Return to Flying and Mooney?

[Jamie]

There are plenty of mooney people in the South. Let us know when you get here. We'll meet up somewhere and have a $250 hamburger.

[rbuck]

Will do!!

[phecksel]

pfftttt!

 

Had to cancel my initial med exam due to a conflict.  Coming up to the holidays and work kept me from rescheduling...

 

Had a disqualifying incident just before the holidays that will keep me out for several months   Sometimes when it rains, it pours!  Good thing I decided to hold off on buying the C with a marginally adequate panel.

[N33GG]

pfftttt!

 

Had to cancel my initial med exam due to a conflict.  Coming up to the holidays and work kept me from rescheduling...

 

Had a disqualifying incident just before the holidays that will keep me out for several months   Sometimes when it rains, it pours!  Good thing I decided to hold off on buying the C with a marginally adequate panel.

So sorry to hear it. Good luck and please keep us posted.

[mike_elliott]

 But, I'm planning to keep my plane, maintain it well, fly when I can, and keep the dream alive as best I can. 

 

Fly it at least every other week to keep it and you well lubed!

[bonal]

Lots of thoughts on the subject. As for me well when I was a kid my folks best friends had a bonanza and I got to go for rides on occasion they upgraded to a Comanche twin a baron and then had a brand new pressurized bonanza made to order. When in high school a friend got his license and we would go out after school in a club 152 and just fly around. I grew up just outside the SFO class B in the east bay and would hear lots of aircraft on the weekends. And I love airplanes. When you think about GA keep in mind post ww2 thousands of retired pilots came out of the war and still wanted to fly. After the Korean War more still. As we know many of them have passed or stopped due to age. Modern military pilots and aviators are a much smaller population a single B2 can do the job of a hundred B17's any way flying was the ultimate and in those days there was no way to simulate things real was the only deal.

Four years ago when I turned 50 I'd be looking at Barnstormers on the net and seeing there were lots of aircraft that cost less than the car I was driving at the time. My girlfriend, now wife said just go do it. I bought my 150 and started training. Earlier this year we bought our 20c. But again this came from an age growing up when flying was king.

I think cost is a factor but more than that its a lack of understanding what GA is all about. Or even that its a possibility. When was the last time you saw any kind of commercial or promotion of GA in the mainstream media. Even pilot training academies only promote in flying oriented material. You have to promote outside of the choir. And the only shows lately on tv about flying we're based in the frozen north or about repossessing private jets not real good pr. I love watching the aviators but its not promoted in the main stream.

I know this is a long post but for me one of the worst things I have to keep reading about is the death of GA. Man I'm just getting started.

I am always talking up GA to my friends and co workers and any one that will listen.

Flying is the coolest thing you can do! Best of luck to you and I hope you succeed in your return.

Looking forward to lots of interaction on mooney space.

[Jerry 5TJ]

If I buy a $50K boat I can run it around the lake tomorrow; if I buy a vintage $50K Mooney and start training in a month I may solo and in six months be ready to fly modest VMC cross-country jaunts.

I suspect the "time to gratification" inhibits would-be pilots a lot.

[bonal]

I agree buy a boat use today buy a new car drive it home. Get an x box and save the universe by the end of the day. One of the things I learned when I got my ppl was how much of a commitment it took to see it through and how much respect I have for those that do. Now I am starting to study about instrument. And all I can say is all you out there that have these advanced ratings well my hat is off to you. As for the boat I have owned one since the 80's it's still fun but no way I would rather go out on the boat than go flying.

Bottom line though is I think the gen x,y and miliniums would rather just text and Facebook and game than do any thing that takes time and commitment

And what's the point of working your ass off all your life if you don't use the money to do something great to make life worth living

To each his own. I'm just glad for those rides I took in the air back when I was a kid.