View Single Post
  #40  
Old October 11th 04, 06:18 PM
Mike Rapoport
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I think that you are seeing the future clearly.

Mike
MU-2


"C Kingsbury" wrote in message
.net...

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...

"C Kingsbury" wrote in message
over 100HP, assuming of course they allow us to fly at all. Look at
Europe-
I don't want that to be the future of GA.


Nobody does, what is your proposed solution?.


Over the next five years? Mogas. We've gotta get off the 100LL before it
kills us. Many engines can run it already and higher-performance ones
ought
to be able to with things like the PRISM ignition systems.

Next decade? Diesel/Jet-A engines. Higher efficiency and longer life, and
with increased production volume costs ought to come down. I don't know
that
I'd buy a new plane right now that relies on a fuel whose supply is
unclear.

Beyond that, hydrogen may become practical- checkout www.safehydrogen.com
for one of a thousand little companies trying to turn it into a practical
power source for vehicles. Weight being a much bigger issue for airplanes
than for cars, we may see anti-gravity vehicles before we see non-Fossil
Fuel burning aircraft. Of course, if we can stop using FF everywhere
they're
not absolutely needed, we may be able to make do with what we have, or
even
switch to biodiesel.

It is of course likely still that costs will go up. At least we won't be
as
regulated as in Europe, and we will on average have higher incomes to
afford
it. But much like the dying days of the Old West, it seems like the glory
days of GA lie behind us, and our best hope of keeping flying accessible
to
a maximum number of people will in fact be LSAs, in other words, the
European solution.

Best,
-cwk.