Leftcoast_Mike
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off
|
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Chainshot wrote:
The movie version 'Memphis Belle' is in Atl. this w/e. We are having crappy weather. Doubt they will fly, until Sunday. Price has gone up to $450 for 30 min. Can't blame it on them. I'm sure it is fuel, etc...
The speed at which money becomes noise in all of these aircraft is just stunning. When I did the AOPA article on FiFi, they were telling me the flight time would run about 10 grand. Everyone thinks they'd like to put together a B25 air to air shoot, until they find out the tab. If you haven't been around it, it's sobering for sure. Come to think of it, if you have been around it, it's sobering.
I just recently put together a ride program for our Museum whereby we can offer membership upgrades and offer a ride in the aircraft they sponsor as the 'perk'. The trickery (albeit legal) is keeping it from becoming commercial. If you can do that you'll save a TON of money. I don't know how the CAF (for example) do it with the B-17 etc but if our 'commercial insurance' rates are anything like they might be paying I can certainly see why they have to charge what they do.
Cost to fuel the aircraft (and oil) is sometimes covered by the event hosts/organizers...but not always. The money needed for the engine overhaul fund is substantial. Take the Lancaster based in Hamilton, Ontario....HALF a MILLION to overhaul the 4 Merlin's (not including the spare they keep).
When I do a2a with my friend Bill in his Harvard/T-6 it's almost always part of some kind of formation training which is why the subjects are always in so tight with most of my work. I foot half the gas and oil bill on every flight where we aren't being compensated for being part of things. It's certainly not cheap lol.
|
