Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Hypermiling / EcoDriver's Ed
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 02-18-2008, 11:12 PM   #1 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
Yes, Virginia, some pilots DO hypermile...

In answer to the question originally posted... Do airline pilots hypermile?

"Yes, apparently some do." (OK, so not an "airline" pilot.)

From the Noblesville (IN) Daily Times...

Quote:
Kris Maynard has posted 10 world and United States national aviation records in the past few years, including a United States Transcontinental Speed Record.

The Fishers resident is about to add another record to his list. Maynard plans to be the first person in the world to set a record for aircraft efficiency.

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and National Aeronautic Association, the governing bodies of world and United States national aviation records, will begin to recognize aircraft efficiency as a new category of world aviation records March 1.


Kris Maynard is shown in his Aviat Husky, A-1A equipped with a Lycoming 0-360 engine and a 76-inch Hartzell propeller.

It's apparently the Geo Metro of the skies, capable of 12.2 km/kg of fuel, at low power settings. That converts to about 20.7 mpg

The guy is truly dedicated to what he's doing:

Quote:
“My goal is two-fold,” said Maynard. “First, I want to post an efficiency mark that is respectable, and being the first person in the world to do so will be icing on the cake. My second goal is to draw attention to the record category itself and help focus competitive energy throughout the aeronautical industry toward improving airplane efficiency.”
Read the whole article:
http://www.county29.net/cms2/index.p...583&Itemid=230

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 02-18-2008, 11:43 PM   #2 (permalink)
ECO-Evolution
 
Lazarus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,482

Iron Horse (retired) - '97 Iron horse Intrepid

Ninja - '08 Kawasaki 250R
90 day: 76.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
For his test run he was in the airplane for over 13 hours. Just imagine sitting in front of your TV for 13 hours without getting out of the chair.
__________________
"Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers."

  Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2008, 02:12 AM   #3 (permalink)
Depends on the Day
 
RH77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kansas City Area
Posts: 1,761

Teggy - '98 Acura Integra LS
Sports Cars
90 day: 32.74 mpg (US)

IMA - '10 Honda Insight EX
Team Honda
90 day: 34.76 mpg (US)

Tessie - '06 Acura TSX Base
90 day: 28.2 mpg (US)
Thanks: 31
Thanked 41 Times in 35 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus View Post
For his test run he was in the airplane for over 13 hours. Just imagine sitting in front of your TV for 13 hours without getting out of the chair.
I once played FlightSim for 12 hours...

But, I set the A/P and used the lav.

...and went to the Grocery...

OK, it was more like an hour of "flying the plane"


In all seriousness, that cockpit is quite small for a 13-hour test run! I always thought of the brand as a "cropduster" type, but it's actually the modern-day answer to the Piper Cub. A brief description.

Great find. No offense to the airline industry, but I'd love to have a plane that cruises modestly and has a decent range. Oh the time and frustration that would be saved...

This one will go over 600 statute miles at 75% power, or 140 MPH. Geez that would cut the time. At 55% power, that's 132 MPH and a lot of extra fuel saved.

RH77
__________________
If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research ― Albert Einstein

_
_
  Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2008, 09:39 AM   #4 (permalink)
ECO-Evolution
 
Lazarus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,482

Iron Horse (retired) - '97 Iron horse Intrepid

Ninja - '08 Kawasaki 250R
90 day: 76.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
The Husky a great STOL aircraft(short takeoff and landing) but I don't think this is very practical. I think this is a unmodified aircraft. So at 55% and 130 mph he burns 7.7 gallons/hour. This means that he is running it considerable lower then that to get the 4 gallons an hour required. It would be quicker to drive and you would burn less gas in the process.

Can't really compare it to the airlines because when full they would do much better FE wise then that.
Although the hassle factor is big negative with the airlines. YMMV
__________________
"Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers."

  Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2008, 08:56 PM   #5 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NoVA
Posts: 27

Spin - '03 Mazda Miata SE
90 day: 26.55 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
Kris Maynard is shown in his Aviat Husky, A-1A equipped with a Lycoming 0-360 engine and a 76-inch Hartzell propeller.

It's apparently the Geo Metro of the skies, capable of 12.2 km/kg of fuel, at low power settings. That converts to about 20.7 mpg
Not to rain on the parade, but the CAFE Foundation used to run some efficiency competition at the Oshkosh (now AirVenture) Airshow between 1981-1990. I'm pretty sure they got up over 30mpg. Then again, almost all of the 2007 PAV competitors made it over 20mpg.

Last edited by Fuzzy; 02-19-2008 at 11:35 PM.. Reason: Found the dates of the CAFE 400 efficiency races.
  Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2008, 09:13 PM   #6 (permalink)
Depends on the Day
 
RH77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kansas City Area
Posts: 1,761

Teggy - '98 Acura Integra LS
Sports Cars
90 day: 32.74 mpg (US)

IMA - '10 Honda Insight EX
Team Honda
90 day: 34.76 mpg (US)

Tessie - '06 Acura TSX Base
90 day: 28.2 mpg (US)
Thanks: 31
Thanked 41 Times in 35 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus View Post
The Husky a great STOL aircraft(short takeoff and landing) but I don't think this is very practical. I think this is a unmodified aircraft. So at 55% and 130 mph he burns 7.7 gallons/hour. This means that he is running it considerable lower then that to get the 4 gallons an hour required. It would be quicker to drive and you would burn less gas in the process.

