I think my luck has run out. At age 48 I'm thinkin' about throwing my pilot wings in the river. Just sick and damned tired of not being able to afford to do anything else I love to do...

Don't give her up! How about taking a lesson from corporate American and downsizing? Trade down into something more affordable to buy and fly than the mighty Maule. A J3, Kitfox, or something similar would be fun, affordable, STOL-able, maybe even LSA-SP compliant so ya wouldn't need to worry about that darn medical. Just learn to pack light and/or stay close to home.
Take it a step further-- maybe Zane will give you a good price on his ultralight......
Eric

Sorry, I shouldn't have thrown a wet blanket on an otherwise upbeat thread.

Been thinkin' a lot about this for over a year now. Don't think I want to downsize or take on a partner in a taildragger. The Maule is already dirt cheap to own and fly as planes go...I just can't justify the expense of this anymore no matter how much I love it...sitting on a very sharp fence right now.

Sorry about highjacking this thread, split it if it suits you, Zane

Carry on...

Back away from the edge of the building, I know how you feel but we can get through this.

Sorry to make light of your situation, I really do know what you're talking about but I think I'd rather deal with the stress of being tight on cash than the stress of not flying. That's a seriuosly tough call

I have sentiments that reflect both those of John and Maulewaco.
For the last eight or nine years, my job had consumed my life to the exclusion of my kids and anything I wanted to do for fun. I developed high blood pressure and was an Ass to be around.
I got my PPL about 12 years ago and as my time built in meager increments, so did my pleasure in flying. I bought the Yellow Peril about 5 years ago and discovered that no matter how stressful the day was, the moment the prop turned under it's own power and the satisfying growl of the little 360 started, I could feel all of the stress wash off me. It also allowed me to do things with my wife and kids that they enjoyed too.
The other aspect to this post is that if it had not been for our planes, I would not have met you and your wife Strata, the couple of times we met up were very fun as with all of the other people I have met all over the country. The aviation crowd is a very different set than most circles.
I now live in a new place with a new job and more or less starting over. The money is a good bit less than what I been acustomed to but it's all relative, the quality of life is superior. Flights are budgeted & thought out in advance. It would be easy to consider unloading the bird but the cost in the long term would be steep. I could not replace the plane today for what I bought it for.
Strata, you strike me as being a pretty sharp guy and nobody can make a better desicion for you than you. If you do find that this is the way you need to go, so be it. Your presence will be missed, you would always be welcome with me.

Strata, I guess my question is: do you still enjoy flying? If not-- hell yes, get out of it. If yes, I'd hate to see ya bail out. Like others have said, you might not be happy-- boats, Harleys, dirt bikes, etc are fun, but not the same.
When you say your Maule is dirt cheap to operate, I guess it's all relative. I would think something small and two-place in the 85-100 horse range would cost about half of what that Maule does for everything but the hangar. Gas-half, oil-half, insurance-half, annual-maybe more than half, but maybe not!
When I went from a 150 to a 170, my costs went up maybe 50%. I know lotsa guys who jumped from a 170 to a 180-- same deal, 50% (or more!) increase. I'm sure it works inversely when downsizing.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Eric

I had to give up the Super Cub, that I'd had for almost 10 years for business reasons. But God always gives you the grace to be able to handle a situation as you trust Him to do that. It's all part of the journey and training in a life that will never end. So I've been counting pennies but have been blessed (GREATLY) with several friends that have let me fly their airplanes any time I need to go run around the patch. I look forward to the day when I can once again pick up a Cub and reciprocate with gratitude!
In the meantime, this year looks to be a breakout year with our current cattle and horse and other livestock supplement lines (it's starting to really move in the intermountain west and Arizona) and another business that has an excellent shot at making it right out of the box.
So God is faithful (and Zane, I just met a beautiful girl named Erin ) and I like the parable of the Disciples waking Jesus up in the boat as the storm was swamping the craft. After calming things down Jesus looked at them and said, "Why were you afraid?" And they are thinking, "well because we were going to drowned!" But Jesus comes back with, "Even, if you died, what is that? You are safe in me." Takes a LOT of pressure off!

Brad

Strata, another idea comes to mind, trade the Maule in on a Champ, there are plenty around that don't fit the Sport Pilot weight limits. They are cheap to buy and operate with minimal fuel usage. Plus stick and throttle man!

BRD wrote:and Zane, I just met a beautiful girl named Erin

Great name for a lady. Wait, she's not living in Oregon and you met her online, right?

