Rich mans game

[Everskyward]

I often wonder why how many people have so much money they do not have person airplanes for travel and fun. What is wrong those people?

They have/use airplanes for travel and fun, only they sit in the back while others drive.

 

[evapilotaz]

They have/use airplanes for travel and fun, only they sit in the back while others drive.

Ok why don't they own a personal airplane.

 

[denverpilot]

Yea. Any IT person would appreciate my office. It was near the top of my list why I took this Job 6 months ago.

Actually I do see one thing wrong with it... I can't handle the glare from direct sunlight on the monitors anymore... expecially with progressives. It's just way too annoying, so my blinds at work are always closed.

It does amaze me how many people have significant funds. Living in Dallas you can drive past neighborhood after neighborhood after neighborhood full of million dollar homes. I drive by wondering how many CEOs that really are that there this many houses available at this price. Same thing at the airport.

I am just amazed at how many people there are that are in that tax bracket. I am looking for the secret door to it.

Don't mistake huge mortgages for wealth. Especially in Texas. Look up the number of tax liens in those neighborhoods to see if they're really wealthy.

Its because they have boats that suck up all of the time and money they could spend on an airplane

No kidding there... I have a friend who was a very successful high level engineer at CBS for decades who's blowing INSANE amounts of money on his "retirement boat", constantly. I'd love to go for a ride and a party with him sometime if I ever make it out his way, but holy hell... the operating and maintenance on that thing make my airplane look like peanuts.

Not true. Without any discretion, they won't stay affluent for long.

This. All sorts of lottery-winners-gone-broke stories. I was going to reply to that silly "class warfare" propaganda post, but it didn't even seem worth the time. Folks who believe that garbage, it's nearly religious in fervor.

 

[CC268]

Wow nice office evapilotaz - what do you do for a living?

 

[Everskyward]

Ok why don't they own a personal airplane.

You mean that they fly themselves? Probably no interest, or not enough interest to go through the process of learning.

 

[evapilotaz]

Actually I do see one thing wrong with it... I can't handle the glare from direct sunlight on the monitors anymore... expecially with progressives. It's just way too annoying, so my blinds at work are always closed.

I close my blinds by 11am until 2pm. I need auto blinds on a timer.
My office faces south so its not all that bad with the Glare.

 

[evapilotaz]

Wow nice office evapilotaz - what do you do for a living?

IT Director/Engineer. Don't be fooled. Not all IT professionals have an office like mine. This Office/Call Center/Data Center was a new build out for the Credit Union I work for. They needed someone to manage it.

The Icing on the Cake is I have Banker Hours and Holidays. Hours are 7am until 4pm. No on call with occasional after hours work for maintenance and upgrade activities.

You see that road down there. I often day dream of doing a short approach landing right there from my desk. LOL

 

[CC268]

Pretty cool - what part of town are you in? I live up in Cave Creek (North Scottsdale) - I am an engineer for Honeywell Space

 

[evapilotaz]

That building is Mesa. I live in Gilbert.

 

[hindsight2020]

It does amaze me how many people have significant funds. Living in Dallas you can drive past neighborhood after neighborhood after neighborhood full of million dollar homes. I drive by wondering how many CEOs that really are that there this many houses available at this price. Same thing at the airport.

I am just amazed at how many people there are that are in that tax bracket. I am looking for the secret door to it.

Except, America is obsessed with house-poverty. They conflated the "basic need" nature to housing with that of rampant social peer pressure, so that all housing expenditures are rationalized away as a need, without regard or sensitivity to scale.

So I wouldn't go assuming all these folks live a financially solvent, let alone stress-less existence, by the house they dwell in. I can say with pointed accuracy, that my choice to reject the "typical" housing expenditure choices is the singular reason I can afford to own a personal aircraft. That's not merely a discretion, that's a lifestyle criticism and a huge game changer for me. Housing is a religion for Americans.

 

[Coloradokevin]

It does amaze me how many people have significant funds. Living in Dallas you can drive past neighborhood after neighborhood after neighborhood full of million dollar homes. I drive by wondering how many CEOs that really are that there this many houses available at this price. Same thing at the airport.

I am just amazed at how many people there are that are in that tax bracket. I am looking for the secret door to it.

