What are you going to buy with your first real Doc paycheck?

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I guess I could never mow grass in 100 degree heat and 90% humidity again. Lawn guys are cheap, right?
 
slopes23 said:
My ultimate dream plane that hopefully someday I will be able to afford (if I am lucky) is a Pilatus PC-12NG. It seats 12, is a turbo prop, has a 1500mile range (half the country) non-stop, flies at 315knots, and has a huge payload capacity for luggage, people etc. Plus it's super safe and can land on some of the shortest dirt runways in the country.

But at 1.5-2MM (used) it might be a while lol. A long while.
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You can always finance it right? 😛
 
I've spent so much time like $15 in my bank account poor that I think the first thing I'm going to do when I get my first big paycheck of my life is go to the grocery store and buy whatever the hell I want. I genuinely look forward to the day when I can have that $7 sandwich for lunch if that's what I want rather than pacing the grocery store for the cheapest filling option available and settling on a 30-cent thing of yogurt and a 20 cent banana lol. That's all I can really think of that I want...maybe some nice high heels that don't tear apart my feet because they're not cheaply made. 😛
 
Narmerguy said:
You can always finance it right? 😛
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That you can. Most people do, actually. The good thing about airplanes is that they don't depreciate like a car. Often times actually, if you take good care of them and upgrade things like avionics, new paint, and update the interior every so often and the value will actually appreciate in value, sometimes significantly if you bought the plane right and put in a fair amount of work (kind of like a house).

The use over time has minimal effect on the plane again because the engines are replaced every 2,000hrs or so.

Also, you can rent out the plane for charter if it's nice enough, which can get you a nice chunk of change of the annual cost to maintain back. Some people charter their plane out fairly often and they actually end up making money on it, and they effectively get to fly for free, plus they have a professional pilot on hand whenever needed.

Charters are often a better route then doing a lease back option where you allow other pilots who are learning "rent" your plane and they fly it themselves. Results in much higher wear and tear and sometimes damage over the long run.

But there are a lot of different ways to make a plane be more cost effective then what it seems at first glance. If you are private practice for example, often you can buy them under the practices name write the cost of the plane of as a business expense if you for example use the plane to go to conferences, give talks, or see colleagues for whatever reason. That's what a lot of doctors I know do and it is a huge cost savings.
 
yeah a 600K toy is pretty hard to swing for most docs I bet. it's doable I guess if you really want to, then yeah but it's going to take a significant amount of your discretionary income. not to mention I'm sure insuring a plane isn't very cheap
 
lazymed said:
When you factor in maintenance and gasoline, it's close to outrages for most physicians.
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Rule of thumb is your direct operating cost is roughly double your fuel cost. So if per hour the plane costs you $150 in fuel then it's on average about $300/hr total cost between maintenance hangars etc every thing else.

A lot of doctors make more then you think, and when you are able to write it off as a business expense like I outlined previously it's not terrible relative to what you are bringing in. Ultimately, the people who this appeals to are people who enjoy flying as a hobby and the benefits of general aviation vs having to fly commercial. No one is saying it's the most economical way possible. But luxury usually isn't. Even if the plane costs you 3-5k/month including flight time. If you have an established practice or brand and make 4-500k per year (think about your salary plus any investment income) it's really quite doable.

I didn't say it was for everybody. But then again neither are Louboutins. 🙂
 
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slopes23 said:
That you can. Most people do, actually. The good thing about airplanes is that they don't depreciate like a car. Often times actually, if you take good care of them and upgrade things like avionics, new paint, and update the interior every so often and the value will actually appreciate in value, sometimes significantly if you bought the plane right and put in a fair amount of work (kind of like a house).

The use over time has minimal effect on the plane again because the engines are replaced every 2,000hrs or so.

Also, you can rent out the plane for charter if it's nice enough, which can get you a nice chunk of change of the annual cost to maintain back. Some people charter their plane out fairly often and they actually end up making money on it, and they effectively get to fly for free, plus they have a professional pilot on hand whenever needed.

Charters are often a better route then doing a lease back option where you allow other pilots who are learning "rent" your plane and they fly it themselves. Results in much higher wear and tear and sometimes damage over the long run.

But there are a lot of different ways to make a plane be more cost effective then what it seems at first glance. If you are private practice for example, often you can buy them under the practices name write the cost of the plane of as a business expense if you for example use the plane to go to conferences, give talks, or see colleagues for whatever reason. That's what a lot of doctors I know do and it is a huge cost savings.
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I know three different guys that have their own planes to fly to other towns to work one day a week or so. Don't know what kinds they have though.
 
dpmd said:
I know three different guys that have their own planes to fly to other towns to work one day a week or so. Don't know what kinds they have though.
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Gentlemen's wager that at least one of them has a Cirrus SR20 or SR22.
 
