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, with significant price variations driving decisions on where and when to refuel.
• The desire to save money on fuel is frequently an unstated, underlying cause of preventable fuel exhaustion accidents, despite rarely being acknowledged in official reports.
• Prioritizing cheap fuel can lead to risky flight planning, reduced safety margins (e.g., flying with minimal reserves, diverting into bad weather), and choices that compromise overall flight safety.
• The article advocates for valuing safety over small fuel cost savings, emphasizing that having full tanks provides more options and is worth the potential extra expense.

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