From a Letter to the Editors of AvWeb
 

Ponder this statement:

It takes approximately eight 1978 dollars to buy today what one dollar would buy in 1978. The $38,000 Archer in 1978 would cost eight times that, or $304,000 today in today's devalued dollar. By the same measure, a job paying $10,000 in 1978 would be paying $80,000 today but would have no more purchasing power than the $10,000 did in 1978.

It would, in fact, have less purchasing power because of a larger percentage going to income and other taxes.
(From Curt Krehbiel, AvWeb Avmail)

The problem is; the job that paid $10K in 1978 is not paying $80K today.

A moment for a bit of philosophy of life:

1) "you get what you got and if you don't like it, change something! If you can't change it, or won't change it, move on and do something else."

2) You can always vote differently the next time, but the results will still be largely the same.

3) NATIVE WISDOM -A Cherokee chief is teaching his grandson about life.

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a
terrible fight and it is between two wolves."

"One is evil: he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority,
self-doubt, and ego."

"The other is good: he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith."

"This same flight is going on inside you, and inside every
other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked
his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed."

An interesting thought!

4) Friday I paid the equivalent of $10.45 US per US gallon for fuel plus $40 US to land at Sywell - UK landing fees are great.

OK, I may moan at the cost of stuff and taxes etc., but I am alive, well, healthy and get to fly a Skymaster whenever I want.

What else would someone really want?

OK, there are a few things, but all considered, things are not that bad.

Blue Skies! - Dave

I agree with you Dave.

Things that use to upset me, at the most irritate me now or don't care too much about. There seems to be only so much I can control in life, the rest is like filling in the Grand Canyon with a shovel (Lot's of energy, Little effect). Of course, I just might be old.

Karl

Dave,

Frankly, I think the amount you have to pay to enjoy your Skymaster sucks!

I have reached the point that I can only fly mine at the pleasure of the Coast Guard. I could not afford the aircraft without the subsidy that is given me for providing safety and security patrols for my Country. I have flown the airplane less than 15 hours for my own purposes in the last 7 years. It has all been for mission support. If I did not have an A&P certificate I would have had to give up the airplane years ago.

The difference for me is that I cannot fly my Skymaster anytime I want. This is not a freedom issue. It is a dollars issue. I hope I can continue to fly it for another year. I'm not sure that will happen. I now have to meet TBO to continue in the Coast Guard program. At the same time, the amount being reimbursed for my flights is being reduced. I provide about 30 percent of the cost of each flight without considering the additional expense of meeting TBO to support these missions.

General aviation is going to hell in the USA too. I think it will become so expensive that no one but the very rich will be able to afford it here soon. I consider myself upper-middle class and I am rapidly becoming unable to support my love.

Sometimes I wish I did not love flying so much!

I don't think the cost of flying has increased more than the value of the dollar has proportionally decreased.

I think we do not earn as much because pay rates have not increased as a constant proportion to the devaluation of the dollar.

Blame it on the Federal Reserve printing money, blame it on the national debt, blame it on taxes or even lack of entrepenurial spirit, but if you were paid in gold, the same job would earn more value in 1978 than today.