Winged Scapula said:
You have heard the sentiment that these planes (not the jets piloted by professional pilots) are "doctor killers", right?
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Yes but what your post implies (all the general aviation planes, that are not jets kill doctors is not what that phrase means).

What you are referring to is a specific model and year of a plane that is/was popular among doctors at the time. Specifically, it was the Beechcraft Bonanza V-tail that got that repuation. It's because the plane was/is a very high performance aircraft that at the time when it came out was one of the sexiest and fastest planes alive which appealed to doctors. But, doctors often times bought these planes before they were ready, and they were not suitable for amateur pilots because their high performance envelope with a V-shaped tail made them much less forgiving and resulted in a lot of doctors getting themselves killed.

The Cirrus actually has a similar reputation these days. It's a very fast and sexy looking plane and has top of the line avionics to make flying especially simplified and automated. This however gives people a false sense of security sometimes, and complimented with a sometimes God-complex causes pilot error or poor judgement because you don't know something is wrong until it's too late because all the automation is disguising the problems. Having said that, it's a pretty safe plane of you take the training course from Cirrus as they teach all the tell tale signs of these situations and it's the only plane that has a built in jet propelled parachute system for the plane itself that will cause it to hit the ground at 40mph plus the seats are made of honey comb so that upon impact they crush. I think they say they have never had a death on any chute deployment. Cool thing is, insurance says they will cover the cost of the airplane when you pull the chute.


But regardless, other then these two models, none of the other models have this reputation and general aviation is extremely safe and very satisfying and can take you places and give you experiences that you will not find elsewhere on this earth.

In case it's not evident. I love flying. It's a huge stress reliever and super fun hobby.
 
Kaustikos said:
Stop ruining my dreams!
Tbt, I'd never buy one. Cars are way more fun.
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Take a "discovery" flight from your flight school and then recover the plane from a stall (super simple to do) and we'll see your opinion on cars vs planes then.

 
slopes23 said:
Take a "discovery" flight from your flight school and then recover the plane from a stall (super simple to do) and we'll see your opinion on cars vs planes then.

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Nope. No disrespect, but I'll take a Lamborghini over a jet. I can drive the Lamborghini. And driving through back roads is so awesome.

Sidenote: I'm a car enthusiast
 
Kaustikos said:
Nope. No disrespect, but I'll take a Lamborghini over a jet. I can drive the Lamborghini. And driving through back roads is so awesome.

Sidenote: I'm a car enthusiast
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You can fly a jet too, believe it or not, jets are actually easier and simpler to fly then their propellor counterparts.

But it's okay, if you are going to live on the dark side, doing so in a Lambo isn't a bad way to do it. I'm a car enthusiast too. A Lamborghini Veneno would be sweet, but I wouldn't spend 4.6MM on a car over a plane 🙂. But then again, I have a distinct feeling we are talking more in the 2-300k range for the Lambo hah.
 
slopes23 said:
You can fly a jet too, believe it or not, jets are actually easier and simpler to fly then their propellor counterparts.

But it's okay, if you are going to live on the dark side, doing so in a Lambo isn't a bad way to do it. I'm a car enthusiast too. A Lamborghini Veneno would be sweet, but I wouldn't spend 4.6MM on a car over a plane 🙂. But then again, I have a distinct feeling we are talking more in the 2-300k range for the Lambo hah.
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I just don't have the time to learn. That with being so comfortable in a car makes me a little biased.
And yeah, we are talking 300k range lol
 
Would it be reasonable to have a plane large enough that I could drive my Ferrari into the back of it, walk up to the pilot's chair, fly to wherever, and then pull my Ferrari out and drive to my final destination, all without my feet ever touching the ground outside of pristine garages?
 
NeuroSpeed said:
Would it be reasonable to have a plane large enough that I could drive my Ferrari into the back of it, walk up to the pilot's chair, fly to wherever, and then pull my Ferrari out and drive to my final destination, all without my feet ever touching the ground outside of pristine garages?
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Ummmm yes. Cargo planes. But they aren't cheap
 
slopes23 said:
Yes but what your post implies (all the general aviation planes, that are not jets kill doctors is not what that phrase means).

What you are referring to is a specific model and year of a plane that is/was popular among doctors at the time. Specifically, it was the Beechcraft Bonanza V-tail that got that repuation. It's because the plane was/is a very high performance aircraft that at the time when it came out was one of the sexiest and fastest planes alive which appealed to doctors. But, doctors often times bought these planes before they were ready, and they were not suitable for amateur pilots because their high performance envelope with a V-shaped tail made them much less forgiving and resulted in a lot of doctors getting themselves killed.

