By LORAN MALONEY
A pilot I knew owned a Cessna 150. Every time he would see a plane fancier or more expensive than his, he would act like it was somehow the key to happiness. When he was around someone of wealth or power, he would constantly praise their money, accomplishments, or powerful position.
Fuselage envy is normal human behavior and is simply the desire to have the best of everything, including airplanes.
A great example of Fuselage Envy occurs at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, every summer (except, of course, in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). But in past years, you’d see the look on each pilot’s face as they wandered the many planes and exhibits on the grounds.
“If only I had this or that, how happy I would be,” I said to myself the last time I was there.
Fuselage Envy is usually harmless. It provides a general incentive to upgrade or buy newer equipment.
If it is taken to the extreme, however, it can lead to false assumptions and disappointment.
Using myself as an example, if someone gave me a plane that was twice as fancy and twice as expensive as my current plane, do you think I would be twice as happy the next day?
Of course not.
If Fuselage Envy is taken to the extreme, it can lead to a situation in which you can’t enjoy flying what you do have because it is not as slick, fancy, or expensive as the next guy’s.
In my book it’s not what you fly, but how happy you are flying, no matter what you have. You can have a bigger, fancier, faster or more expensive plane, but you cannot have more fun than I have in my plane.
I’d be happy to just be able to fly again.
I’ve only experienced fuselage envy once in my life…when I was looking for my first airplane. That 185 we bought 20 years ago cured it. It’s and old friend and a good companion.
One can appreciate the beauty in a particular aircraft .. eg. paint .. lines .. details .. etc. for the enjoyment of experiencing beauty .. a level of perfection .. without experiencing envy of any kind ..
Great article dad!
Great article and so true. I owned a C-150F that I got my Private ticket in and loved it… until I decided to fly it from Tucson to Des Moines in late October for a surprise visit for my oldest daughters 40th birthday… I ran into IFR and had to park it at Corning, IA. My son-in-law picked me up and the surprise worked great and I had a nice visit. The return trip was a different story, with strong headwinds going SW, I was seeing groundspeeds in the low to mid 50 mph’s… cars and trucks were leaving me behind… I decided that trip that I needed something faster, since I enjoy long cross country trips…. IA, OH and FL, plus others.
So sometimes your mission has a say in what you own. I moved from the C150 to a Grumman Cheetah that I really liked, but then one of my daughters moved to W Palm Beach, FL…. a very long trip for Cheetah speeds, especially going west, so I moved again to a RV6A, which has the size, speed and economy that fits my mission. Sometimes nice planes don’t fit your mission well, causing movement to different planes. If my mission was to only fly locally around AZ, I would still be flying N150HF… 🙂
Great Article and yes I am not different – looking at other planes and dreaming. I am 76 years old and never want to stop dreaming or looking forward. Having said that the cure for “other aircraft envy” is to get in my 43 year old Archer and fly. Once in the air, I am as happy as the day I first took off over 50 years ago. The thrill of the lift off and flight has never gone away and don’t believe that it ever will. There is nothing like it for the true aviator.
Many, many years ago, back when dinosaurs roamed the malls, I remember watching an otherwise completely forgettable movie on a black and white TV (I told you it was a long time ago).
There was a short conversation between “the adventurer” (whoever that was) and a railroad engineer driving an old narrow gauge steam engine somewhere in India.
“You’ve been driving this same little steam engine for twenty years. Don’t you ever want to drive a bigger engine?”
“No, because if I drove a bigger engine, I would want to drive still a bigger one and eventually I would be driving the biggest engine of all and there would be nothing bigger for me to drive, then I would be unhappy.”
I’ve been driving the same Cessna 150 since 1982, and while sure, I wouldn’t mind a bigger/faster/shinier/newer airplane for a while, I think my attitude would change when the insurance, maintenance and fuel bills started arriving. My 150 may not be big or fast, but I own it instead of it owning me.
There’s a famous quote from Howlin’ Wolf, the blues musician, talking about the rusty old pickup he drove.
“This truck? I own it. It don’t own me.”
