Sport Pilot Talk

DPBOHCPA · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 7 Location: NE Ohio

I was curious if any of the training facilities & FBOs out there doing sport pilot activity have seen an impact on their business as a result of the slowing economy and high fuel prices.

Alternatively, those of you currently in training for your ticket or renting aircraft - have you altered your training goals or rental habits because of these factors?

Curious what the business environment holds and how sensitive it is to these (or other external factors I haven't thought of.)

Cheers!

rsteele · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 99

Well, no, I haven't changed my goals - I'd fly a more if could, and money isn't the issue, it's time, weather, plane and instructor availability. As a good friend says " Being a student sucks".

Lets run some ballpark numbers. The plane I fly burns about 5.5gal/hour at cruise, probably closer to 3.5 in the pattern where most of my flying happens. Let's say avgas has gone up about $1.5/gal in the last year from about 3.85 to 5.35. A typical lesson for me is about 1.5 hours on the hobbs. 1.5 hours * $1.5 (price difference) * (4gal/hr) = $9 per lesson difference in fuel per lesson. So far the school has absorbed this, but it's a drop in the training bucket compared to aircraft depreciation and instructor.

I think this is a huge advantage for small planes in general, and LSA's in particular. Sure a C150 or Cub gets close to the same fuel burn, but a C172, which is more common, around here at least, doesn't. Where I'm flying, it seems like most of the flights are LSA training flights while the 'real planes" sit quietly in the tie downs.

Ron

CharlieTango · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:52 am Post subject:

the economy limits the number of new purchases.

the cost of flying lsa attracts pilots that are burning 10-20 gal/hour in their current aircraft.

there is pressure in both directions due to the economy.

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 292

I'm 100 hours less total hours than this time last year. J-3 and 172 combined.

Usually about 450 hours per year J-3 and 350 172.

jim@sportplanesflorida.co · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Sarasota, FL

Quote: I was curious if any of the training facilities & FBOs out there doing sport pilot activity have seen an impact on their business as a result of the slowing economy and high fuel prices.

We have a flight school in Sarasota, FL flying a Remos G-3. We've continued to grow our monthly flight hours during the last several months and even have a second Remos arriving this week.

Our training focuses on Sport Pilot, including a two-week accelerated course, and a couple Private students plus renters (we have six instructors). Our fuel burn is very consistant month-to-month at 2.8 gallons per hour - mostly flight training.

With our low fuel burn, we can continue to offer our 'new' Remos at rates equal to 'older' 152's in the area.

On a personal note, my own Cessna Cardinal is spending a lot of time in it's hanger with $6.00 fuel in the tanks. It has flown only 36 hours in the last 10 months; last year it flew over 100 hours.

Jim Julius
SportPlanesFlorida.com

khipp · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 5

I'm at 99V Crawford Airpark in Colorado. 2 of the nearby flight schools, in Gunnison (GUC) and Montrose (MTJ) have shut down. Mostly small 4 passenger airplanes like C 172's are used for training cause of the high density altitude. Grand Junction (GJT) is still operating though slowed down. The talk around is to start training in LSA's though it will need decent performance as all airports around here are 5000 to 8000 feet. I understand there is a Remos being used for training in the Denver area. Most airports there are 5000 to 6000.
My Turbo Twin Comanche burns 18 GPH and is spending more time parked than normal, but I have just bought a Kitfox 1 so my body doesn't need to spend as much time on the ground as the Comanche

Karl Hipp

CTflyer · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject:

Couple of weeks ago our local FBO (Windham Aviation) at KIJD was bought by FreedomJets of New Jersey - business jets and charters. The whole Windham Aviation website (www.windhamaviation.com) has been removed, and FreedomJets doesn't even mention the rentals, lessons, or instructors that were at Windham.

Windham Aviation had six or seven rental planes - one 152, a couple 172s, a couple Warriors, and an Arrow. They rented for maybe a total of five hours every week. That's five hours for all their planes together. How can an FBO survive on that?

When I asked them two years ago if they'd consider selling one of their unused 152's (they used to have three) and getting an LSA, I was told no one wants to fly those little things (!). Then (I was told) they convinced a guy to buy an Arrow and assign it to the FBO on leaseback. And now it sits idly with all the others.

Weird - but then no g/a pilot I know seems to care anymore. The guys who own their own planes are concerned mostly with the latest gizmo (electronics, new upholstery, wing tanks, vortex generators, whatever - or even buying the newest planes). That is *great* - and I envy them. But eventually the skies will become a bit lonely I'm afraid.

Tom
PS - today, regular mogas is $4.37; avgas is around $5.99 - 6.29.

Doss79 · Joined: 30 Jun 2008 Posts: 14 Location: San Antonio, Tx

Yikes.

tadel001 · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 116

We have not seen a decline in rentals or new pilot starts. We are over 60 active students (95% are sport pilots) right now and need more instructors!! Anyone SPI or CFIs in the maryland area want to instruct? We have Tecnam Eaglets, Sierras, Echos and Sky Arrows.