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IFS Costs $751.25 to member

Single Seat

Average member
pilot
None
If you're doing it for enviroMENTAL reasons, you need to leave aviation all together. I burned almost 7000 gallons of JP-5 this weekend, and I was just one guy in the flight.
 

HH-60H

Manager
pilot
Contributor
Go by horseback.. hay is cheap these days.. and the chicks dig it!
So do some guys, apparently.
3799559_main.jpg
 

VetteMuscle427

is out to lunch.
None
Assuming you wouldn't otherwise purchase such a vehicle, explain to me how you think buying a newer, more fuel efficient vehicle will cause you to "break even."

Some sample math... You have a 10mpg Jeep and average 10,000 miles per year. That is 1000 gallons of gas. At 3.50/gal, that's $3500 per year in gas. Now, the Civic Hybrid averages 40/45. Let's use 45 just to prove a point. Say you drive the same 10000 miles/year. At 45mpg thats 222 gallons of gas. At $3.50/gal, that's $777 per year. $3500 - $777 = $2723. The $23,000 initial outlay divided by the gas savings per year = years to break even. In this case, that's roughly 8.5 years, or longer than the average American holds on to a car.

You are correct... except I drive a little over 20k/year. My jeep is 11months old and I have 20,500 on it as of now. Not all is commuting, a good portion is 600 mile weekend trips back home. Which doubling your math would yield a payoff in 4.25 years based on just gas... not even counting such things like $300 tires on the jeep.
 

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
Lots of words about money.....

Well, I ran the same numbers when I bought my motorcycle. Comparing the gas it would take to drive my Jeep everyday versus the cost of a motorcycle payment and gas for driving it the majority of the time, I was able to actually save $150 per month. In turn, I put that into an IRA, let it do it's job, and I'm making money. On top of that, I have an additional asset (to a certain degree) in the motorcycle that I now own.
 

GSEtaking-off

SNA
pilot
So, I was bored and decided that I would figure out how much the cost of IFS is to the member.

Figuring for 30 trips to Mobile and back it's 3600 miles of driving on the vehicle. Now, just for gas that works out to $751.25. My truck averages ~16mpg.

Just putting that out there. For those of you who say just use Navy vehicles? I would love to, but since only two are available for Mobile, it's difficult to get your hands on one, and I think they said you're only supposed to use it for ground school, so subtract 7 days, and you're saving a little there.

Good headwork, but I'm pretty sure the Navy paid us all more than $751.25 while we were all sitting around in A-pool waiting to class up for IFS or API. Moral of the story... Suck it up! :)
 

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
Good headwork, but I'm pretty sure the Navy paid us all more than $751.25 while we were all sitting around in A-pool waiting to class up for IFS or API. Moral of the story... Suck it up! :)


I dunno why everyone is telling him to suck it up. I was lucky and had IFS only a few miles away when I was at the Academy. If I had been down in P-cola and had to drive so far, I would've been thinking the same thing. It not exactly like he's chosen to drive 60 miles plus to work on his own volition, and I don't think it's unreasonable to expect reimbursement for that expense, when he's required to go.
 

e6bflyer

Used to Care
pilot
I dunno why everyone is telling him to suck it up. I was lucky and had IFS only a few miles away when I was at the Academy. If I had been down in P-cola and had to drive so far, I would've been thinking the same thing. It not exactly like he's chosen to drive 60 miles plus to work on his own volition, and I don't think it's unreasonable to expect reimbursement for that expense, when he's required to go.

I agree (sort of). It is a shitty system that requires someone to drive that far for required training and not reimburse them. It sounds like Navy vehicles are available, however, just not at the convenient times that the SNA needs them. He could drive up with the other dudes at 4am or whenever they go if he really wanted. Therefore the SNA must value driving his own vehicle more than he values the inconvenient van. I have a hard time believing that IFS sucks that bad (I don't know because it wasn't around back then).
We drive up to Brewton to do RDO also. Yes, it sucks, but not as bad as hitching a ride up with the crash crew or checking out the duty van from the SDO, so I just suck it up and drive. I don't even claim it on my taxes (though maybe I should). I still think a MK1 MOD0 ENS is getting paid pretty good to go to the beach and hit Seville for a few months, those few drives out to Mobile from Pensacola (what is that, like 40 miles at the most?) shouldn't break the bank.
The moral of the story: If there is a better system, try to fix the problem. Make the suggestion up the chain, go all the way to the top if you feel strong enough about it. You never know, they might get more vans or a duty driver assigned to the route to ferry people. Otherwise, suck it up.
 

mountaineers33

Lunchbox...
pilot
The Navy probably figures since most in flight school are making bank with having roommates and pocketing all that extra BAH they can get by with sending us to far away places... That is just my logic. I lucked out and I am close to IFS.
 

Single Seat

Average member
pilot
None
.......I still think a MK1 MOD0 ENS is getting paid pretty good to go to the beach and hit Seville for a few months, those few drives out to Mobile from Pensacola (what is that, like 40 miles at the most?) shouldn't break the bank......

For free flight training.
 
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