Bill Buffam () writes:

I'm a retired hang glider pilot. I miss it, but there are many reasons why I cannot get back into it, which I won't bore you with here. Anyway, it occurred to me that it might be mildly interesting to compute my average cost of an hang gliding airtime hour. For me that's a relatively straightforward exercise, because when it comes to record keeping--of both airtime and pennies spent--I'm an out-and-out anal-retentive geek.

In looking over the analysis that follows, there are several factors you should bear in mind, because your mileage will vary. These factors are:

1. I always kept a record of miles driven to fly, and I charged myself (against the hang glider account) a mileage rate equal to what my employer would reimburse me for company-expense mileage. (See? I told you I was an anal-retentive geek.) Thus, vehicle depreciation, maintenance, etc. are figured into my hang glider expenses as I go along.

2. As hang glider pilots go, I'm one of the clumsier ones. I had more crashes than the average bear, and did more damage. I bought an awful lot of down tubes.

3. I was a slow learner. I was 47 years old on my first day with the glider, and it took me 179 training-hill flights before I got to do a high flight. (But hey, on my first high flight I ridge soared for an hour, so I can do some things right.) Of course, being a slow learner translates to a big tab for instruction.

4. I love gadgets. Also, I have more money than sense. No, let me correct that: I had more money than sense. I spent over $1000 on state-of-the-art varios on two separate occasions.

5. After getting my H4, I moved up to a WW Talon. I found it too challenging and much less fun than my Ultra Sport, so I sold it (after less than 3 hours of airtime) at a thumping loss and carried on with the Ultra Sport.

6. Net equipment costs are included. I sold my glider, but still have harness, vario, GPSes, etc. All old and probably not worth a hell of a lot by now. And I'm going to keep them for sentimental reasons anyway.

7. I did not charge any medical expenses to hang glider. Ideally I should have (but it would have been more accounting hassle than it would have been worth), because my chiropractor put me back together numerous times after my crashes and less-serious mishaps. Also at least one knee operation properly belongs in the hang glider account. Oh, and the broken wrist.

8. Towing costs (106 out of 452 flights) are lumped in with flying fees, as is instruction. Flying fees also include club membership, USHGA membership, etc.

9. The "trips" category includes mileage, tolls, and overnight lodging where applicable, as well as any meals out. My nearest flying site is two hours' drive away, which makes for an expensive average trip.

Having said all that, I caution you about knocking too many of my listed expenses off your own hang glider-expense estimates. Having spent a lengthy period as club treasurer, I'm well familiar with how much whining and moaning a $10 annual dues increase provokes, which is peanuts next to the $45 it realistically costs many of us to run our vehicles to one flight day. But if you don't track your mileage expenses, how would you know? So don't underestimate them.

So here are the numbers, spanning my entire career, August 1995 to July 2005, 117 hours of airtime.

Equipment (net) $13369
Repairs $2187
Flying fees $4605
Trips $11836
Fundraiser contributions $314
Site maintenance $99
TOTAL $32410

That works out to $277 per hour of airtime.

And to round things off, here's an interesting comparison. I can go sightseeing from my local airport (10 minutes away) in a Robinson P-22 helicopter for $225 per hour. Yeah, I know riding in a helicopter is no match for soaring as free as a bird, but still.

Still only $70/flight.

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