I've often wondered that myself, especially living here in Colorado. In some ways it seems like there are more mansions than normal homes, but in reality that's hardly true. I think there are a few issues going on here:

1) The big homes simply stand out more to all of us as we're driving around.

2) Wealth tends to be concentrated to metro areas.

3) A huge number of Americans are living well beyond their means.

I first encountered point #3 when I was working in banking just after college. 9 time out of 10 the person with $5 Million or more in assets showed up in jeans and an old t-shirt. And, similarly, the person who showed up driving a super car and dressed like a million dollars was usually there to argue with you about the fact that their account overdrafted when they went to McDonalds that morning.

I work in law enforcement now. I'm by no means rich, and if I stay in this industry I surely never will be. I do pretty well for myself though, and live better than a lot of people would probably guess I do. Still, people in my line of work are notoriously bad with their money. One guy in my agency makes significantly less than I do, and has a wife employed in the same industry, but for a lower paying job. They bought a $900,000 home a few years ago, right around the time they both bought sports cars, a new motorcycle, and an upscale SUV. I remember hearing coworkers remarking about how well they were doing. To me they were already bankrupt, they just didn't know it yet. Sure enough, all of that nice stuff is gone now.

Simply put: an illusion of wealth is different from wealth itself.

Regardless, some folks are doing really well for themselves, and I do understand why others are envious of that success. Good for them, and maybe I'll someday find the secret to that club as well!

 

[Timbeck2]

I bought my plane because I didn't want to pay to rent one to learn how to fly. Sounds crazy but its true. My monthly payment is $209. One flight in the school's rental is more than that.

People at work (most younger than I am) think I'm a baller because I own a plane. Some of their cars cost more than my plane.

 

[ELee3]

Over 20 years ago, my wife and I learned that we couldn't have kids. I'd loved to have had children, but since we couldn't, we have had more disposable money over the years than our friends with similar incomes. That's probably the only reason I have had a budget to fly.

 

[evapilotaz]

Over 20 years ago, my wife and I learned that we couldn't have kids. I'd loved to have had children, but since we couldn't, we have had more disposable money over the years than our friends with similar incomes. That's probably the only reason I have had a budget to fly.

Interesting prospective. Having kids hasn't prevented my from flying. Sure without kids I would have more disposable income but no way in gods green earth would I have it any other way.

 

[GRG55]

Sometimes I feel like I'm playing in a rich persons play ground. Here I am after parking my rental and along comes two guys getting out of their Columbia 300. Later I see them get into their Mercedes. A little jealous yes but I remind myself I'm greatful to afford this sport and support my family of 5 while my wife is a stay at home mom. I see partnership in near future and later when my rv is paid for sole ownership. Don't take flying for granted. Not everyone can afford this.

It does amaze me how many people have significant funds. Living in Dallas you can drive past neighborhood after neighborhood after neighborhood full of million dollar homes. I drive by wondering how many CEOs that really are that there this many houses available at this price. Same thing at the airport.

I am just amazed at how many people there are that are in that tax bracket. I am looking for the secret door to it.

You have no idea how leveraged up a great many of those rich looking "big home and nice toys" owners really are. I'd be willing to bet both the Columbia 300 and the Benz were on payments, as are most of those starter-castles. I see this going on all around me.

I am the child of immigrant parents who didn't have two nickels to rub together when they arrived here decades ago. I learned a lot about hard work, thrift, getting an education and avoiding debt from them. Those attributes and no small amount of fortuitous luck and serendipity have allowed me a level of success in most aspects of my life beyond anything I could have imagined as a kid growing up.

However, I feel like I am completely out of place in a world gone mad on credit. I work in the oil patch, which as most of you know is the latest sector of the global economy to bust. I am watching neighbours and business associates who are on their second spouse, third move-up mansion, kids in private school, his & her leased BMWs/Audis in the driveway...and having lost just one high paying job of two they can no longer make the payments. These are the same folks with the outwardly wealthy appearance that others used to envy. And there's lots of them around these busted parts these days. Meanwhile my (first & only) wife and I drive a pair of well worn pick-up trucks (none of the Bimmer driver neighbours make comments about them any more ), worked for years to pay off our mortgage faster and now have enough money left each month to support my indulgence in a bulbous, un-sexy but immensely enjoyable (and loan free) Piper Aztec. The irony that some of my erstwhile "wealthy" neighbours think I am "rich" because I own a twin engine airplane hasn't gone entirely unnoticed

It ain't what you earn, it's what you spend.

