Not happy

[richardheitzman]

I'm not flying right now either, so I went crazy and bought a motorcycle. It has curbed the itch for flying and let's me get some time to myself. One more semester and I will finish my degree, than the summer is free to return my life to normal.

 

I feel your pain. But there are times in our lives that flying is just not in the cards. Maybe a couple years from now you and I can buy a airplane and enjoy it.

[DaV8or]

I guess I'll chime in on this thread. I don't fly all that much either. There is no way in hell I can fly for work, it just doesn't make any sense. Commuting is right out too. The weekend get aways and vacations are out too for the most part because my wife does not like to fly and I can not and will not guarantee her an exact departure and arrival schedule. Her work, not mine, demand it. There can not be, "Oh sorry, we had to stay over night for weather." excuse. High winds and turbulence only amplify the misery for her, so best to take her flying when it's smooth VMC. Not easy to travel the country in smooth VMC.

 

I scheme on traveling to over night locations by myself, but then I estimate the fuel costs and the over night costs and I really can't justify it and honestly, I really can't afford it right now. Maybe in my next business venture I'll do better and be able light fire to hundred dollar bills by the gas pump. Now is a good time for me to save money, not blow it away.

 

This makes me one of those pattern flyers. The thing is, my pattern has about a 150nm range. My logbook is now full of "depart from C83 and return to C83 with one landing." I typically spend about an hour doing this. What I like about the Mooney is, in that hour I can cover so much more ground than I could in a slower airplane. Even though I'm not going anywhere, I like to be going somewhere if you know what I mean.

 

I'm on a long term mission to land at every public use airport in California. There are a lot of them. I have ticked off all of them in my pattern area and even beyond. The rest are going to cost me more money to get to, so they have to wait for now.

 

So, I don't have a ton of free time, I don't have enough money to really travel and I have no real purpose, or reason to fly. Why do I own and maintain an airplane? What the hell is wrong with me? It's a hobby and an addiction. It's a really stupid hobby, but I'm still having fun doing it and will continue to do so as long as the money holds out, the health holds out, the government doesn't make it too impossible AND I'm still having fun doing it. The second I'm not having fun, my Mooney will be for sale the next second.

 

What does my story have to do with the OP? Not much other than IMO, you do not need a purpose, a need, or a specific mission to own an airplane. You don't even need to fly a lot. Just hating rental planes is enough in my book. The ownership experience, both good and bad, goes beyond the flying. In my case, the positives outweigh the negatives... for now.

 

 

P.S.- If you do buy a plane, get a hangar for it. It amplifies the fun and makes your experience much, much better IMO.

[carusoam]

I think Dave has explained the root of why I fly a Mooney...

Nicely done, Dave.

Best regards,

-a-

[BigTex]

Prior to owning a plane, I was big in the EAA.  In fact, in addition to my Mooney, I built a 1/2 scale P47D that's waiting paint and an engine overall.  I've found attending EAA meetings and fly-in's are a good way to enjoy aviation on the social side without actually flying.

 

Also, I know building a aircraft isn't for everyone but there's nothing like the satisfaction you get from riveting up a rudder or some other component to the plane.  It's also realitively inexpensive (until you get to the engine and avionics) way to stay connected to aviation.  Projects are bought and sold all the time so don't feel you'd have to complete it.

 

There's many ways to scratch that aviation itch... Owning an aircraft is only one.

[carusoam]

Gary,

You can't leave a statement like, "I built a cool plane that you guys would love", and then not post a photo or two.

Or you did, and I forgot where the link went?

So help I guy out with memory challenges, would you?

Best regards,

-a-

[BigTex]

I'll post some pictures in the gallery when I get a chance.  All my pictures are pretty dated so I'll need to take some current pictures next time I'm at the hangar.  Basically, it's a plans built WAR P47D.  Started the project back when there wasn't such a thing as kits so I had to fabricate EVERYTHING.  Believe it or not I actually built the radio back with they allowed that.  There was a company selling kits much like Heathkits if anyone remembers those.  Seems Like I've worked on it much of my adult life.

[John Pleisse]

I am disappointed in what I have become. All I do is get in the rental every other month, go around the pattern, do some laps, pay my hour and go home. Since I have opened my new business, I just don't have time for anything, much less accumulating hours in the rental. If I owned my own plane I guess it would be different, but I'm not so sure. I don't golf, go out, or anything superfluous.

What I guess I am saying is I miss flying, so please you guys and gals, post your stories so I can live vicariously though them and you.

Sincerely

David

 

 

Keep after it...make time and don't give up. You can do it. I have been through the same thing. The best way to solve it is to fly with a purpose or mission. When we get bogged down with real life responsibilities, we tend to fly only when we can. Force yourself to do only cross country work, join Angel Flight or the pet transportation help services. If flying to you is patterns and local flights only because of life's limitations, you'll loose interest, your skills will atrophy and then you're done. Funny, we could always find a few hours to fly when we were new to the avocation. Fly with a purpose!

 

Or start Axiron. :)

[BigTex]

Nice! Looking forward to seeing those pics, Gary. We built up a couple of those radio kits, too, back in the late 70s. I think that they were made by Edo-Aire?

My nav/com radio is a RST-572 from Radio Systems Technology. It was actually a really fun project. You built it and then sent it back to them to be bench tested. By today's standards it's huge. You have thumb switches to select the frequency and OBS and the VOR head is just a left/right meter needle.

[donkaye]

I can't imagine NOT owning an airplane, and yet for a good part of my life I didn't.  Thank goodness for Flying Magazine and that picture of the TLS on its cover back in 1990.  I've still kept that issue.  It's been 21 years and over 9,300 flight hours later and my life has never been the same.  I don't fly FOR a living.  I fly for living.  I can't imagine a more exciting and at most times peaceful way to wile away the hours than up in the air.  I am fortunate in having had a mentor flight instructor who talked me into getting my CFI.  As a result, I've met so many interesting people I never would have come in contact with and had adventures unimaginable in another way of life.

 

If you really have a passion for the air, find a way to make it happen for you.  I don't think It really works to live vicariously through someone else when you can have the experience yourself.

[flyboy]

DaV8or,

 

      I also have been working on a long term goal of landing at all 59 of my state's public use airports. Gives me a reason to fly into some remote spots that I would otherwise never see.