While on the subject of aircraft, what are you guys with aircraft doing about ADS-B?
To your first thoughts, I agree, it's expensive to own or fly private aircraft. There are myriad reasons for this, but perhaps foremost is the FAA's stagnant and self-serving regulatory bureaucracy (like much of government, I think), and our hopelessly constipated civil tort system. Add to that the hand built, low volume nature of most aircraft production and the effort and expense of obtaining a pilot's license and . . . well, you get the point.
As to ADS-B, (basically a system for automatically reporting aircraft position for both aircraft controllers and other aircraft to see and help avoid collisions - as well as provide pilots with weather info and more), I'm doing the wait and see thing. Firstly, there's the hint that the FAA will relax some of the expensive to comply with regulatory garbage that makes switching avionics so expensive (putting in a "glass panel" can easily broach $50K). With any significant easing, costs would come way down. (Note that in the experimental and light sport segments, avionics cost far less than for certified aircraft - - and it's a **** sight more capable and feature laden too!)
For some aircraft, my self-launch glider as example, there's no equipment that I can buy that is a) approved b) will function for long on my limited battery capacity, and c) will physically fit in the very small amount of panel and avionics space available. The FAA hasn't seen fit to approve portable devices that will do the job, even though I understand there are some available. (e.g. you need a full-on WAAS enabled, certified GPS to provide position info to the Mode S transponder for ADS-B Out).
When the deadline hits in 2020, it's going to be bedlam, as I think most small aircraft owners are holding back. Even though the FAA has stated they will not extend the deadline no matter what. We'll see I guess.
Back to tractors. Maybe not as much fun, but certainly cheaper! I couldn't do a decent panel upgrade on my Mooney for what my B3350 and a few attachments cost! A new Mooney aircraft - - $650K to $700K.* Numbs the few active brain cells I have left.
*Oh, and now owned by the Chinese. Maybe by the time we decide, as a country, we should ought to rebuild our dwindling manufacturing base, we'll discover we don't even own one anymore.
bumper