 

[Coloradokevin]

You have no idea how leveraged up a great many of those rich looking "big home and nice toys" owners really are. I'd be willing to bet both the Columbia 300 and the Benz were on payments, as are most of those starter-castles. I see this going on all around me.

I am the child of immigrant parents who didn't have two nickels to rub together when they arrived here decades ago. I learned a lot about hard work, thrift, getting an education and avoiding debt from them. Those attributes and no small amount of fortuitous luck and serendipity have allowed me a level of success in most aspects of my life beyond anything I could have imagined as a kid growing up.

However, I feel like I am completely out of place in a world gone mad on credit. I work in the oil patch, which as most of you know is the latest sector of the global economy to bust. I am watching neighbours and business associates who are on their second spouse, third move-up mansion, kids in private school, his & her leased BMWs/Audis in the driveway...and having lost just one high paying job of two they can no longer make the payments. These are the same folks with the outwardly wealthy appearance that others used to envy. And there's lots of them around these busted parts these days. Meanwhile my (first & only) wife and I drive a pair of well worn pick-up trucks (none of the Bimmer driver neighbours make comments about them any more ), worked for years to pay off our mortgage faster and now have enough money left each month to support my indulgence in a bulbous, un-sexy but immensely enjoyable (and loan free) Piper Aztec. The irony that some of my erstwhile "wealthy" neighbours think I am "rich" because I own a twin engine airplane hasn't gone entirely unnoticed

It ain't what you earn, it's what you spend.

There are quite a few similarities between your situation and my own. My wife had been employed in the oil and gas industry until about a month and a half ago, when she became another lay-off statistic in an industry that is currently hurting badly. We certainly miss the second income, but only because we aren't saving money at the same rate that we were before. Like the situations you described above, we know a lot of couples who would very quickly be in a heap of trouble if they lost either of their two jobs.

But, I paid off my modest house at 33 years of age, and I have two vehicles that are also paid off (the newest of which is a 2001 Hyundai Accent with 165K miles on the clock). My wife has the "fancy new vehicle", a 2010 Toyota Corolla that she only bought because her last car was totaled. Her Toyota is also owned free-and-clear. We have lived modestly (and well below our means) for a lot of years, and amassed enough savings that we wouldn't even be worried for a while if I lost my job, too. It's strange, because we've often had friends describe our situation as "lucky", or tell us how "fortunate" we are, even when some of them have household incomes vastly in excess of ours. Luck and fortune had nothing to do with this; hard work and careful budgeting did. I can kick back and relax a bit more these days (in my mid-thirties) simply because I lived on the Ramen Noodle diet throughout my 20's.

Like you said, it isn't so much a case of what you earn as much as it is what you spend. More money never hurts, but I actually know some people who are having trouble living on incomes in excess of 5 times what I make. If I eliminated extraneous spending (like flying) I could live on 1/5th of what I currently make. It amazes me how some people simply cannot control their budget.

 

[OkieFlyer]

Some interesting perspectives here, and none that I disagree with. My wife and I have 3 kids, a $380/mo mortgage, 2 paid off vehicles, an old but paid for boat, paid for a jet ski, and a Cessna 182E. Not one of our things is "nice", but they serve their intended purpose wonderfully without breaking the bank. My wife stays home with our kiddos (4yo, 2yo, and 3 weeks old) and I make about around 75K per year as a gas plant operator and have always put back a minimum 15% of my income for retirement. Our only debts are the house and plane, which cost us a combined total of less than $700/month. We have a hell of a lot of fun for not much money, I can't say I've ever heard anyone say I was living high on the hog on account of owning an airplane. Then again, one look at the ol' 182 and you'd know I didn't spend a lot of money.

I'm constantly amazed how many people have no clue how to manage their finances. I know wealthy people who are up to their ears in debt, and stress as a result of the debt. I know so many people making pretty decent middle class money, and have 250-300K homes and absolutely no disposable income as a result.