Strata, I feel your pain. Ten years ago, I reached the point where something had to give. I retired the airplane to a cheap hangar 1 1/2 hours away from my house, took it off insurance and pickled it as best as I could. 12 months later, many things had changed and I was basically starting over, but I still had the airplane. It all worked out for the best, and I am really glad I kept the plane.

If I had to stop flying again, I would consider either putting the airplane in storage or perhaps selling it, buying a 172 that I could put on leaseback with a flying club and depreciating it. If you can swing the leaseback and find a well-run flying club, the 172 should be cash flow positive and the depreciation can offset a fair amount of income over 7 years, when you can convert the 172 to personal use, sell it and buy another airplane or do something else with the money. In the meantime, you get to fly it without having to bear all of the insurance and maintenance expenses yourself. Just a thought if you want to keep in the game. Based on the gorgeous pictures in your gallery, it looks like you really do love it. Best of luck.

CAVU

Heyya Strata,

My lovely bride and I have considered selling the bird a couple of times in the past. When it was mentioned, the room got really quiet and I know we both had a big knot in our bellies. We still may sell it someday, but it would only be a temporary fix... I am SURE we would regret it, and wouldn't be able to replace it for the money. The opportunity costs in good times would also be way too much to bear. I am sure we would end up with another airplane at some point, regardless...

I was standing next to a friend of mine once when a novice bystander asked him, "so what does it cost to own an airplane?" With a slight grin he said, "It costs everything... and worth every penny." I guess, Strata, you 'll just have to figure out if that's true for you.

I enjoyed meeting you at the JC fly-in, and sure hope we end up parked in the same paddock again someday. Whatever you decide, please don't leave the site!

Matt

Thank you all for your ideas and kind words of encouragement. Ya'll are a great bunch of people and I appreciate you more than you will ever know.

The irony of all this is the fact that I've ended up here because I was trying to find a way to move up to a more recent model plane; then reality smacked me squarely between the eyes like a two-by-four. I finally started to realize the enormous financial and lifestyle sacrifice that we were making in so many facets of our life to make this flying thing happen for me and it left a very bad taste in my mouth. We've given up so many of the things we love to do to be able to fly - used to ski, hunt, golf, and many other things - don't do any of those things anymore because of this beautiful addiction that grips me and sucks my wallet dry. Alyce has given up her horses and much more for my habit - it just ain't fair to her even as much as she enjoys flying with me to new and exciting places (one of the reasons we bought the Maule to begin with).

In the last couple of years Alyce and I have taken on some family financial obligations that have eaten mightily into our discretionary income leaving us little left for the enjoyment of our plane, so we've been trying to build our income to offset the losses. So far we haven't been successful. We are by no means poor, and I thank the good Lord every day for the gifts that He has bestowed upon us, but the reality is that flying is a luxury, and it's one that's taking a large bite out of our future. I thought I could justify moving up to a later model Maule a few months ago (for that matter I thought I could justify it just a few days ago), but now I don't even know if I can justify hanging onto the plane that I have right now. So I've made the decision to sell the Maule and step back from it for awhile because I've left my comfort zone with it, and I don't think I can rationalize replacing it. Will my mental health suffer as a consequence?...you bet your bippy it will, but hopefully I will still be tolerable to live with.

When I started flying planes with the fan on the front it was to allow us to travel back and forth easily to California to visit Alyces elderly parents and other family members there. We started out doing it in an Aeronca 11BC Chief. Did that for a couple of years until a couple of trips where it took us longer to get there or back than if we had drove because of nasty headwinds. That prompted us to bite the bullet and buy the Maule - something that I've always aspired to own and fly anyways, and despite the previously mentioned sacrifices, a decision that I will never regret. We needed something that would haul stuff, get us where we were going in a timely manner, and give us access to the other things we love to do in the backcountry. This is why I have no desire to take a step back into a lower performance airplane. I love to fly, God help me, I do love it so; but I didn't get into powered flying to just bore holes in the sky around the local patch. If it boils down to that I'll just come full circle, buy a Schweiser 1-26, and content myself with soaring instead since that is where I started this great adventure of flight to begin with.

Who knows, maybe I'll find a way to make it all work and get back into another Maule in short order. I'm going to hang onto my hangar a little while just in case I manage to turn things around. I don't think I've exhausted all the possibilities to stay in the game yet, and the Lord has always granted me my deepest desires when they fit with His plan for me.

Thus ends this little melodrama that I never intended or wanted to be aired on the www, but for my uncontrollable fingers. Once again, thank you all for your support and kind words.

Doug

If you want to be talked out of flying, you'll have to look elsewhere. Around here, we're all enablers. I've always thought it was cool that you're a glider pilot though, perhaps you should return to that for a while, or when you can. Mix things up. I sure would like to try it one of these days.

