Frequent flyer-in-chief

Frequent flyer-in-chief

Dear Editor:

Way back in the 1970s ,through the '90s and beyond, my late wife and I owned an aircraft which she used some in her real estate business and also for our pleasure, trips, etc. We frequently engaged a certified flight instructor for bi-annual tests and to upgrade our flight ratings. We flew often with one instructor, a retired Air Force pilot, who for several years was assigned as a co-pilot on Air Force One. He had many, very interesting stories.

As aircraft owners we became very aware of the costs of flying. There are two general types of costs: fixed and operating. Fixed costs are repairs, maintenance, required inspections, insurance and pro-rated costs for periodic overhauls of the power plant, airframe and hanger. Operating costs are those HOURLY costs that are directed toward fuel, lubricants, un-anticipated repairs and maintenance.

Our aircraft was a simple, inexpensive single-engine four-place airplane. Our plane burned eight to nine gallons of fuel per hour; fuel then averaged about $4 a gallon. For comparison toward what I am getting at, a World War II fighter plane would burn at least 60 gallons of 100 octane fuel just to take off and then cruise at about 90 gallons per hour -- combat you don't want to know.

Consider this: As of the present time, Air Force One costs $181,757 per hour to cruise. Each take-off and landing costs millions.

Each trip of Air Force One requires the use of Marine One (the chopper), Secret Service agents and other service personnel on another 747. In most instances a Secret Service security crew will have flown to the destination about two weeks prior to the trip to set up security, etc. When Air Force One is in the air, air traffic control stops the world until it is back on the ground. We are talking serious money here.

Mark Knoller, a CBS journalist, has counted President Obama as having used Air Force One for 65 domestic trips in 104 days and made six trips to eight separate countries in approximately 22 days. This does not count six vacation trips in 32 days. He has had 196 chopper trips. Two Air Force One trips for Hawaiian vacations, plus separate flights of the first lady to Hawaii. The last such vacation to Hawaii was estimated to have cost just under $4 million, which included greens fees, but not the $4,000 per night hotel suite, which His Lordship paid out of his own pocket.

During 2011 Obama-san flew in Air Force One 172 times. Between now and election 2012 the chief plans to continue his campaign flights to better explain his plans for his second term to the American public according to Knoller.

Some of his aides described him to Knoller as, "a real good talker." During the brief time Obama was a U.S. Senator he confessed to another reporter that he felt he, "... had a gift ...." when referring to his speeches. During 2011 his time on the ground included making 491 public speeches, remarks or statements. This of course does not include "pillow talk," or comments made while playing just under 100 rounds of golf during his presidency.

In view of the above I don't regret those occasional Sunday afternoon $100 hamburgers we used to have a few hundred miles from home.

By the way, come January 2013, taxes will go up to what they were before the Bush tax cuts. I believe the talker-in-chief will still be with us; Air Force One uses more pounds of fuel per hour on each engine than that World War II fighter did in a "dog fight" with a Nazi FW 19, including the round trip from England to Berlin and return.

Happy contrails.

Richard C. Coffman

Miles City, Mont.