What the hell good is working hard for some money and then blowing it all to make somebody else think you have more of it than you really do? I don't get it! There is nothing difficult about living within your means. Nothing difficult at all.

 

[ELee3]

Over 20 years ago, my wife and I learned that we couldn't have kids. I'd loved to have had children, but since we couldn't, we have had more disposable money over the years than our friends with similar incomes. That's probably the only reason I have had a budget to fly.

Interesting prospective. Having kids hasn't prevented my from flying. Sure without kids I would have more disposable income but no way in gods green earth would I have it any other way.

So,

Interesting prospective. Having kids hasn't prevented my from flying. Sure without kids I would have more disposable income but no way in gods green earth would I have it any other way.

So, to clarify my point (and hopefully not derail the thread), I would trade my pilots certificate, boat, fifth wheel camper, diesel truck, golf clubs, and any other toys, to have had the opportunity to raise children of my own and not watch my wife have to go through thinking that she had failed me because she couldn't have children. Had we ended up having kids, our life would be drastically different. I might have still ended up flying, but it probably have had to wait until retirement.

 

[tuwood]

Being poor is a state of mind, not a number. You fix your state of mind and the numbers work out all by themselves.
There's always a way to do the things you want to do in this life if you're willing to sacrifice other things to achieve them. Work after hours delivering pizzas to go to school and get more education if you have to. Sure, it might cut into your social life, but a happening social life is not helping you achieve your goals.
The problem is that most people want everything; they want the big house, the new car, the fancy clothes, , party every night, and want to fly in a million dollar airplane but they're not willing to put forth any effort to get there. Very few people in the US inherit their money. I think I saw a statistic a while back that 90% of millionaires in the US are first generation millionaires.
Anyone can do anything they want here. I grew up in extreme poverty and was homeless for many years as a kid and I now own a very successful business at 42 years old. I had several setbacks, but I never gave up and kept pushing forward. I always knew I was going to be successful, no matter what it took and I made it happen.
The only thing holding you back is the guy staring at you in the mirror.

 

[Flyhound]

My experience has been that people's dreams expand with their income so whatever is available is consumed. When my income took a big jump, I went from a 5 way partnership in a Cessna to sole ownership of a Maule. I actually have less money in my pocket at the end of each month despite my raise. Insurance, hangar costs, maintenance and upgrades are really expensive when there isn't anyone to split them with. An acquaintance with a pressurized twin lusts for a turboprop and that will do the same thing to his bottom line that the Maule has done to mine. We are slaves to our dreams, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[RudyP]

You have no idea how leveraged up a great many of those rich looking "big home and nice toys" owners really are. I'd be willing to bet both the Columbia 300 and the Benz were on payments, as are most of those starter-castles. I see this going on all around me.

Maybe, maybe not. You really have no way of knowing and I'm not sure it's productive to build a straw man around. I'm by no means bragging because there are tons of people (including many on this site doing much better than I am) but I have a nicer plane than a Columbia 300 and many cars much nicer than any Mercedes and I have zero debt on anything other than a tiny bit on real estate that earns me money. I have a strict rule that no more than 10% of my net worth ever be tied up in toys/depreciating assets. Not only would I never take out a loan on planes/cars but I always want 90% of my net worth to be in things that do not naturally depreciate (real estate, equities, etc...)

So please, no need to judge anyone. Some people are financially thoughtful and conservative, some people are foolish and/or risk-takers - and they exist at every socio-economic level.

 

[CC268]

You have no idea how leveraged up a great many of those rich looking "big home and nice toys" owners really are. I'd be willing to bet both the Columbia 300 and the Benz were on payments, as are most of those starter-castles. I see this going on all around me.

I am the child of immigrant parents who didn't have two nickels to rub together when they arrived here decades ago. I learned a lot about hard work, thrift, getting an education and avoiding debt from them. Those attributes and no small amount of fortuitous luck and serendipity have allowed me a level of success in most aspects of my life beyond anything I could have imagined as a kid growing up.