Even if you sell the M4, and lose currency or whatever, you're still a pilot, and everybody around here loves to hear your input and see your creative image linkings whether or not you have a plane.

I fly a 182B. I bought it in Feb of 2000. IN Dec of 2000 a friend sold his Tri Pacer and bough 50% of my plane. This is what makes it affordable. Just had the annual and it was 4300 bucks but that was because we had to have the prop overhauled.

If it is borderline weather you sell or not, consider a partner. They have there drawbacks but if written up correctly, and you are very carefull about picking the right partner, it is very workable.

If you arte considering a partner, send me a private message and I will give you my phone # and I will pass on what I have learned.

Tim

It is true that a partner can be one of the greatest assets in a plane, the converse is also true.

I have had both, and I think I know why one was great and one was not.

I packed in plane ownership for 19 years, and like you I turned back to gliders. In fact if it is just a fun flight and good wx I would take a glider over power any day. It is you and mother nature pitted one on one. I love gliding.

If you are ever this way there is a plane here for you to fly.

Dane

Strata,

Here's another way to look at the partnership thing. I'm a partner in two aircraft (long story). They're paid for and we work out all the other financial stuff. But, I was given the ol' heave-ho a little over a week ago. First call was to the wife, second was to the partner. Not a problem he says, you floated me when I was down, now I'll just float you for a while. So, the airplanes are taken care of, now just have to find that source of income. With the right partner you can make it work. Your call and all but don't overlook the option if it will keep the wind beneath your wings literally and figuratively.

Regarding the partnership suggestion: Been there, done that; it was a 'less than optimal' experience that I'm reluctant to repeat. Finding the right partner in an airplane partnership is like trying to find the right spouse.

Hi Strata,

In my 40 year flying career, I have done what you are about to do twice.
I had to give up soaring to get a power plane (Super Cub) then 6 years later gave up the Cub because of not flying enough to justify the expense. I have always thought in the ensuing 20 years how if I had only sold the engine and dismantled and stored the plane how much better off I would be today. I sold it for $27,000 in 1985 and it would be worth $95,000 today, less $12,000 for a replacement engine.

It took me 8 years and a move to Oregon to get another airplane, and I wasn't in the best of moods during that time period. I'm still looking that ogre in the face every year...along about November (annual time) I get into the "is it really worth it" argument, and every year (so far) I say "well, I better not try to sell it now, wait till spring". By spring, I always have a list of places to go camping and club fly-ins that sound fun, so another year goes by. My problem isn't really the money (although I did have to give up Hull insurance after 9/11 and I keep it at a cheap strip about 75 miles away instead of the local towered field), it is the increasingly insane regulatory environment and the restrictions that seem to multiply every year, and the job of keeping a 30 year old plane in the kind of shape I insist on. I have been thinking more and more of going experimental.

My experience has taught me that I am one of those unfortunate people who just have to fly to stay sane; everything really neat I've ever done in my life is connected in some way to flying....I just can't give it up.

My advice is not to burn all your bridges at once. Sell the Maule if you must, but keep the hangar, which is probably harder to replace than the plane, and see if you can rent it to someone who might let you fly as part of the deal. If not, see if the rent justifies keeping it as an investment. Try to keep your physical and BFR current and beg, borrow or (Gasp) RENT if you have to in order to get in the air at least a few times a year. By all means do some more soaring. DON"T GIVE UP! Consider this just a "sabbatical" if you will, and keep thinking about the idea of getting another plane in a few years. If you are like me, and the freedom of flying into the backcountry is in your blood, you will eventually succeed.

In ten years, you will only be as old as I am now, but the options for great bush planes may be even better, although I think we all would agree they won't be cheaper. Even though I am by nature a pessimist, I still believe that bush flying will be the last survivor of what we now know as GA.

God Bless and Good Luck!

Rocky

An option could be to find a good place to rent near you. At least to keep current. Plus you would have an aircraft available to you for trips.

I would love to own right now, but can't swing it yet. Renting is not as fun as owning I am sure, but it could beat no flying at all.

The problem with taking a partner after having owned the plane for a couple of years is you will still think of the plane as your baby.

If you sell 1/2 the plane to a person you think might be ok you can put into the agreement that you have the option of buying back the plane at his buy in price anytime in the first year. That way if he is a dud you can bail on him.

Might even do it for three years and base the buy on AOPA value program. He would still have had to pay for 1/2 the annual and 1/2 the value of the hanger.

Tim

Rocky,

Do you keep your plane in Twin or Jerome?

Dane