January 25, 2026 - Big Snow and Ice Storm

A massive snow and ice storm stretching all the way from Oklahoma and Texas to the northeast hit the U.S. this morning.  Maryland was hit although not as bad as New York and Boston.  We received about seven inches of snow early morning Sunday.  Then we had freezing rain all day Sunday.

The end result was something I've never seen before.  Seven inches of snow covered by a half-inch layer of solid ice.  For the rest of the week temperature stayed in the 20s so there was virtually no melting.

Here's a shot of our deck out back.

Monday morning we ventured out and started shoveling.

This shot is from the street lookin up our driveway with the house on the left.  You can see me just to the right of the tree.  To get through the top 1/2 inch sheet of the ice, you had to use a sharp edge and chip away at it, about two inches at a time.  The snow underneath was soft and powerdery.

A couple hours later it was done.

We don't have a snow blower.  We have no room for one and I don't want to pay the money for something we would only use once every few years.

Flashback!  Essex Skypark back in the day -- year unknown   I'm guessing the 60's or early 70's?  Look at all those planes!  Present day, you'll see two planes parked outside.  There are more hangars now -- 37 -- but only half contain airplanes that get flown.

My feeling is that general aviation is dying.  It's just too expensive.   Also, there are so many other things for young people to do.

I asked ChatGPT how much it cost to fly a Cessna 172 back in the 1960s:

In the 1960s, flying a Cessna 172 was dramatically cheaper than today—both in nominal dollars and, to some extent, even after adjusting for inflation.

Typical 1960s Costs

Rental rate: about $12–$20 per hour (wet)

Fuel price: roughly $0.40–$0.60 per gallon for avgas

Instructor: about $5–$10 per hour

What That Equals in Today’s Dollars.  Adjusting roughly for inflation:

1960s price Approx. 2025 dollars
$12/hr ~$110/hr
$15/hr ~$135/hr
$20/hr ~$180/hr

So in inflation-adjusted terms, flying a 172 in the 1960s cost roughly $110–$180/hour today.

Aircraft Purchase Price (for context)

A new early-1960s Skyhawk cost about: $12,500–$13,500 new in 1963.  Roughly $120k–$140k in today’s dollars

For comparison, a modern Cessna 172 Skyhawk costs $450k–$500k new.

One comparison from the 1970s shows how cheap flying felt then:  In 1972, renting a Cessna 150 cost about $15/hr, with fuel around 50¢/gal.

Bottom line

1960s rental: ~$12–$20/hr

Equivalent today: roughly $110–$180/hr.

That’s surprisingly close to what many basic 172s rent for today ($150–$210/hr wet)—meaning general aviation flying hasn’t become dramatically more expensive in real dollars, though ownership and insurance costs have risen a lot.

I asked what it cost to get a private pilot license in the 1960s vs today.

The difference is striking. In the 1960s, getting a private pilot license was within reach of many middle-class Americans; today it’s several times more expensive in real terms.

Private Pilot License Cost: 1960s vs Today

Era Typical Total Cost Aircraft Rental Instructor Notes
1960s $400–$600 total ~$4–$10/hr ~$5/hr Gas ~10¢/gal
Today (2020s) $10,000–$15,000 typical $130–$250/hr $50–$80/hr 50–70 hours typical

Inflation Comparison

If you convert $400–$600 in 1969 into today’s money:

$400 ≈ $3,300–$3,600 today

$600 ≈ $5,000–$5,400 today

So even after inflation, the cost has roughly doubled or tripled in real terms.

Why It Was Cheaper in the 1960s?

Several big factors:

1. Aircraft were far cheaper.  A new Cessna 172 in 1960: about $9,000–$12,000.  Today: $450,000+

2. Insurance and liability:  Product liability lawsuits in the 1980s dramatically raised costs for aircraft and flight schools.

3. Fuel:  Avgas around 10–50¢/gal vs $6–$8/gal today.

4. Training complexity:  More airspace, regulations, avionics, and insurance requirements today.

1965

40 hours × $6/hr airplane = $240

Instructor & ground school = ~$150

Misc fees = ~$50
Total ≈ $400–$500

2025

60 hours × $170/hr airplane = ~$10,200

Instructor time = ~$2,500

Exams, medical, materials = ~$700
Total ≈ $13,000

Bottom line:

1960s: ~$400–$600

Today: ~$10k–$15k

Flying training has become much more expensive relative to income, which is one reason the number of student pilots dropped after the 1970s.

Personally I earned my private pilot's license in 1976.  I remember it cost $15/hr (wet) for the Cessna 150 and $15/hr for the instructor.  I don't know what avgas cost, probably around fifty cents.  I paid for most of it myself, from a minimum wage job.  I sure am glad I did it back then, when flying was so much cheaper.