Fuel Prices

In the latest issue of PLANE & PILOT, Bill Cox tells aabout ferrying a
Cessna 421C from Iceland to Texas. The price of avgas in Greenland,
$10.75 per gallon

If you can determine when the price is high and when it is low it would be
better to speculate in the futures market than pump gas for a living.

Mike
MU-2


"Gig 601XL Builder" wr.giacona@coxDOTnet wrote in message
news:Yu%Te.27417$7f5.7148@okepread01...

"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:mS_Te.369$252.270@trndny05...
Matt Barrow wrote:

He might not have enough cash to replace it, gallon-for-gallon (unless
he's
really loaded which is unlikely) if the price spikes continue.

He may also run into another problem, though my crystal ball says he
won't. If you buy a tank of gas at a peak price and index your price to
the price you paid, you may be stuck with that tank if the price then
drops. This happened at Lakewood airport two years ago.



I've seen that happen. The best bet in a fluctuating market is to by as
little as you can while the price is high and as much as you can when it
is lower. Since we don't know what the OP's tank and supplier situation
this may not be an option.

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
nk.net...
If you can determine when the price is high and when it is low it would be
better to speculate in the futures market than pump gas for a living.


Gee...last week it was $2.60 and now it's $2.99; if you can't figure that
one out, you shouldn't be pumping gas either.


Mike
MU-2


"Gig 601XL Builder" wr.giacona@coxDOTnet wrote in message
news:Yu%Te.27417$7f5.7148@okepread01...

"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:mS_Te.369$252.270@trndny05...
Matt Barrow wrote:

He might not have enough cash to replace it, gallon-for-gallon (unless
he's
really loaded which is unlikely) if the price spikes continue.

He may also run into another problem, though my crystal ball says he
won't. If you buy a tank of gas at a peak price and index your price to
the price you paid, you may be stuck with that tank if the price then
drops. This happened at Lakewood airport two years ago.



I've seen that happen. The best bet in a fluctuating market is to by as
little as you can while the price is high and as much as you can when it
is lower. Since we don't know what the OP's tank and supplier situation
this may not be an option.

He might not have enough cash to replace it, gallon-for-gallon (unless
he's
really loaded which is unlikely) if the price spikes continue.

He may also run into another problem, though my crystal ball says he
won't. If you buy a tank of gas at a peak price and index your price
to
the price you paid, you may be stuck with that tank if the price then
drops. This happened at Lakewood airport two years ago.



At WVI 100LL is now $4.31/US gal. Might take couple of years to empty the
FBO tank at that rate .

Fuel cost for C182 now approx. $50/hr.

Think this might have an effect on the number of hours I fly and the resale
value of light aircraft used for pleasure?

C182 150mph @ 12gph = .30/mile fuel cost.
Auto 60mph @ 3gph = .10/mile fuel cost
Commercial airline .10mile total cost

Howard
C182P

"Howard Nelson" wrote in message
. ..
He might not have enough cash to replace it, gallon-for-gallon
(unless
he's
really loaded which is unlikely) if the price spikes continue.

He may also run into another problem, though my crystal ball says he
won't. If you buy a tank of gas at a peak price and index your price
to
the price you paid, you may be stuck with that tank if the price then
drops. This happened at Lakewood airport two years ago.



At WVI 100LL is now $4.31/US gal. Might take couple of years to empty the
FBO tank at that rate .

I'll bet he's got a lot of margin in that price.

--
POLITICS, n.
A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.
The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. - Ambrose Bierce

You didn't factor in the fact that small aircraft go DIRECT and thus an
equivalent trip is shorter. My Husky goes 125 mph on 8 gph for .26 fuel
cost but the trip is 25% shorter in miles so it comes out to around .20
fuel cost per mile of car travel distance.

"Tom S." wrote in message
...

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
nk.net...
If you can determine when the price is high and when it is low it would
be better to speculate in the futures market than pump gas for a living.


Gee...last week it was $2.60 and now it's $2.99; if you can't figure that
one out, you shouldn't be pumping gas either.


Gee...if it is $3.20 next week, was $2.99 high

On 13-Sep-2005, "Howard Nelson" wrote:

At WVI 100LL is now $4.31/US gal. Might take couple of years to empty the
FBO tank at that rate .

Fuel cost for C182 now approx. $50/hr.

Think this might have an effect on the number of hours I fly and the
resale value of light aircraft used for pleasure?

C182 150mph @ 12gph = .30/mile fuel cost.

More like .34/mile for $4.31/gal avgas

Auto 60mph @ 3gph = .10/mile fuel cost

This would require $2.00/gal mogas -- not likely these days


Commercial airline .10mile total cost

For flights of around 400 nm (460 sm), where you would likely consider
flying a light airplane, typical 1-way ticket price might be around $150
(assuming round trip purchase with lots of restrictions). That comes out to
$.33/mile. However, if two are traveling (typical load in a light plane or
car for this trip) total cost would be $.66/mile.


An alternative is a more efficient airplane:

Piper Arrow 135 kts (156 mph) @ 9.4 gph = .26/mile fuel cost. (assuming
your $4.31/gal for 100LL)

A Mooney would do even better.

Also, note that a given trip by auto will typically be about 30% longer (in
miles traveled) than the straight-line flown by an airplane. Realistically,
that comes out to:

Auto 46 mph (straight-line equiv. going 60 mph) @ 3gph = .19/mile fuel
cost (assuming $2.87/gal for mogas)

--
-Elliott Drucker

Howard Nelson wrote:


Think this might have an effect on the number of hours I fly and the resale
value of light aircraft used for pleasure?

C182 150mph @ 12gph = .30/mile fuel cost.

Then the value of my Bonanza just went up. If I want to fly at 150 MPH
that's 19 inches and 2000 rpm for a total of 9 GPH. Gas currently at $2.75.

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

"Tom S." wrote in message
...

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
nk.net...
If you can determine when the price is high and when it is low it would
be better to speculate in the futures market than pump gas for a living.


Gee...last week it was $2.60 and now it's $2.99; if you can't figure that
one out, you shouldn't be pumping gas either.


Gee...if it is $3.20 next week, was $2.99 high

Gee, it's Bush's fault that humans are not omniscient except in the movies.