However, I feel like I am completely out of place in a world gone mad on credit. I work in the oil patch, which as most of you know is the latest sector of the global economy to bust. I am watching neighbours and business associates who are on their second spouse, third move-up mansion, kids in private school, his & her leased BMWs/Audis in the driveway...and having lost just one high paying job of two they can no longer make the payments. These are the same folks with the outwardly wealthy appearance that others used to envy. And there's lots of them around these busted parts these days. Meanwhile my (first & only) wife and I drive a pair of well worn pick-up trucks (none of the Bimmer driver neighbours make comments about them any more ), worked for years to pay off our mortgage faster and now have enough money left each month to support my indulgence in a bulbous, un-sexy but immensely enjoyable (and loan free) Piper Aztec. The irony that some of my erstwhile "wealthy" neighbours think I am "rich" because I own a twin engine airplane hasn't gone entirely unnoticed

It ain't what you earn, it's what you spend.

I think this hits the nail on the head - it explains many of my college aged friends as well. Its amazing how many of my friends blow every cent they make and have no idea what a retirement account is. Currently the trend has been to blow all their money on their Polaris RZR's

I live in Scottsdale, AZ and this city is the epitome of people who "look rich" when many of them aren't. Sure some of them may indeed be wealthy, but not all.

 

[GRG55]

Maybe, maybe not. You really have no way of knowing and I'm not sure it's productive to build a straw man around...
...So please, no need to judge anyone. Some people are financially thoughtful and conservative, some people are foolish and/or risk-takers - and they exist at every socio-economic level.

I don't think anybody here is deliberately judging anybody. The statistics are ample and readily available. One good source is the St Louis Federal Reserve site where anyone can access a large selection of macro economic information. I tend to combine hard data with my own observations to draw conclusions as to what is going on around me economically, and that in turn guides my investment strategies and choices. I share with you the preference to avoid "over investing" in depreciating "assets".

Earning a PPL and higher ratings is an expensive pursuit. Flying a private airplane is an expensive pastime. Owning one even more so. The education, income and net worth demographic of the cohort that frequents PoA is likely skewed compared to the population as a whole (You may rightly think I have no way of knowing for certain, but I believe it's a reasonable hypothesis ).

My circle of close friends contains a high percentage of private pilots and aircraft owners. My circle of comparatively well off neighbours and business associates does not. Not one of the former are suffering financial stress as a result of the bombed out economy here. A large and growing number of the latter are. I find that observation interesting...

 

[GRG55]

I think this hits the nail on the head - it explains many of my college aged friends as well. Its amazing how many of my friends blow every cent they make and have no idea what a retirement account is. Currently the trend has been to blow all their money on their Polaris RZR's

I live in Scottsdale, AZ and this city is the epitome of people who "look rich" when many of them aren't. Sure some of them may indeed be wealthy, but not all.

The ranchers around where I live have adopted a Texas saying to describe that sort of thing..."Big hat. No cattle".

 

[SoonerAviator]

We have some 2007/2008 vehicles, but they are all paid off and we won't be getting anything newer in the near future. We have an old boat (1976) and JetSki (1998) that are paid for, and a decent home which is our only debt. The total note on the home is roughly equal to our annual combined gross salaries, so we aren't over-extended by any stretch. Our only hiccup at the moment is a 2nd home which we have been fixing up to sell over the past year (owned by my wife prior to our marriage), which has sat vacant with no rental income. We hope to have it on the market in the next month, so that will hopefully gone soon. The one thing we are behind on is retirement savings as my employer is the only one that offers a 401k, but I plan on getting that rectified with some IRAs once the 2nd home is sold.

We do have some friends who live in nicer, newer housing additions with HOAs and new cars seemingly every 2-3 years. They attend tons of concerts and go on expensive vacations, weekly high-end dining and bar tabs. While they may very well make significantly more than my wife and I, I'll assume they also work solely to meet the next loan payment each month.

 

[evapilotaz]

Interesting thread.

Elee I'm not judging you and thank you for the Clarification. It seems the cost of raising a family increases every year. The schools seems to want the parents to pay for more and more for the school supplies. Groceries seems to get higher and higher.

 

[TexasAviation]

It's amazing how many assumptions people make based on your house and toys. There are a lot of broke people living in McMansions and driving fancy new cars. And on the flip side, there are a lot of multimillionaires living in very modest houses and driving used Fords. But that doesn't mean everyone falls into those categories. It's just surprisingly common on both ends.

