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AngliaGT

AngliaGT

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On our trip to Iowa (& back),I was really disappointed to notice
that there were almost no interesting cars on the road.
About the only ones I saw were a 918 Porsche,a boxy Volvo wagon.
The only British cars I saw were Rick Ingram's MG's,& a Spitfire being
hauled on a car trailer about 30 miles from home.
LOTS & LOTS of boring suv's,mostly in earth tone colors.
 
Interesting old cars? Except in car shows, they're hard to find. Egg shaped computers on wheels are crowding the interstates, and have won.

Reminds me of how General Aviation has almost disappeared. Hundreds of small airfields, with thousands of old single engine airplanes sitting on the grass, rotting away. Hardly ever see a small plane in the sky these days.
 
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We had a local general aviation airport near me until a few years ago. Dated back to the 20s and over time it had been built up around. When the local government closed it the mayor said it had long since worn out it's welcome in "our community". Didn't matter that it was there first and most of the housing built and sold around it cam from the 60s and 70s.
 
I think one of the biggest factors contributing to the decline of general aviation is the massive costs associated with every aspect. No one who isn't very well off could even think about getting a license today, much less having a plane. In the 1960's and 1970's it was expensive but still marginally attainable - today its just completely out of reach unless you happen to have a 6 figure income. The last time I did a "pipe-dream" check into what it would cost to get even the lowest level license it was in the 7-8K range, and that was assuming you were able to do all the tests and instructional time in the bare minimum. If you needed extra instructional time to get profecient, that would add up to even more.
 
Since my divorce I've set a rule for myself to not buy any boring cars. So in my current stable, the 08 Toyota Rav4 is the only boring car, per se, my mom's 96 Chevy 1500 is probably pretty close to boring too.
 
I believe verything looks very similar these days because the laws of physics and aerodynamics don't differientate between manufacturers. In the quest to get better efficiency, they have all started morphing into similar shapes because that is what works. I keep hoping to get my "B" running someday and buck the trend. My Mazda looks pretty boring (although its not bad to drive thanks to the 5 speed and decent handling) but for getting to work and back everyday, efficiency has to be the deciding factor. I had to recently give up on a late 80's F250 pickup because it had just too much failing, ended up with a (to me anyway) pretty cool 3/4 ton squarebody Suburban, but I'd need to work 2 fulltime jobs to drive that daily.
 
Yea, I have the 2020 Corolla as the daily driver. Reliable, good mileage, warm in the winter cool in the summer, and I can leave it in a parking lot all day if necessary and not worry over what others might do.
 
It is one of the joys of volunteering at transportation museum that there are often interesting cars in the parking lot. And Macungie Memorial Park within a mile of my home hosts three multiday car shows each summer, The Antique Truck Club of America's annual National Meet, Das Awkscht Fescht, and Wheels of Time Custom Car Show which has a cruise night that passes less than 100 yards from my house. Interesting vehicles are driving by the neighborhood fairly often. My photos from the truck show this year are at > 2022 - Macungie PA - Antique Truck Club of America National Meet <. Life is good...
 
That 1931 Duplex (I believe), gave way to the new Duplex transmission back then, been a long time, but I think Mack picked it up and started using it in their trucks, they had two gearshift levers, and to split shift which took two hands took, a bit of skill! Too many years have passed, but that is a show I'd like to have attended. Beautiful display. Thanks, Dave for posting it, it took me back a few years. PJ (y)
 
NutmegCT said:
Interesting old cars? Except in car shows, they're hard to find. Egg shaped computers on wheels are crowding the interstates, and have won.

Reminds me of how General Aviation has almost disappeared. Hundreds of small airfields, with thousands of old single engine airplanes sitting on the grass, rotting away. Hardly ever see a small plane in the sky these days.
Click to expand...
I hear and see dozens of small planes ever day. Our Buchanan Field is pretty active.
 
John Turney said:
I hear and see dozens of small planes ever day. Our Buchanan Field is pretty active.
Click to expand...
Ditto where I live. We have two small municipal airports nearby and see a fair abount of small private plane traffic. Also a lot of gliders.
 
I have owned 5 airplanes in my life and I could not imagine a time when I would be without one. My last was an AT6 and I owned it for forty years. When the price of gas was down around $2 per gallon it was a strain on my finances to operate it, but I made it work. Today with AV Gas in the $7-$9 range it is just not possible. At 30 to 50 gallons per flight hour, the fun factor just was not there. I was sad when I sold it but I had to move on. I believe that the cost owning any airplane has gone up so much that it has killed the hobby. If you can afford the gas, you still have to face the maintenance, tie down cost, and insurance. My first airplane cost $6,000 in the 1970's. I just saw it for sale online for $75,000. I see similar things happening in the collector car hobby and that worries me.
 
FAA made an attempt back in the early 2000s to stimulate the aircraft manufacturing industry. The project was called "Sport Pilot" - to allow people to take only 20 hours instruction and fly without a medical certificate. Of course, if you chose Sport Pilot, you had to fly a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). Altho' there were a *few* older a/c which qualified as LSA (Taylorcraft, Cub, Ercoupe, etc.), a new LSA sold for around $150K, and the old LSA planes tripled in price.

In several online forums for Sport Pilots, you see new guys jump in with excitement, then discover the "buy your own LSA" hurdle, and the lack of sport pilot instructors. So the majority of people flying as "sport pilots" are experienced PPL pilots, not "new" pilots.

After much research, I found that the "average" man's income in 1950 was $3500. He could buy a new airplane like a Cub, for $1800, or used at around $500.

The "average" income in 2020 was $67,000. New airplane like a Cub (a Cessna Skycatcher), sold for $150,000.

In a very loose way, the guy in 1950 could buy a new plane for 50% of his income. In 2020 it took at least twice his income.

And as DocDup says, maintenance, tie down cost, (annual inspections), and insurance are additional.

Apples and orange I agree. But such a sad end to the dream of flying for the average person today.

OK - back to my cave.
Tom M.
 
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