Stopped the other day at the airport just to kill a little time. When they asked when was I going to buy a 150, I replied that I was still looking. I mentioned this forum and about putting $10-$15K into a $15,000 plane. I think this guy summed it up pretty well. He asked me what a New P/U truck would cost,I replied,$25K-$35K. Then he asked how much would that P/U be worth in 10 years? May be $5K-8K. He said if you put money into a plane you probably will never make money but if you have $30K stuck into a C150 chances are that 10 years from now you should still be able to get $20K for it!
While this comparison between a truck and the 150 might make sense, there are other factors that make the comparison invalid. Where do you keep your truck? At home, in your driveway or garage I assume. Does this cost you additional money over and above the cost of your house, condo, apartment, or whatever else you might live in? NO (unless you live in NYC and have to pay for a parking spot in a garage). Does the Friendly Automotive Authorities require you to keep your truck in "roadworthy" condition to drive it around? Well, yes and no. Some states have safety inspections, where bad brakes or leaky exhaust systems or defective windshield wipers will cause you to flunk, but these are all truely common sense items that no safety conscious person would drive around with anyhow, and the inspection is probably more along the lines of a $20 bill and not a $200 to $2,000 bill.
So, from the standpoint of ownership, an airplane costs to own, just to have it sitting, while the truck can be kept operating and in good repair and maintain is value, for minimal expense.
While many will say this is simply the cost of ownership, and I agree, you have to factor it in somewhere. It either devalues the perceived appreciation of your investment, or it increases the cost of your hobby, but in either case, its still an expense you have to come to terms with, which is it? High priced hobby, or not as much appreciation on your toy as you thought?
Charles
