>I got my license in Dec. 1976, bought a 1960 cessna 172 to learn to fly
>in (couldn't see paying rent on an airplane). Long story short, five of
>us guys learned to fly in that plane. Yes it is still around, however I
>haven't had it for years.
>Jack//1977 kingsley
>
Yes, Jack that's an excellent way to cut the costs. I remember three or
four such arrangements ongoing at the FBO that I ran during my first
involvement with General Aviation in the early '70s. My brother, a
couple of other pilots and I are planning to share our GMC in a similar way.
We all work for the airlines now so we can make use of discount travel
passes to take one-way vacations. That is; one family can drive the GMC,
rendezvous at a major airport and switch with the other. Best of both
worlds! Could work with light planes too.
I am new to the group and read with interest the horror stories of
breakdowns on the road. Aside from the technical similarities, I think
the point of commonality between aviation and the GMCMH is simply ease and
comfort of travel. Our "Coach" was originally purchased by my father, a
retired SAC Colonel (yes, another pilot) who was a bus fleet
owner/operator. He and my mother chose it over a retirement home
because of their enduring love of extended travel. Before their retirement from
the bus business, they licensed it commercially and used it as a charter
vehicle for small group outings. It was very popular.
After retirement they used it well traveling to every state, every
Canadian Provence and deep into Mexico. I know that it made at least four AlCan
highway trips to Alaska with one returning to Seattle by sea. Dad was
fully capable of repairing any part of the unit and outfitted it with
enough tools and spare parts to meet any eventuality. His travel kit
included spares for just about everything including suspension members.
Along with their personal gear, was it packed full! And heavy too! All
of this rolling up-keep was not easy though and his advice to mother was
"If anything happens to me....sell that thing. You can't keep up with it".
After he died she just couldn't bring herself to sell it so it sat,
unused, for about eight years until my brother and I inherited it from her. It
was, as you might imagine, quite tired with 156,000 hard miles on it and
suffered from the years of inactivity.
We are our father's sons so about three years ago my brother and I
started to progressively work off all of the squawks and chase all the problems
that Dad had noted as "deferred" in his log book. Yes, that's right,
just as in an airplane, each of our vehicles...business or personal...featured a
detailed log book including everything from major repairs to each fill
of gas. I grew up with it so doesn't seem unusual to me but others...my
wife included unfortunately...can't seem to see the value. Dealers and other
potential buyers do however. Our vehicles, documented in this way, have
always brought more at trade-in time.
Two years ago we dropped the drive line and rebuilt it all with the full
hot-rod treatment....with .030 over forged pistons, ported, polished,
balanced, hot cam and headers it really goes with surprising economy
too....our big problem now is traction especially up hill in the rain.
We had been under the impression that Cinnabar was the only source of parts
and info for these units. Unfortunately we have basically been making
it up as we go. I really wish that we had know about this group before we
rebuilt the suspension and transmission.
Alan R. Abell
Visit http://homepage.interaccess.com/~ara/
>in (couldn't see paying rent on an airplane). Long story short, five of
>us guys learned to fly in that plane. Yes it is still around, however I
>haven't had it for years.
>Jack//1977 kingsley
>
Yes, Jack that's an excellent way to cut the costs. I remember three or
four such arrangements ongoing at the FBO that I ran during my first
involvement with General Aviation in the early '70s. My brother, a
couple of other pilots and I are planning to share our GMC in a similar way.
We all work for the airlines now so we can make use of discount travel
passes to take one-way vacations. That is; one family can drive the GMC,
rendezvous at a major airport and switch with the other. Best of both
worlds! Could work with light planes too.
I am new to the group and read with interest the horror stories of
breakdowns on the road. Aside from the technical similarities, I think
the point of commonality between aviation and the GMCMH is simply ease and
comfort of travel. Our "Coach" was originally purchased by my father, a
retired SAC Colonel (yes, another pilot) who was a bus fleet
owner/operator. He and my mother chose it over a retirement home
because of their enduring love of extended travel. Before their retirement from
the bus business, they licensed it commercially and used it as a charter
vehicle for small group outings. It was very popular.
After retirement they used it well traveling to every state, every
Canadian Provence and deep into Mexico. I know that it made at least four AlCan
highway trips to Alaska with one returning to Seattle by sea. Dad was
fully capable of repairing any part of the unit and outfitted it with
enough tools and spare parts to meet any eventuality. His travel kit
included spares for just about everything including suspension members.
Along with their personal gear, was it packed full! And heavy too! All
of this rolling up-keep was not easy though and his advice to mother was
"If anything happens to me....sell that thing. You can't keep up with it".
After he died she just couldn't bring herself to sell it so it sat,
unused, for about eight years until my brother and I inherited it from her. It
was, as you might imagine, quite tired with 156,000 hard miles on it and
suffered from the years of inactivity.
We are our father's sons so about three years ago my brother and I
started to progressively work off all of the squawks and chase all the problems
that Dad had noted as "deferred" in his log book. Yes, that's right,
just as in an airplane, each of our vehicles...business or personal...featured a
detailed log book including everything from major repairs to each fill
of gas. I grew up with it so doesn't seem unusual to me but others...my
wife included unfortunately...can't seem to see the value. Dealers and other
potential buyers do however. Our vehicles, documented in this way, have
always brought more at trade-in time.
Two years ago we dropped the drive line and rebuilt it all with the full
hot-rod treatment....with .030 over forged pistons, ported, polished,
balanced, hot cam and headers it really goes with surprising economy
too....our big problem now is traction especially up hill in the rain.
We had been under the impression that Cinnabar was the only source of parts
and info for these units. Unfortunately we have basically been making
it up as we go. I really wish that we had know about this group before we
rebuilt the suspension and transmission.
Alan R. Abell
Visit http://homepage.interaccess.com/~ara/