The Cirrus actually has a similar reputation these days. It's a very fast and sexy looking plane and has top of the line avionics to make flying especially simplified and automated. This however gives people a false sense of security sometimes, and complimented with a sometimes God-complex causes pilot error or poor judgement because you don't know something is wrong until it's too late because all the automation is disguising the problems. Having said that, it's a pretty safe plane of you take the training course from Cirrus as they teach all the tell tale signs of these situations and it's the only plane that has a built in jet propelled parachute system for the plane itself that will cause it to hit the ground at 40mph plus the seats are made of honey comb so that upon impact they crush. I think they say they have never had a death on any chute deployment. Cool thing is, insurance says they will cover the cost of the airplane when you pull the chute.


But regardless, other then these two models, none of the other models have this reputation and general aviation is extremely safe and very satisfying and can take you places and give you experiences that you will not find elsewhere on this earth.

In case it's not evident. I love flying. It's a huge stress reliever and super fun hobby.
Click to expand...
I will certainly defer to your knowledge of flying (although as the daughter of a military attack pilot, I know a bit too 😉 ).

Doctors, surgeons especially, tend to be overconfident in their skills; this is true in many arenas. While safer planes are beneficial, it ultimately comes down to the pilot. Thus, IMHO the statement that planes are "doctor killers" is still relevant, regardless of safety changes made. This is likely why piloting a plane is still an exclusionary clause on my disability insurance (along with scuba and skydiving).

At any rate: back on topic to the fun things everyone would buy when they make some good money!
 
Here's what I'm doing with my "fun" money:

eating every meal out this weekend!

I think the true measure of luxury is when you pay for things others would do themselves: having your clothes washed and folded, a housekeeper, auto detailer, etc. Everyone is focusing on these big things but its the little things that really make a difference in your life.
 
Winged Scapula said:
I will certainly defer to your knowledge of flying (although as the daughter of a military attack pilot, I know a bit too 😉 ).

Doctors, surgeons especially, tend to be overconfident in their skills; this is true in many arenas. While safer planes are beneficial, it ultimately comes down to the pilot. Thus, IMHO the statement that planes are "doctor killers" is still relevant, regardless of safety changes made. This is likely why piloting a plane is still an exclusionary clause on my disability insurance (along with scuba and skydiving).

At any rate: back on topic to the fun things everyone would buy when they make some good money!
Click to expand...


Good money, eh?

Okay. When I have either a 1)double doctor income or 2) hit the jackpot or 3) find another source of monies I will buy.....


a mansion in Greenwich! complete with XL garage.
 
Winged Scapula said:
Here's what I'm doing with my "fun" money:

eating every meal out this weekend!

I think the true measure of luxury is when you pay for things others would do themselves: having your clothes washed and folded, a housekeeper, auto detailer, etc. Everyone is focusing on these big things but its the little things that really make a difference in your life.
Click to expand...


Agreed. Housekeepersand laundry services are great, way more efficient than if I tried taking care of that stuff, and worth every last cent.

Also, people detail their own cars? I was under the impression that wasn't something you could do at home.
 
NeuroSpeed said:
Would it be reasonable to have a plane large enough that I could drive my Ferrari into the back of it, walk up to the pilot's chair, fly to wherever, and then pull my Ferrari out and drive to my final destination, all without my feet ever touching the ground outside of pristine garages?
Click to expand...
There are people with commercial style planes that do this. What about having the cargo plane follow your private jet? A la Air Force One? In case it wasn't common knowledge, any time the president travels internationally they bring all their own trucks and the president travels in the same Cadillac , I mean tank, that he does here in the US.
 
fancymylotus said:
Good money, eh?

Okay. When I have either a 1)double doctor income or 2) hit the jackpot or 3) find another source of monies I will buy.....


a mansion in Greenwich! complete with XL garage.
Click to expand...
Used to have a girlfriend who lived in Greenwhich. Let's just say, it's not all it's cracked up to be. A lot of nuevo rich, which means lots of snoody people.
 
slopes23 said:
There are people with commercial style planes that do this. What about having the cargo plane follow your private jet? A la Air Force One? In case it wasn't common knowledge, any time the president travels internationally they bring all their own trucks and the president travels in the same Cadillac , I mean tank, that he does here in the US.
Click to expand...
Well, I mean, I don't want to sound greedy or anything.
 
fancymylotus said:
Also, people detail their own cars? I was under the impression that wasn't something you could do at home.
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Of course people detail their own cars. If you treat your woman right, she'll purr for you like a kitten every time you take her for a ride.

