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It is apparent to me that Prevost buses are similar to aircraft in that they have many systems. After looking through the membership at Prevost-Stuff I was impressed at the number of pilots ( both commercial & private ) and aircraft owners that are part of our ranks. I no longer fly, but I spend hours fixing, adjusting, and cleaning my Liberty......just as I did with my Mooney all the years I flew her.:)
I have chatted with Jon about how I thought airplane ownership would be good experience for owning a Prevost. Wrong. The airplane is easier to deal with and at this point cheaper to maintain :(
However, just like the plane, the coach has suffered more from my lack of experience than anything else. But I think the learning curve is flattening out. And since I keep my coach at the airport, what better way to spend the weekend than surrounded by your favorite "stuff". And since our airport is a large general aviation mecca with absolutely no fences or gestapo security, folks constantly come by to hang out. I just need to figure out how Jeff and Jon sweet talk them into the Huck Finn mode and they start polishing their coach for them..........
Jerry,
There are guys (and gals) out there that believe some of what we write so we have to be careful.
Here are some things I think I have learned.
All Prevost coaches depreciate, and the amount is proportional to the age. Newer equals more depreciation, and older equals less.
Planes in the past have appreciated, but with the economy, fuel prices, TFRs and some other factors that might no longer be true. They may be holding their value however.
Prevost coaches (once in good working condition) take very little money to maintain. Planes (even in good working condition) take a lot of money to maintain. This is not information you share with your wife.
All kidding aside, neither are cheap, but because I find it less of a hassle to do my own work on the Prevost I find if I ignore depreciation the cost of the bus is about 1/5th of what I spend annually on the plane, but if I add back depreciation they come close. But they are only as alike as a hammer and saw. They are both tools and they do different things. If push comes to shove the planes are gone, and the bus stays.
Jerry,
Once you get to know your Prevost you will do one of two things. You will trade up, or you will sit back and enjoy it, secure in the knowledge you are intimate with its systems.
A Prevost may originally seem overwhelming but it is actually a whole bunch of unrelated basic systems running down the road in lockstep to make your life a little more comfortable.
I have owned my plane 20 years and despite having a very good understanding of it, I still am at the mercy of the guys that sell me insurance, certify the IFR status, do the annuals, and write the ever more complex rules we all have to follow to fly in today's post 9/11 environment.
On the bus I just have to have license plates and have to remember to release the parking brakes on the Hummer.;)
Of course Jon is right with respect to the expense. There are only relative differences. The shop rate on the airplane is $55/hr and the shop rate on the coach is $80/hr. The airplane has appreciated from $75K when I bought it to almost $130K today, so he is also right about that, although a man that owns TWO airplanes and a Prevost is some kind of god :rolleyes:
I only have to know two phone numbers for the airplane; the maintainence shop and the avionics shop. I hope to get the coach down to that many. And by law, I can only do minor repairs on the plane, but I can do anything Lew can do on the coach.
After owning the plane for 9 years, I would fly it anywhere in about any kind of weather and carry my wife and two girls in it. Even though the coach is more forgiving of mistakes, I am closing in on trusting it even more. Sorting out the electrical / AquaHot issues will prove that all out. My wife is way pissy when there is no hot water to shower in....
Hell, if having two planes makes me a god, last March we owned both planes and two Prevost coaches.
Talk about conspicuous consumption.
You are the Man. So where is your avitar?
Jerry... How the hell did "Lew" get into the pilots conversation? Have I come on as a master of repairs? Au contrare, my friend. I'm here to learn and I have never had anything but a balsa wood plane. :) :)
Me neither.
I could never get the lead dealie on the nose of the plane to stay on with the toy gliders.
By the time you figure out where the wings should be and the tail it was broken.
Better we stay with buses, huh?
Lew, quite the opposite. I said I can do a few things on the plane, but could do anything you (Lew) could do on the coach, which could range from nothing if I choose to dismangling the whole thing, which could also be you...:D
The issue being what I am allowed to do by law.
