GOO to OSH on gasahol

I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news is that Gail and I are going to go from Grass Valley to
Oshkosh (via Iowa City) next month burning nothing but ethanol-laced
gasahol.

The bad news is that we are going to do it in a Subaru wagon.

Simple math. With the advent of gasahol the only place I can get real
gasoline for the 182 with any degree of confidence is from the Mighty Grape
in IOW. Even then, on-airport "real gasoline" on our route (if AirNav is to
be believed) hovers somewhere between $3.50 and $4 a gallon IF they still
have it. The O-470 was designed back in the days when gasoline was a dime a
gallon and the least costly parameter to worry about. The bottom line is
that fuel costs alone (again using AirNav as a source) for the round trip
GOO-OSH would be $1500.

www.gasbuddy.com shows autogas at $2.98 a gallon (and coming down a few
pennies a week) average on our route and round trip gasoline will run around
$500. Extra time? One day going and one day coming home. I dunno about
y'all, but spending a thousand extra dollars for the privilege of being
thoroughly thrashed by afternoon turbulence isn't clever in my mind.

Yes, I still love the joy and beauty of flight. That sputtering cough as
the engine fires up early on a cool clear morning is one that I'll never get
tired of. But cross country (literally) at 100 knots burning 10 gallons an
hour isn't my cup of tea any more.

Jim


--
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, with chocolate in one hand and wine in
the other, loudly proclaiming 'WOO HOO What a Ride!'"
--Unknown

...the only place I can get real
gasoline for the 182...

...But cross country (literally) at 100 knots...

100 knots in a 182? Are you flying or taxiing?

If OSH isn't worth the flying, a hundred dollar hamburger isn't either.

Jose
--
You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

100 knots in a 182? Are you flying or taxiing?

In a 1958 boxcar 182, to get fuel burn down to 10 gph if you flight plan for
anything more than 100 knots (from engine start to shutdown) INCLUDING
taxiing, climbing, descending, pattern, taxiing, you are deluding yourself.

Jim



If OSH isn't worth the flying, a hundred dollar hamburger isn't either.

Jose
--
You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote in message
. net...
..., a hundred dollar hamburger isn't either.

$100.00 hamburger? Where do you get THAT deal these days? I flightplan
about $ .25 AMU for your average aviation burger.

Some of them are the best I ever had.

Vaughn

"RST Engineering" wrote:

I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news is that Gail and I are going to go from Grass Valley to
Oshkosh (via Iowa City) next month burning nothing but ethanol-laced
gasahol.

The bad news is that we are going to do it in a Subaru wagon.

My dad pretty much said the same thing earlier this month. I'm holding out
that the prices slide enough to be efficient in the plane. Still a month to
geaux... Flying to San Marcos,TX next week if the weathers good...

The problem is that autogas prices are dropping a few cents a week while
avgas is still going up by about the same amount.

Jim

--
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, with chocolate in one hand and wine in
the other, loudly proclaiming 'WOO HOO What a Ride!'"
--Unknown


"Darrel Toepfer" wrote in message
8...


My dad pretty much said the same thing earlier this month. I'm holding out
that the prices slide enough to be efficient in the plane. Still a month
to
geaux... Flying to San Marcos,TX next week if the weathers good...

The bad news is that we are going to do it in a Subaru wagon.

Damn, Jim, what's it gonna take to see that perty blue and white 182
here at KIOW? Free beer? Free food?

Done.

Alright, already -- I'll kick in a few bucks for gas, too. REAL,
ethanol-free gas, bottled right here in the home of ethanol, Iowa!
I'll kick in the gas it'll take you to fly from here to OSH -- what,
say, 15 gallons?

On the house.

Anything to keep you from flying the Subaru. Dang, I do that all too
regularly, when the thunder-boomers really roar, and it really, really
sucks.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

RST Engineering wrote:
I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news is that Gail and I are going to go from Grass Valley to
Oshkosh (via Iowa City) next month burning nothing but ethanol-laced
gasahol.

The bad news is that we are going to do it in a Subaru wagon.

Simple math. With the advent of gasahol the only place I can get real
gasoline for the 182 with any degree of confidence is from the Mighty Grape
in IOW. Even then, on-airport "real gasoline" on our route (if AirNav is to
be believed) hovers somewhere between $3.50 and $4 a gallon IF they still
have it. The O-470 was designed back in the days when gasoline was a dime a
gallon and the least costly parameter to worry about. The bottom line is
that fuel costs alone (again using AirNav as a source) for the round trip
GOO-OSH would be $1500.

www.gasbuddy.com shows autogas at $2.98 a gallon (and coming down a few
pennies a week) average on our route and round trip gasoline will run around
$500. Extra time? One day going and one day coming home. I dunno about
y'all, but spending a thousand extra dollars for the privilege of being
thoroughly thrashed by afternoon turbulence isn't clever in my mind.

Yes, I still love the joy and beauty of flight. That sputtering cough as
the engine fires up early on a cool clear morning is one that I'll never get
tired of. But cross country (literally) at 100 knots burning 10 gallons an
hour isn't my cup of tea any more.

Jim


Jim,
I can identify with this. My personal flying is down a lot. I used to
fly my plane 100-200 hours a year. I now fly it about 50 hours a year.
It does not hurt that now fly for a living...

Michelle

On Jun 23, 1:01 pm, "RST Engineering" wrote:
I have good news and I have bad news.
....

In so very many ways, "SVX!!" does not approach adequate...

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
The bad news is that we are going to do it in a Subaru wagon.

Damn, Jim, what's it gonna take to see that perty blue and white 182
here at KIOW? Free beer? Free food?


Probably, in a couple of dozen years when I get ready to sell it, selling it
to somebody between the Rockies and the Appalachians, between Canada and the
Mason-Dixon line. A circle with a 500 mile radius centered on IOW.


Jim