Oh and just so everyone is clear, "woman" above means "car."
 
NeuroSpeed said:
Of course people detail their own cars. If you treat your woman right, she'll purr for you like a kitten every time you take her for a ride.

Oh and just so everyone is clear, "woman" above means "car."
Click to expand...
Sure ... just rub the lotion into her skin...err leather..
 
slopes23 said:
Used to have a girlfriend who lived in Greenwhich. Let's just say, it's not all it's cracked up to be. A lot of nuevo rich, which means lots of snoody people.
Click to expand...


Without blowing my last shreds of anonymity too much, I grew up in the general vicinity of Greenwich but on the New York side of the border. And that snobby bubble world makes me happy. I just probably won't ever be able to afford to live there ><
 
fancymylotus said:
Without blowing my last shreds of anonymity too much, I grew up in the general vicinity of Greenwich but on the New York side of the border. And that snobby bubble world makes me happy. I just probably won't ever be able to afford to live there ><
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Nothing wrong with that, as long as you own it.

You can make it if you try!
 
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slopes23 said:
Maybe he was selling it because he needed something bigger, that had more range? You know, they do say size matters! 😛
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It could have even been a health related reason too. He may have failed his biennial medical exam or been recently diagnosed with a disqualifying medical condition like an MI, angina pectoris, a permanent pacemaker, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, etc. and been unable to renew his FAA medical certificate.
NeuroSpeed said:
Would it be reasonable to have a plane large enough that I could drive my Ferrari into the back of it, walk up to the pilot's chair, fly to wherever, and then pull my Ferrari out and drive to my final destination, all without my feet ever touching the ground outside of pristine garages?
Click to expand...
Well you could always get a vintage Aerocar (if you can find and afford one) or wait until AeroMobil and Terrafugia start going into production. They’re a little classier than a cargo plane. I think I’d be too terrified to actually drive one these around outside of an airport or airshow though. Car accidents are bad enough; imagine waiting at a stoplight after flying into town and then watching helplessly as someone fails to notice the red light and gives half of your plane a less than gentle greeting with the front of their truck.
 
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loris said:
Well you could always get a vintage Aerocar (if you can find and afford one) or wait until AeroMobil and Terrafugia start going into production. They’re a little classier than a cargo plane. I think I’d be too terrified to actually drive one these around outside of an airport or airshow though. Car accidents are bad enough; imagine waiting at a stoplight after flying into town and then watching helplessly as someone fails to notice the red light and gives half of your plane a less than gentle greeting with the front of their truck.
Click to expand...


I do like the Aerocar there, I just have a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't exactly handle like I want it to when on the ground. And I think your concern about other drivers is a valid one too.
 
Stagg737 said:
Do you mean 'it rubs the lotion on the skin...'? Because I don't think that worked out too well in Silence of the Lambs...
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thatsthejoke.jpg
 
slopes23 said:
Yes but what your post implies (all the general aviation planes, that are not jets kill doctors is not what that phrase means)..........
Click to expand...
Wound have loved to be a student interviewer for you. Sounds like a fun topic to learn about
 
awared2 said:
Wound have loved to be a student interviewer for you. Sounds like a fun topic to learn about
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What Winged Scapula was saying is correct though, on the personality of doctors being overconfident when flying. There are many times when people should just cancel the flight due to bad weather, or pay attention to details and use your checklist instead of telling yourself I'm the man, I know what I'm doing etc, etc, but they don't.

There is a saying "A superior pilot is one who exercises their superior judgement, so as to avoid situations that would require use of their superior skills."

Words to live by.
 
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NeuroSpeed said:
Lol. I was hoping to have gotten a like from you. Not some serious response.
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It wasnt serious, more embarrassing because I looked it up once when I was younger and curious (more time on my hands lol)
 
Winged Scapula said:
Here's what I'm doing with my "fun" money:

eating every meal out this weekend!

I think the true measure of luxury is when you pay for things others would do themselves: having your clothes washed and folded, a housekeeper, auto detailer, etc. Everyone is focusing on these big things but its the little things that really make a difference in your life.
Click to expand...
Auto detailing... So worth it. Makes your car look so nice. Like, brand new nice. It just takes so many hours lol
 
NeuroSpeed said:
Of course people detail their own cars. If you treat your woman right, she'll purr for you like a kitten every time you take her for a ride.

Oh and just so everyone is clear, "woman" above means "car."
Click to expand...
Yeah, it definitely pays off. Cleaning, compounding, polish and wax. People are like "is that car new?"
It just sucks when you do it and find "things" like scratches or etc.
 
I hear Tesla is going to come out with a car in the $30,000 price range. Cruising down the streets of Gotham in style!
 
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