, baby."

It's the one experience all pilots share.
And we share it with no one else.

Cheers
H.

"ManhattanMan" > wrote in message
...
> Erik wrote:
>>
>> Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
>> decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
>> super fast, but jeesh.
>
> How far were your lessons spaced out? I had just finished four years in
> the Navy flying back seat as radar operator in S2F sub chasers, so
> navigation, general familiarization with aircraft was old stuff, and I was
> taking courses through the Junior College on pilot training, so things
> were going along at a pretty good clip....
> It was still a kick in the pants anyway you slice it though, wasn't
> it????? d:->))
>

[Maxwell]

"H. Adam Stevens" > wrote in message
...
> "It was still a kick in the pants anyway you slice it though, wasn't
> it????? "
>
> I'll never forget the feeling.
> Thinking, "Nobody gonna save your ass now but you, baby."
>
> It's the one experience all pilots share.
> And we share it with no one else.
>

When I started reducing power on my first solo down wind, I remember how
odd it felt to have the right seat empty. I think I said the same thing.

[Ross]

Erik wrote:
> ManhattanMan wrote:
>
>> Ross wrote:
>>
>>> ManhattanMan wrote:
>>>
>>>> H. Adam Stevens wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Greetings
>>>>>
>>>>> On May 1, 1967 I flew my last pre-solo dual.
>>>>> he 150's main gear! d:->))
>>
>
> Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
> decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
> super fast, but jeesh.
>

I soloed at ~ 7.8 hours at Hillside. My wife let me know that she soloed
~ 7.5 hours or something like that. It was sooner than mine. Times are
different now I guess. Seem everyone is soloing later.
--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

[Erik]

Erik wrote:
> Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
> decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
> super fast, but jeesh.
>

Thanks for the replies. At the start, I was doing twice a week
and we did do a lot more than turns and flares. I learned stalls,
steep turns, slow flight, navigation, unusual attitudes, and more
before soloing so maybe that's why.

[george]

On May 3, 4:35 am, Erik > wrote:
> Erik wrote:
> > Damn. All these "solo'd at <10 hours" stuff. I wonder if I had
> > decent CFIs. I had >30 at my first solo. I know I don't learn
> > super fast, but jeesh.
>
> Thanks for the replies. At the start, I was doing twice a week
> and we did do a lot more than turns and flares. I learned stalls,
> steep turns, slow flight, navigation, unusual attitudes, and more
> before soloing so maybe that's why.


Provided the relevant flight exercises are gone through there is no
reason why a current student can't solo in the same time that we could
in the 60s.
Which was to safely fly a circuit...
Night flying, recovery from unusual attitudes and cross countries came
after solo..
I went off in 4.50 and it was costing $10NZ wet.
Nowadays every-one is so careful that they have to make sure all the
I's are crossed and the T's are dotted which is a pity..

[Erik]

george wrote:

> I's are crossed and the T's are dotted which is a pity..
>
>

Don't you mean a ptiy?