I'm sorry that you misunderstood that part of the post. Dad wasn't wealthy when he bought his first airplane. It hurts to say that after 40+ years in the aviation business, he still wasn't wealthy when he recently passed away. He was always honest in his business, financial, and accounting methods. The larger airplane I mentioned was his moving up to a 150. That's right, UP to a 150.
My apologies for posting here.
Shelby.
Shelby,
I never implied anything bad about your Dad.
Sorry for the confusion.
Like you (and your Dad), I'm about truth and honesty.
The lure of aviation and flying are so powerful that it is easy to become blinded.
New members often join us here with no real idea about what getting your PPL is really about. They sometimes act like the world will have no more airplanes for sale tomorrow-- so they must buy today.
This forum is a great place for what I call "The Senior Members" to take the new guys aside and enlighten them.
It's easy to forget that relatively few pilots who start training actually finish. For every "gem" available, there are an untold number of flying black holes. Horse racing isn't the sport of kings-- flying is.
Once a newbie get his/her arms around some of our dirty little secrets, they're in a great position to proceed.
And that's a long way to say that the comments you made about your Dad, while undoubtedly true, make it sound like the average fellow might be able to buy a plane, take lessons, have some fun, and come out ahead. That, I'm sure you will agree, is highly unlikely.
Could I purchase a 150 for 20K today and sell it for 25K two years from now? Probably. 'Course, along the way I'd redo the interior and repaint. To "make" 5K, I'd probably have to spend at least 10K.
Airplanes are horrible "investments"-- at least from the monetary viewpoint.
I track every nickel and dime like a typical engineer.
What I can't track are all of the great people I've met and the unbelievable sights I've seen. I've had tremendous adventures and been lucky enough to share them with my friends and family.
I've traded piles of cash for things most folks can't even imagine. It was worth it.