Did you ever get out of repair hell and back on the road? Get those photos processed? For all you spent, a new digital camera would have been a rounding error............:eek:
For the life of me, I cannot post a picture on this POG site. Guess I'll stick with the Prevost-Stuff.com site now that I have a shirt. Duh:eek:
Here is a better picture of the big plane. I haven't got any air to air pictures because nobody can keep up with me.:D
The little Chevy in the background is my 1990.
Okay Captain 210,
I just finished my B2OSH registration for Oshkosh this year, so you should bring the pressurized fart sniffer up for some pilot comeraderie. We are flying in on Saturday, so you will want to be there early to see the +/-100 Bonanzas arrive and recover in 12 minutes. :eek:
After arrival, the stage is set for the best part of Oshkosh; setting up the awning and radio for a front row seat at RWY 9 and the Ripon arrival. We have witnessed everything from crashing RV's & Mooneys to P-51's and P-38's with a slew of go-arounds. The radio is the best part as it adds sound to the movie. Sunday you get in to see all the behind the sceens stuff before the show starts on Monday. By Tuesday I am ready to fly home, but the experience is outstanding. :cool:
Capt. Za,
I went to Oshkosh for the first time in 2004 in a 172 and camped two rows down from the Bonanza crowd - had a blast as I was with a guy who used to work for EAA on the field. Am heading back this year, but in the bus, so we need a game plan for the POGrs. I soloed in 1971 and still haven't finished my license - but that's another story for the POG rally.
Mike
U are the Man;
The perfect trip would be for someone to drive my coach up to OSH and park it directly across from the Bonanza camping area. My wife won't do it and I don't trust my dad to stay awake that long.....
We will have a plan. We can sort it out at the rally.....:D
I may be up for a drive to Wisconsin. I doubt if my bride will go. I don't do tents.
Jerry,
Could I pay you to drive your Prevost to Oshkosh? Last time there was in my Debonair in the early 90's, sniffle, sniffle...
This could turn out to be the mid summer POG rally.:)
I'm thinking we can just bunk with Mike and Jon :D
I guess you don't still have the Deb? There are a few Debonairs in the flight with us, but they refer to us as V Tail Nazis since we won't publically refer to their planes as Bonanzas :D They are either Debs (33's) Stretch Debs (A36 / B36) or just Barons which have to fly in the back of the pack.
I don't know what a rally quorum consists of, but we may have one at Oshkosh this summer. There is a place to park cars and or RVs just across from where the Bonanza's camp each year. It kinda sets in the trees, but it's not too far from the North 40 shower house. I can see the Jon and the Mango Mothership parked in there now (with their feet hanging out from under the coaches - toes up)
There was a study done and published how Blogs and Forums were cutting into the productivity of American businesses - I haven't a clue what they're talking about. Although the Martini Bar I'm personally building has started to fall way behind schedule about the advent of POG.
Mike
Dang Mike, it's like having my mother at work with me. I have had several meetings already this morning, the operations meeting, a phone conference and have gathered my stuff for my trip to Libya tomorrow.
I don't smoke and I don't drink coffee, so it gives me some time whilst everyone else is doing that to catch up. :rolleyes:
So Jerry your saying the only vice you have is the bus?
Jerry for Pope! :)
Mike
Didn't you say you had a martini bar to work on somewhere? Geez, get a little extra time on your hands and you get sainted for it.
I owned part of a resturant until last week. Someone made us an offer we couldn't refuse :(
However, the margins are better in the oilfield. :D
http://www.hideawaypizza.com/
A bus guy, a plane guy and now a restaurant dude I am impressed. Now if you can get your oil buddies to get Diesel back down in price we will make you Pope.
I checked out the website - sounds like a cool place. I love the One Planet One Pizza tag line. Mango's is Exotic Eats. Caribbean Beats. however One Planet One Mango does sound pretty good. Post us from Libya, good luck and duck when necessary.
Mike
Posting from Rome instead. Rainy and cool and 8 euros per hour for Internet access. I'm in the wrong business. I think a Mango's at the Colliseum would work. You could do the Lions vs Christians special.
And they have the perfect toad here. Basically a hood and two doors. Makes a Mini Cooper look like a stretch limo. And you could burn LNG in it so it will be like a rolling bomb. I'll try to snap a photo of one this afternoon.