Cheapgasitis

In their older years, my parents were cheapskates. When I visited them in their Southern Texas retirement community, they always were delighted to share their favorite places, those with senior discounts, dollar-breakfast specials and cheap all-you-can-eat buffets. The same proved true when buying unleaded: I thought it odd they would drive six miles round-trip to save $0.05 a gallon. After my father filled his tank, I asked how much he had put in. Twelve gallons, he answered; he just saved 60 cents. I pointed out it took us 15 minutes to save 60 cents, so he was paying himself about $2.40 an hour...just a little observation. His answer was: 1) he’s retired, so he likes saving money, 2) polite people keep their math to themselves, and, 3) nobody likes a smart ass.

Key Takeaways:

• Pilots often exhibit extreme frugality when purchasing aviation fuel, driven by significant price variability, which can subtly influence critical flight planning decisions.
• This economic motivation is an unstated but frequent underlying factor in fuel exhaustion accidents, leading pilots to take unnecessary risks like departing with critically low fuel or extending flights to reach cheaper fuel sources.
• The article warns that prioritizing cheap fuel can compromise safety margins, limit operational flexibility during unforeseen circumstances, and that the monetary savings are rarely worth the increased risk.

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