We're thinking about moving from our modest, paid-off house in a tiny town to a nicer place with a better school system for our three kids. One place we considered is the "rich people" neighborhood of Highland Park near downtown Dallas — a place with excellent schools, cute, well-kept historic houses and a very convenient location. Lots of pluses there. But what I would consider a starter home costs in the $800k to $1 million range - it's crazy! I was shocked to see we make more than the average household income in that city, but there's NO FREAKIN' WAY we'd want to pay so much for a house, especially given Texas' high property taxes. Plus the average income vs. average home price tells me there are very likely a lot of people up to their eyeballs in debt because they're trying to look affluent. Just doesn't seem like my kind of place.

At the same time, sometimes we feel weird and almost guilty about our situation - making a good income in a small town where a lot of families are struggling. I don't even want to drive a fun used car (I'm thinking 8-year-old Porsche Boxster) because I'd be "that guy" and look like a d-bag. I'd stick out like a sore thumb here.

I think we might fit in better in the suburbs where a used Boxster is no big deal ... and people might even pity me for not having a 911!

 

[GRG55]

Ok why don't they own a personal airplane.

Maybe because owning a personal airplane complicates your life even further? The regulations in aviation are multiples of any other recreational vehicle ownership.

 

[saddletramp]

On Thursday my wife & I are going to look at a 182Q that we're considering buying. I'm really excited. After helping numerous children through college & suffering through two divorces it's a miracle I'm airplane shopping. Am I rich...I don't believe so. I make a real good living selling farm equipment but many of my farm customers have King Air's & jets. So in my perspective I'm pretty far down the food chain.

That said, I have no debts other than real estate, own two newer vehicles (paid cash), motorcycles, an RV & never have to worry about paying bills. I plan on spending around $80,000 cash when I find the right machine. I'll still have cash reserves to maintain the airplane & upgrade the avionics.

A pilot friend of mine, knowing my finances told me I should be buying a much more expensive airplane because I can afford it. If I went into to debt for a Baron or similar I'd just feel guilty & not enjoy it. We all have our personal comfort zones & mine is in not overextending myself.

Is General Aviation a rich man's game. It's all a matter of perspective.

 

[Piper18O]

After more than 20 years as a licensed pilot, and spending nearly all of that time wishing I didn't have to worry so much about money, I have learned to reflect on my time as a pilot differently. First of all, it has given me experiences that only a small percentage of the population can enjoy. Being limited financially has made me appreciate those moments so much more. Earning my time the hard way, while requiring a lot of patience, has really made me that much more grateful. While it is true that I have flown and landed in 48 states, it has taken me what seems like a lifetime for this accomplishment. That truly makes my experiences much more priceless to me than to those born with that silver spoon in their mouth. On my last trip I flew down the Hudson river and circled the Statue of Liberty. I was both humbled and inspired. As messed up as it may seem to us, we still live in a country that has given us freedom that most people in the world can only dream about. On the other hand, I and nearly all of you on this forum, have been able to live out that dream, at the very least to some extent. My income? It's pretty meager. In fact, there have only been 2 years in my life where our combined household yearly income has exceeded 40,000 dollars. While it feels like we have skimped all our lives, the facts are that we have experienced far more than we probably deserve. Is it a rich person's game? Probably, but would we rather live somewhere else? When I was young boy, I remember sticking my hand out the car window and experiencing the principals of flight by simply changing the angle of my hand. From that point on, I began to dream about flying. If I never make it to the last two states, I still have memories that are so special and can never be taken away from me. It is my sincerest hope that we all never forget how truly lucky we are.

 

[evapilotaz]

Farmers own King Air and Jets. Heck where do I sign up to be a Farmer.

 

[jstro]

To the OP, I know exactly what you mean. I have to remind myself when I feel that way that it's just a case of the top 2% being jealous of the top 1%. The fact we can live in nice houses and drive cars and fly airplanes makes us some very privileged people in this world. Now if I can just get my young son to understand this!

 

[OkieAviator]

Really no different than any other activity, you can spend as much or as little as you want.

 

[saddletramp]

Farmers own King Air and Jets. Heck where do I sign up to be a Farmer.