LOVE this article! I have been extremely fortunate in my life, having had the pleasure of flying just about every single kind of plane there is, from ultralights to supersonic jet fighters to being an Air Attack Pilot for the US Forestry fire bombers, but there is nothing better than just owning a plane. And right now I fully support his premise, owning ONE plane, whatever kind, is just about the ultimate. Right now I own five, including a Debonair and a Christen Eagle. And it is just about like some idiot owning FIVE ROWBOATS. He never gets to go fishing because he is constantly fixing leaks instead. All five of mine are confined to my backyard hangar right now, NEEDING MAINTENANCE. And I am an A&P. (PS. If you want to own The World’s Best Overall Plane, No Questions Allowed, get an older model Cessna 180. That plane is a STALLION!) (Just keep a tight rein, best ride ever! Let those reins get a little slack, it will turn its head around, snicker viciously, and say, “GOTCHA!” Mine said GOTCHA so many times in the 30 years I owned it.)
Lee, you said it. I flew airline for right at 30 years. All during that time I owned several J-3’s, Champs, a Super Cruiser and a Pacer plus a homebuilt Amphibian that I spent many years building. The whole time, the airplane I really wanted was right under my nose. Shortly after retirement, I bought a 1953 Cessna 180 with an upgraded engine and prop. That 180 opened up new fun flying adventures for 20 years. I even made it up to Oshkosh once in it, Sun ‘n Fun a couple of times and the trip I had always wanted to Jackson Hole. Sometimes when we were routed over that area on the airline, I used to look down and say: “I sure would love to see that place from the ground”. The 180 made that wish come true. i did my own maintenance & inspections as an A&P with I.A. I finally sold it at a profit after my healthand advanced age made it too difficult to climb up in. What a wonderful magic carpet that airplane was. My 180 never said: “Gotcha” in the 20 years I owned it. I wish I had bought it years earlier. Able to fly off of short strips, haul anything you could close the door on and faster than some of the retractbles.
Never heard of “fuselage envy” but I have seen weak aviators make derisive comments about capable aircraft like Cirrus, Pilatus, TBM, Honda, King Air, Piper Malibu/Matrix, Cessna Citations, and even Evolutions complaining about the price tags and trying to minimize the safety features, high tech panels, luxury interiors and greater speeds the bigger toys offer.
All aircraft owners take pride in what they have…but they also all want more…why? Because there is more…even if you own a Gulfstream 650.
“…but they also all want more…”
Are you serious? My goodness, even the smallest amount of wisdom in what’s important in life leads one to fully understand and appreciate what Loran is getting at.
When I built my airplane, I saw that Holy Grail of having the “nicest” one around and it was such a turn-off, I dedicated myself to not start down that miserable road.
So instead, I set out to create the MAXIMUM FUN I could have for the LEAST COST. Working on that formula really has turned out to be a much more interesting and satisfying challenge than getting lost in “Fuselage Envy”.
The “weak aviators” who make “derisive comments” are weak for the same reason you are weak – they are jealous and blinded by envy and narcissistic pride, just like you.
Amen
Great truth . When one has to consider if it’s too expensive to fly today maybe they should consider your wisdom .
I loved my Cessna 150 as much as any plane thereafter . Who knows? Maybe I’ll own another one someday .
LORAN,
When this photo was first published, it made me smile. I don’t recall ever seeing an aircraft owner who appears as happy and proud as you are in that photo.
Way to go!
I’m a 150 driver. Have been for over 25 years. Through the years I’ve sometimes felt I should get something bigger, nicer, or faster but I just didn’t get around to it.
It started out needing tender loving care, something I really enjoyed keeping busy at. Over the years I really made it a nice airplane. Just little things like strobes, two new radios, a LED beacon, hubcaps, (When is the last time you noticed hubcaps under the wheel pants of a Cessna 150?) some big things like an engine overhaul, the list goes on and on. I’ve really taking people to see intagloes in western Arizona. For a number of years I maintained a website, “cessna150.net”. Learned a lot and helped a lot of people all over the world. I’m 80 now and still flying and enhancing my beautiful airplane. I just had a new compass installed. My wife and her F150 Limited and Airstream sometimes keeps me on the ground, but I have no problems saying, “I think I’ll get a new something or other for my airplane”. Life is good!
Thanks for the memories. Thank you all so very much for your Sharing. There is a lot to be said for being satisfied with what you have now. Thru the years (I am 78 now,) whether it was Campers, Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, Aircraft, or anything else, … moving on to the next one was never all that great. I can sincerely say a lot of my “trading up,” was really “NOT.” I am truly happier now than anytime in the past. 🙂🙃😉
As the song goes..
“.. when true simplicity is gained ..”