John Bouyea was kind enough to offer to top off the KRs that flew in while we were in McMinnville. I think I let them put 5 gallons on board, but to be perfectly honest, the cost of fuel for flying a KR just isn't that much. I probably have a higher fuel burn than most, and burned a whopping 75 gallons of fuel for the trip, with 5 gallons of that provided by the Gathering hosts, which means 70 gallons out of pocket. With an average fuel cost of ~$4.50/gal for the trip, my fuel costs was $315. If you flew in commercial for less, you got a screaming deal.
If one calculates the miles flown, the fuel mileage for this trip came out to 27.5 mpg. If one calculates the driving distance to reach the same points, my fuel mileage calculates out to the equivalent of 42 mpg I couldn't match that driving my wife's Honda Civic, and the KR trip was so much more enjoyable and so much faster. Additionally, flying commercial is the equivalent to riding in a sewer pipe with wings. Flying across the country in in my KR is a whole 'nother experience that is quite enjoyable. If you offered me a free ride on a commercial airline vs me flying myself there in the KR, I'd still fly the KR. You guys that hung out at home or flew commercial and left your KRs sitting in the hangar are really missing out on some great experiences. I expect Roger and Kim from Grand Junction, CO would likely agree, as would Joe and Rob who flew along with me last year. While I find the Midwest to be somewhat less than exciting to fly across, traversing the Mountain West has scenery and landscapes that you just can't do justice with a camera. It is a gorgeous country we live in. I guess what I'm saying here is that I have no expectation for the gathering funds to buy my fuel. That's why I built this economical little time machine. If your decision whether to fly your KR or fly commercial hinges on the cost of fuel vs a plane ticket, you might want to re-evaluate your priorities. These trips have been an experience money can't buy. -Jeff Scott Los Alamos, NM > > I haven't ?see the expense for fuel for pilots who flew in to the gathering. > ?I think that's a good idea to help defray that expense. We might get more > planes to show up. For most of us it's cheeper just to fly commercial. ?? > Paul ViskBelleville Il618-406-4705
