How long have you gone without flying your Mooney?

[nels]

Just wondering how long some of you have gone without flying your plane and when does your confidence start to slip away after not flying for awhile. It was fall the last time I flew. Probably four maybe five months ago. I guess I'm a little nervous to jump in it and go. Anybody else get a little squeamish after being away from it for awhile?

[Oscar Avalle]

4 years while I was posted to Bolivia


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[neilpilot]

During a 5 month period, while I completed recovery from surgery and also worked a couple months in China.

[Sabremech]

Going on 9 months for me right now. Busy with a new job and not feeling well enough to take the controls have kept mine in the hangar. 

[1964-M20E]

After about 2 days I start getting the DTs. I start shaking uncontrollably sweating profusely, clammy skin and dry mouth.

I think since I have owned a Mooney the longest was probably 2 months when my 64E was flooded by a hurricane until I bought my current F model.

 

[Andy95W]

27 minutes ago, Sabremech said:

Going on 9 months for me right now. Busy with a new job and not feeling well enough to take the controls have kept mine in the hangar. 

David- glad you're getting settled into the new job. Hope it's working out for you.  I'll help you get current before OSH if you need it.

[SantosDumont]

Owned for about 6 months now. I think there was a 3 week period I didn't fly due to holidays / weather. 

[peevee]

2 or 3 months, pretty rusty if I go that long.

[Skates97]

I'm still a brand new PPL and new to my Mooney. If I go a few weeks I feel rusty for the first little bit. I try to get out and fly at least once a week, even if it isn't going anywhere but just doing pattern work and working on landings (that is what I need to most work on anyway). I think that once you have 100's of hours you can go longer in between flying without feeling the rust as much, but just starting out there needs to be less time between outings  to keep from going backwards.

[rbridges]

I try to fly at least once every three weeks. Been busy this year. Only got 40 hours or so in the mooney last year. 

[Pritch]

13.5 years, sold my first-M20C in June 2002 and quit flying.  After a while I missssseeeeddd it.  Brought my second-M20K in Feb 2016.  Yes I was a bit rusty, mostly on landings, but got up to speed (pun intended) pretty quick.

Pritch

[MyNameIsNobody]

I had not flown since annual in Late January.  Wife and I flew yesterday and winds were 25 gusting to 35.  Had a nice flight, but wind was hammering the yokes while I was pre-flighting...Little pucker, but crabbed it in with only a slight crosswind at destination.  Felt good to get up.  Love GA and my new memory foam seat pan.  New CO monitor showed no more than 2ppm for taxi/climb/cruise.  Love that peace of mind too.  Flight back today after NICE Badger win was an 8MPH crosswind.  Felt benign after yesterday . Looking forward to some spring and summer flying in a no squak bird.

[TonyK]

I also sold my airplane in 2002 and hadn't flown at all until a few weeks ago.  Life got in the way for a few years.  

[flight2000]

2 hours ago, Oscar Avalle said:

4 years while I was posted to Bolivia


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Same, but I was posted to Germany for 4 years.  Jumped right back in with an instructor and was good to go.  Just like riding a bike....getting IFR current again took a little more work though. 

Brian

[flight2000]

23 minutes ago, MyNameIsNobody said:

I had not flown since annual in Late January.  Wife and I flew yesterday and winds were 25 gusting to 35.  Had a nice flight, but wind was hammering the yokes while I was pre-flighting...Little pucker, but crabbed it in with only a slight crosswind at destination.  Felt good to get up.  Love GA and my new memory foam seat pan.  New CO monitor showed no more than 2ppm for taxi/climb/cruise.  Love that peace of mind too.  Flight back today after NICE Badger win was an 8MPH crosswind.  Felt benign after yesterday . Looking forward to some spring and summer flying in a no squak bird.

How was the turbulence with that kind of wind?  Was going to go up today, but didn't feel like getting the snot beat out of me.  Winds were coming across the peaks at 45G60 knots.  Much worse up higher.

Brian

[XXX]

56 minutes ago, Skates97 said:

I'm still a brand new PPL and new to my Mooney. If I go a few weeks I feel rusty for the first little bit. I try to get out and fly at least once a week, even if it isn't going anywhere but just doing pattern work and working on landings (that is what I need to most work on anyway). I think that once you have 100's of hours you can go longer in between flying without feeling the rust as much, but just starting out there needs to be less time between outings  to keep from going backwards.

Skates, I have somewhere around 700 hours and I still feel the rust after 3-4 weeks. Mine plane has been down for 3 weeks for annual and I won't take a passenger until I've been up a time or two and feel confident. Maybe my rust is different than a lower time pilot, but still rust none the less.

[bonal]

Perhaps a couple of months just this winter.  Weather and family needs kept Snoopy in the hangar. But it's like when I used to race motorcycles and I'd get to the track and be watching the early practice sessions over the pit wall thinking I can't do this but as soon as I'd throw a leg over its oh yeah I got this. In the Mooney Once I'm in the left seat it all just falls into place. I do notice a bit of rust mostly in the landing but then I've had not so great landings when I've been flying regularly and some great ones after a long break from flying.

[bonal]

8 minutes ago, Chupacabra said:

Skates, I have somewhere around 700 hours and I still feel the rust after 3-4 weeks. Mine plane has been down for 3 weeks for annual and I won't take a passenger until I've been up a time or two and feel confident. Maybe my rust is different than a lower time pilot, but still rust none the less.

I won't take a passenger for a flight after the annual except the mech that worked on it post annual we are truly test pilots

[Skates97]

14 minutes ago, Chupacabra said:

Skates, I have somewhere around 700 hours and I still feel the rust after 3-4 weeks. Mine plane has been down for 3 weeks for annual and I won't take a passenger until I've been up a time or two and feel confident. Maybe my rust is different than a lower time pilot, but still rust none the less.

If it's been a couple weeks I'll get out and make a few turns around the pattern if I'm going to be flying anyone the next few days. 

[201er]

Maybe 2-3 months at most since I got my Mooney. Either due to bad winters or maintenance.

[Oscar Avalle]

Same, but I was posted to Germany for 4 years.  Jumped right back in with an instructor and was good to go.  Just like riding a bike....getting IFR current again took a little more work though. 
Brian

Brian, indeed I picked up the plane did my BFR and flew with an instructor from D.C. to Guatemala.
Oscar


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[MyNameIsNobody]

12 hours ago, flight2000 said:

How was the turbulence with that kind of wind?  Was going to go up today, but didn't feel like getting the snot beat out of me.  Winds were coming across the peaks at 45G60 knots.  Much worse up higher.

Brian

None to speak of.  Turbulence was over 22k in area.  IFR east and west of route.

[FloridaMan]

Two months while it was getting annualed after taking it offroading. 

[Sean S]

So far it has been no more than a month and only due to maintenance issues I was tending to.I sent out the DG compass for overhaul. The altimeter failed, and most recently my boost pump started leaking from the shaft seal. I do feel a little jittery if I go more than three weeks. I always take my time and do a thorough pre-flight and departure brief out loud to myself.

[Hector]

I try never to go more than two weeks without flying. Even if just to grab breakfast or lunch somewhere.