What Is A Warbird Ride Worth?

[Bill Greenwood]

I saw the topic about an F104 ride available for $10,000. So I got to thinking what is a flight worth in the opinion of you WIX guys? What is realistic and fair market value? Not if you had unlimited money, but for real.
I have very little jet time in a Lear, and a Soko, nothing super high performance. Is the 104 dual control? But when I think of $10k, I think of what you could get for half that. You could get an hour in Crazy Horse, a dual control P-51 complete with camera, or a Fury, and hour in a T-6 doing a biennial, and a ride in a B-25 and B-17, and still have $5K left.
What do you think is a good value and what would you pay in the real world? And does it matter if it is only a ride, or if it is really dual control and you get to fly?

[Craig59]

A very interesting question. My brothers and I gifted our father with a ride in the Collings Foundation B-25 'Tondelayo' in Tucson two years ago and I went along with him. Dad had not flown in a B-25 since he last stepped out of his PBJ at Ewa Field, Hawaii back in 1945. After our flight, as Dad exited the B-25 he said, "Son, I feel like I'm 21 again."

So, my answer to your question would be...


...PRICELESS!

[valdez25]

Come to St. Louis and you can ride/fly my T-6 for $250!

[gary1954]

**Hi Fives** valdez25

[b29flteng]

I've worked a lot of airshows and ridden in a lot of warbirds for free. I've often wondered why someone would pay for it when you can get it for free. But you have to remember these people never had the opertunities that I had to ride in them. So I guess it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. I guess I would charge cost plus 10%, maybe a freebie for an old Veteran? If I was Warren Buffet rich, I would do it for free. If it was dual control I would charge the same, If I was instructing then I would charge more. If I was going flying anyway with an empty seat I would do it for free. Ambiguous answer....

[kmiles]

Bill,
I have been suprised at what a small percentage of the US population is willing to pay for warbird rides and flight training. We have recently added the TP-51C to the Wings of Freedom Tour (see other thread) and it is much more popular that I ever imagined that it would be. In the case of the Mustang it is flight training, and the person does get to fly the aircraft. At $2200 for a half hour, and $3000 for a full hour, it has kept pretty busy in the past 2 weeks.

We also have the flight training program in the F-4. It is vert similiar in price to the F-104 that you mentioned, and there is no shortage of people calling about it. If we were able to do rides (not the full 2 day training course) I suspect that we could 8 or 10 of them a week, year round.

Personally, the P-51 and F-4 are priced out of what I could afford, but there is always that top percent of earners out there that are really willing to pay for the ultimate thrill. I think it is the minority of the population that would consider paying the $10,000 for the F-104 ride (if they could do it), but it only takes a small percentage of the 265,000,000 in the US to keep the aircraft busy.

[Jack Cook]

I've often wondered why someone would pay for it when you can get it for free. But you have to remember these people never had the opertunities that I had to ride in them. So I guess it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

How true I've been very fortunate and have riden in dozens of warbirds. I remember 95+ degree days on the B-25 steam washing the oil and dirt off and having the gawkers question my sanity. Then they all bitched about me doing all the flying.
We charged $250 for a ride and tried to do a minimum of 4-5 and B-25 vets went for free. I did pretty well trading my photos for rides in the subject a/c Never did get my YAK-11 ride though before Sam sold N11MQ

[kalamazookid]

The most expensive ride I've paid for is $125 for a flight in the Yankee Air Museum C-47 from Willow Run to NMUSAF. It was worth every penny! All of the other rides are out of my price range, but I do plan on saving my money for a B-17 or B-24 ride someday. I think they are reasonably priced, however, they are out of my budget as a full-time college student. I do think some of the fighter aircraft are a bit too pricey, espcially P-51 rides being in the $2000-$3000 range. I think a more reasonable price would be in the $1250-$1500 range, maybe make it more affordable to more people. Then again, I don't know what it costs to fly one of these aircraft for a half hour, so that may not be possible.

If you're on a budget, you can still get some good bargains. I've been up in a Grumman Widgeon, Ford Trimotor, and Stearman all for under $50. Going to fly-in's at the local FBO airport can also be productive if you're looking for rides. I scored a free T-28 ride that way once, and have also gotten to ride in some pretty neat classic aircraft like a Cessna 195 and a Cessna 337 (not warbirds, but sill pretty neat vintage aircraft).

They few chances I have had to go up in a warbird have all been priceless experiences. I for one have no problem with the current prices, even if it means that I have to wait a bit longer to be able to afford to go for one.

[spookythecat]

Well, i'm in the process of saving up to fly on Pacific Prowler in July which will be my first warbird ride since The Dragon And His Tail in 2002. It's not cheap (based on my income) but the memories last forever. I think for the experience you get it's well worth the money. I know of Warbird volunteers in Oshkosh who've gone up for rides and being a 20+ year volunteer there I hope that my day may come too. I've always wanted to see what it's like to fly in formation.

[b29flteng]

Back about 1970, I got a ride around the field at OSH in a Ford Tri-motor and a Boeing 247 for $5 each. Prices have gone up a little since then...

[BK]

Well, i'm in the process of saving up to fly on Pacific Prowler in July which will be my first warbird ride since The Dragon And His Tail in 2002. It's not cheap (based on my income) but the memories last forever. I think for the experience you get it's well worth the money. I know of Warbird volunteers in Oshkosh who've gone up for rides and being a 20+ year volunteer there I hope that my day may come too. I've always wanted to see what it's like to fly in formation.

For Pacific Prowler you can save $25 if you book your ride 72 hours in advance. Also, you save another $25 by using one of the coupons on their site. http://b25.org/RidesInfo.html#anchor_48

BK

[Dave Downs]

I'm on the list for the Collings F-4 ($10,000)
It will severly strain my finances, but having survived a years worth of Chemo, radiation and surgery, it will be worth every penny!!!

My biggest problem will be getting a current medical; my Doc says I should be OK, but I'm afraid if I get turned down then I would lose my Light Sport Aircraft privilages.

[mustangdriver]

I will say that alot of people who don't do airplanes gave me crap when they found out that I dropped $350.00 for an hour flight in the EAA B-17 program at Oshkosh. But these people don't get it. I love the B-17, and have studies them since I was 14. I have visited many at airshows and museums, and it was time to fly in one. That 45 minutes in the air was just amazing. Flying over the Oshkosh Airshow, and looking at it from the nose of a '17 is just special. If you can do it, take the money and fly in the one you want. You only live once. If anyone here is on the fence of whether to go or not, trust me go. This is where I give the people that own warbirds and take people up credit. YOu guys share with people something that can not be described. From the private owner like Bill and his Spit to those who work for a large collection like RickH so that the warbirds can tour, great job.

[Misterg97]

I paid $350.00 for a ride on the Collings B-17 years ago out of the Trenton, NJ airport. At the time, I was converting my cousins personal 8mm film taken while a RO with the 381st. He took films during bombing missions over Brux and another one.

Wanted to get a glimpse and it was a ride of a lifetime.

My own ..... although I can't call them warbirds were freebies .... C-46, C-47, C-124 and most times in a C-119 .... The latter two with dots and dashes.

If you can get the cash ... I highly recommend the flight in the Collings B-17, Nine-O-Nine.

[ZRX61]

Back in the days of cheap Avgas there was a very good reason why the phrase 'tuna rides" was coined at Chino..