Can't really compare it to the airlines because when full they would do much better FE wise then that.
Although the hassle factor is big negative with the airlines. YMMV
I agree -- "sharing a ride" with other passengers is more efficient.

Where my mileage varies is that driveable route -- the 250-300 mile range, or the "Fly out and Drive back". It would eliminate a 104-mile round-trip in my own vehicle to the airport (~34-35mpg) and a rental at an average of ~26-28 mpg. Plus, going "as the crow flies" has to cut off some distance, which may be lost in the climb/descent, headwinds -- dunno.

Honestly, it's a pipe-dream to fly myself to the required location. I've half-seriously joked about it the last 7 years. But, after I posted last evening, I realized that it's selfish, really -- spawned from the frustration of delays and long layovers (which I had just experienced). No bathroom and no "multi-tasking" would make the job no more efficient or convenient. I long to take to the skies, but of course, it's not an affordable hobby for me at this time. I'll leave it to the professionals to handle those ILS approaches and crosswind landings.

Welp, there's always the simulator

RH77
__________________
If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research ― Albert Einstein

_
_
  Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2008, 03:58 AM   #7 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 80

beamer - '91 bmw 318is
90 day: 32 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts
Ok, but just to get one thing straight here:

This guy is BURNING fuel in order to set an efficiency record.
Does anyone see the contradiction in terms?

That's what kills me about the hypermiling, not so much what this pilot is doing but the whole competition aspect... What good is it to get however great fuel economy when you have to go out of your way to show it?

Is that really what hypermiling is, doesn't matter so long you got the best economy, that you had to fly around the world to get it? It's all the same in a car, do we take a detour to get better mpg even if doing so actually burns MORE fuel than having took the shortest route?

That is, I can drive my bmw on $10 a week and get 17-20mpg, or I can force it to 25-30mpg and spend like $40 on fuel in that same week, which one's it going to be?

I mean it just don't make no sense, if this is what hypermiling is all about then it completely destroys the purpose of fuel conservation.

Last edited by 8307c4; 02-20-2008 at 04:03 AM..
  Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2008, 10:32 PM   #8 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
No, hypermiling isn't generally about wasting fuel to get "good numbers".

Let's keep this pilot in in context, though: one of his stated goals is "to draw attention to the record category itself and help focus competitive energy throughout the aeronautical industry toward improving airplane efficiency.”"

So, yes, he's wasting fuel to raise awareness about how to save fuel.

Whether this is done by pilots or car drivers in a fuel efficiency competition, if the net effect is they raise awareness and cause more people to become interested in the topic (and decide to learn the skills to apply in normal use), it could be argued it's a good thing overall.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2008, 11:34 PM   #9 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Ryland's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 3,903

honda cb125 - '74 Honda CB 125 S1
90 day: 79.71 mpg (US)

green wedge - '81 Commuter Vehicles Inc. Commuti-Car

Blue VX - '93 Honda Civic VX
Thanks: 867
Thanked 433 Times in 353 Posts
what gets me is that according to a friend of mine who works for a big airline, whenever airline pilots get jerked around by the executives of the airline, they slow the plane down, and that with big airplanes it takes more fuel to go slower! (more of the energy is used to keep it up) doing this costs the airline alot of money in wages and fuel I think he said $3,000 per hour just for the fuel, but that is sounding low.
they can do this of course by just saying that they think the slower speed is safer, and safty trumps it all.
  Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2008, 11:28 AM   #10 (permalink)
I"m not lurking!
 
s2man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 128

Porthos - '96 Chevrolet Cavalier
90 day: 31.3 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 8307c4 View Post
if this is what hypermiling is all about then it completely destroys the purpose of fuel conservation.
What *is* the purpose of fuel conservation? I went to the home page, clicked "here", and reread the "What is ecomodding?" thread. I vote for reason number five, "the sheer sport of it! ...an ongoing game". For me, it's a fun, challenging hobby, involving chemistry, mechanics, electronics, aerodynamics, and more. No altruism here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 8307c4 View Post
I can drive my bmw on $10 a week and get 17-20mpg, or I can force it to 25-30mpg and spend like $40 on fuel in that same week, which one's it going to be?
Yep, I've seen posts where folks take longer routes to get better mileage. And folks use gas doing experiments. Perhaps to help other increase their FE, perhaps out of curiosity. I use my wife's less FE car to run errands, and keep my hobby on track. To each their own.

__________________
Roll on,
Stew

  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Do airline pilots hypermile? MetroMPG Hypermiling / EcoDriver's Ed 63 09-11-2010 12:36 AM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com