Some photos have more mileage than others. |
When you look at this photo, you’re sure to take it all in
and decide it’s a picture from a nice day at a flying field. B ut among
the obvious items, the Cub, Mustang convertible, Spartan Executive, and
beautiful E-type Jag, there is a hidden lesson for all of us to consider.
The Cub tells us some things don’t lose their value as much
as others, the convertible Mustang reminds us that pure and simple are typically the best
things in life, and the Spartan is a great example of how the prettiest things
need constant polishing. B ut,
those points are obvious aren’t they?
What isn’t so easy to see is the lesson contained within
that beautiful red Jag. B ought
new by a gentlemen while overseas in the service, only recently did it change
hands. When I saw it I stood at stared
at its beauty. Imagine buying that at
the dealership and still having it. So
what’s the lesson?
Well, look at it.
It’s a dream on wheels. Would you
want that car? If the owner offered it
to you would you take it? Would you? I mean, if the guy who bought it originally
were to call you up and say, “You know Fred, we’re like family and if you want
the car you can have it”, would you say, “No”?
Can you imagine anyone saying no to that? Well, here’s the thing, that’s what his kids
said. They didn’t want it; had no
interest. B ut,
up to that point, he thought they would.
That’s why he asked.
Are you starting to see the lesson?
That big plan of yours to give your vintage plane to one of
your kids, well it may be nothing but a fantasy. The fact they fly with you and have a pilot’s
license is no different than kids who have a driver’s license and talk to you
about your old car. Chances are really
quite good that when the time comes, they’ll not want it, won’t want to take care
of it, and would rather sell it. If it
doesn’t make sense to them, it doesn’t matter how much it makes sense to you.
Do we want these planes to take on the role of super rare
cars that are trailered from show to show and rarely started? Is our number one priority to make a killing
on the sale of them to one of those trophy room collectors? Or, do we really believe the talk and are
willing to walk the walk to keep them alive?
If the later is you, the time is approaching where you’ll
need to find someone you trust with the plane, someone who would love the plane
and keep flying it, and who may not be able to pay you the full fortune you
once imagined. I realize that’s a tough
idea for many people; most of you being from the parenting generation of “give
your kids everything”. B ut,
if you love that plane and you want it to go to a good home and be flown on a
regular basis, your kids may not be getting that truckload of money they
fantasize about.
And then there’s that other tough subject which is difficult
to discuss. Do you trust your family to
do the right thing with the plane once you’re no longer with us? If you don’t find it a home before you are
gone it’s only going to cause problems for everyone.
First of all, you’ve probably made them believe it is worth
a fortune. That was your first
mistake. This means after you’re gone the
wife and kids will be looking to sell it as soon as possible to anyone offering
top dollar. Unfortunately though, after
your passing, what they believe they know about it will be largely
incorrect. That in turn means they’ll
be left believing everyone is out to take advantage of them because every offer
will seem like a low-ball.
Next, brokers will show up and reinforce the notion of a high
value in hopes of getting a big commission.
The family will cling to these dreams, sign a contract, and hold out for
that big payoff that never comes.
Meanwhile they’ll be getting angrier and angrier as the low but
realistic offers continue to trickle in.
Then when they are at their wits’ end, they’ll do one of three things
with it.
One, they’ll let it go to some dreamer friend who’ll truck
it home and there it will sit. Two, and
as hard as it is to believe, they’ll chose another resolution; they’ll scrap it
or let it rot. Or finally, they’ll give
it to a museum. This they’ll do because
they can justify it in their minds as something you would like and also because
they can get a highly inflated appraisal to help them with their taxes. And yet, none of these are good options if
you’d rather that plane go to someone who’ll treat it like family and keep it
flying the way you did.
I know the subject of dying is a tough discussion to
have. B ut,
if you’re one of those people who have ever stated proudly, “I’m not the
plane’s owner, but merely its caretaker”, then it’s time to think about who its
next shepherd will be. Of course,
there’s always the chance you merely latched onto this popular gratuitous
statement as a way make yourself sound really deep and complex when asked about
the airplane at fly-ins. If that’s you,
people will remember your B S the same way
people remember sports players who claim to do it all for their fans and then
take the highest salary they can find and move elsewhere. B ut, whichever
of these people you are, and without passing judgment, I hope you’ll at least
try to find a new owner that will keep the old bird flying. Leaving the decision up to your family or
looking only to get top dollar will betray who you said you were and the
airplane you claimed to love .
So there you have it; that’s the upbeat subject of the
day. Nobody likes thinking about death. B ut, if you
really are its shepherd, I encourage you to think it through. Others may look at it and see nothing more
than an object, but let’s face it; most of us know at least one airplane that
feels alive to us. The decisions you
make will determine if it lives on.
1 comment:
I never thought about that. My plane is not old, but seeing the old ones stay flying would please me very much. Good points Rich.
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