We have many big corporate farms here in the Northwest. I have one customer that owns a Citation & a King Air. I have another that owns a Pilatus & numerous other single engine airplanes.

Last Fall I had a customer that needed a part really bad during potato harvest. He had his pilot fly his Citation to Fargo, ND to get the part. He then tried to charge my company $6,000 for the flight. That one part was holding up his entire operation which consisted of probably 40+ employees. No we didn't pay the $6,000 but because it was a new machine under warranty we did reimburse him $3,000.

Farming has changed a lot in the 30 year I've been in machinery sales & big corporate farms are becoming the norm & the little family farms of slowing fading away.

Food is going to get real expensive in the not too distant future.

 

[evapilotaz]

Agree there aren't very many private farms around any more. Most of them in my area has sold to builders for big housing development.

Anyway! I consider myself blessed to have my wife stay at home to raise our children, live in a 2yr old 5 bedroom Nice house, have some toys, go on nice vacation all on a single income.
I however have to limit my flying time each month. I hope that will change someday.

It seems rare these days that one parent can stay home and raise the children. One of My neighbors with the same Identical house but slightly different floor plan and slightly different outside color scheme design but same year couldn't afford the house on a single income.

 

[Berkshireflyer]

You can't feel that way - if you can do that and afford a family of 5 you should be damn proud

I am a new pilot - I clear well over 1mm - but living in NY in a nice apt (7k+ a month) with a weekend home - the expensive (Range Rovers etc) travel (which makes me middle class in NYC) there is no way I could support a family of 5 and have my wife not work and still fly. Everyone is fighting to stay afloat my friend - it's all relative - all I want is to save enough $ for a plane

Sometimes I feel like I'm playing in a rich persons play ground. Here I am after parking my rental and along comes two guys getting out of their Columbia 300. Later I see them get into their Mercedes. A little jealous yes but I remind myself I'm greatful to afford this sport and support my family of 5 while my wife is a stay at home mom. I see partnership in near future and later when my rv is paid for sole ownership. Don't take flying for granted. Not everyone can afford this.

Yo

It does amaze me how many people have significant funds. Living in Dallas you can drive past neighborhood after neighborhood after neighborhood full of million dollar homes. I drive by wondering how many CEOs that really are that there this many houses available at this price. Same thing at the airport.

I am just amazed at how many people there are that are in that tax bracket. I am looking for the secret door to it.

Sometimes I feel like I'm playing in a rich persons play ground. Here I am after parking my rental and along comes two guys getting out of their Columbia 300. Later I see them get into their Mercedes. A little jealous yes but I remind myself I'm greatful to afford this sport and support my family of 5 while my wife is a stay at home mom. I see partnership in near future and later when my rv is paid for sole ownership. Don't take flying for granted. Not everyone can afford this.

 

[weilke]

You can't feel that way - if you can do that and afford a family of 5 you should be damn proud

I am a new pilot - I clear well over 1mm - but living in NY in a nice apt (7k+ a month) with a weekend home - the expensive (Range Rovers etc) travel (which makes me middle class in NYC) there is no way I could support a family of 5 and have my wife not work and still fly. Everyone is fighting to stay afloat my friend - it's all relative - all I want is to save enough $ for a plane



Yo

We are so proud of you.




And: Welcome to POA !

 

[gkainz]

Yea. Any IT person would appreciate my office. It was near the top of my list why I took this Job 6 months ago.

I was sentenced to a corner cell with a view like that for a while ... realized as I watched too many sunrises and sunsets from that corner office that once I formulated an escape plan, I wasn't going back ...

 

[overdrive148]

It does amaze me how many people have significant funds. Living in Dallas you can drive past neighborhood after neighborhood after neighborhood full of million dollar homes. I drive by wondering how many CEOs that really are that there this many houses available at this price. Same thing at the airport.

I am just amazed at how many people there are that are in that tax bracket. I am looking for the secret door to it.

Yeah you should see some of the things that land at Meacham. I've been inside a couple (because of very gracious pilots) that completely blew me away.


Here's about the most business jet I can afford. Anyone want on?

 

[denverpilot]

So... I guess we've reopened this thread that died in March '16... LOL.

Like the Jet, though. Might need to get one of those.