Pilotage
5th Jun 2004, 18:41
No, I'm not trying to sell anything, just thought I'd share my story of the day.
It happens that my elderly and much loved Xantia has, having been to the moon and back or thereabouts, been coming close to the end of it's natural life. So, I decided to try and replace it with something similar - the Picasso.
What the :mad: has this to do with aviation, get to the point Pilotage.
So, like anybody else, I went on the net and started looking for bargains. Well, unsurprisingly new cars are pretty much the same price anywhere, but when you look at it, there's a very definite price gradient as you head North up the country. The model and spec I'm after is going for about £6½k to £8k down South where I live, dropping a thousand or so by the time you get to Birmingham, and down more by the time you get to Leeds and points North to around £4½k to £6k - a heck of a difference.
So, I get on the net and the phone, and find myself somebody with what seemed to be the right car at the right spec, about 5 miles from Sherburn-in-Elmett airfield. I ask nicely if he wouldn't mind bringing it over to the airfield for me to test drive, and he agrees.
- A 1:55 flight later (as opposed to a 5-6 hour drive) and I'm at Sherburn, looking over the car. Agree to buy it, write out a cheque for £4½k, 1:35 to fly home.
- Total saving, roughly £2.5k compared to buying a similar car in Hampshire where I live.
- Expenditure on the flight £181, including the landing fee
- Expenditure on flowers for Mrs Pilotage, who is currently driving it back from Yorkshire as I type this. About £20.
- Total saving, roughly £2,300.
It seems I'm not the first to do this, somebody at my club, when I mentioned this, said he'd saved about £4k off a BMW in the same way last year. However, it was new to me, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself (and Mrs.P, who has just phoned me is still talking :ok: ).
Result !
P
It happens that my elderly and much loved Xantia has, having been to the moon and back or thereabouts, been coming close to the end of it's natural life. So, I decided to try and replace it with something similar - the Picasso.
What the :mad: has this to do with aviation, get to the point Pilotage.
So, like anybody else, I went on the net and started looking for bargains. Well, unsurprisingly new cars are pretty much the same price anywhere, but when you look at it, there's a very definite price gradient as you head North up the country. The model and spec I'm after is going for about £6½k to £8k down South where I live, dropping a thousand or so by the time you get to Birmingham, and down more by the time you get to Leeds and points North to around £4½k to £6k - a heck of a difference.
So, I get on the net and the phone, and find myself somebody with what seemed to be the right car at the right spec, about 5 miles from Sherburn-in-Elmett airfield. I ask nicely if he wouldn't mind bringing it over to the airfield for me to test drive, and he agrees.
- A 1:55 flight later (as opposed to a 5-6 hour drive) and I'm at Sherburn, looking over the car. Agree to buy it, write out a cheque for £4½k, 1:35 to fly home.
- Total saving, roughly £2.5k compared to buying a similar car in Hampshire where I live.
- Expenditure on the flight £181, including the landing fee
- Expenditure on flowers for Mrs Pilotage, who is currently driving it back from Yorkshire as I type this. About £20.
- Total saving, roughly £2,300.
It seems I'm not the first to do this, somebody at my club, when I mentioned this, said he'd saved about £4k off a BMW in the same way last year. However, it was new to me, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself (and Mrs.P, who has just phoned me is still talking :ok: ).
Result !
P