Any of you guy's ever think about hanging up this flying thing?

[Hank]

17 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

Trust me, if you head South from there before long your going North again. It’s different in Central Fl and REALLY different in S Fl.

Yep! By Orlando, the change is well underway. Lots of Yankees, they suddenly it turns to Central American and Cuban immigrants. 

[EricJ]

One of the reasons I started flying again about six years ago was that the hobby/passion/pastime at the time, auto racing, was starting to decline in my realm of interest.    I had noticed that I was no longer poring over technical data for setup, performance, etc., and that periodicals that I normally scanned regularly were just starting to accumulate unread.   Some rule changes at about the same time made my current car no longer competitive, and I just wasn't interested in going through the whole "build another car around the current rules" exercise.   I started showing up just for fun rather than to compete, and even after a couple of years of that I was continuing to lose interest.   I still have the car but haven't been to an event since lockdown started.

So it happens.   I suspect one day it'll happen to me for aviation, too, or it'll be forced by a medical issue or some other event that perturbs the ability to continue.   I'll actually prefer if I stop due to losing interest rather than having to stop for some reason while wanting to continue.

I would not advise forcing oneself to continue with something if the interest really isn't there.    Sometimes we hit bumps and it's just tough for a while, but sometimes it's really just worth taking the memories and moving on to something else.

[FlyingDude]

Who hasn't had too much cheesecake?

I respect your questioning and decision.  I do hope you stay among us.  But, if you decide to quit flying, please do not park the plane in the hangar to let it rot.  New planes are unaffordable to most.  They cost 3-4x what our planes used to cost in today's money.  So many young people want to join the ranks, but can't afford it...

Totally off-topic, but I sometimes think that there should be export taxes for planes older than x many years of age leaving US to disincentivize the shrinkage of the GA pool, and maybe the government should also disincentivize hangar queens (by maybe charging all of us a tax which we later get refunded if we've purchased x many gallons of fuel.)  Maybe that way people sell their hangar queens to people who want to fly them, before they rot and become too expensive to restore.  

But I do hope you stay and keep flying.

[MooneyMitch]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

 I'll actually prefer if I stop due to losing interest rather than having to stop for some reason while wanting to continue.

I would not advise forcing oneself to continue with something if the interest really isn't there.

Agree completely. 

I don't look forward to the days [closer and closer unfortunately] when I'm not able to do the things I love.  My other passionate interests are most fulling and keep me engaged.  My music is almost full time [all for fun these days] and my wonderful little 4 wheeled units thrill me constantly.  I'm more than lucky [so far ].

Keep on keepin' on doing the Mooney flying y'all!

[A64Pilot]

I’ve skated through several different hobbies, road racing motorcycles, cave diving, model airplanes, long range rifle shooting and re-loading, bicycling etc.

But flying has always been core, I guess maybe because its the way I’ve made my living my whole adult life, I put it on hold for awhile as we went cruising for a few years on our sailboat and I sold off just about everything, but kept the 140 because I knew I would come back to flying when we swallowed the anchor, which came a lot sooner than expected but that’s the way it is.

[cliffy]

Not quitting just scaling back. No more IFR didn't do enough of to stay current and 6 in 6 is not enough to stay current

Now day VFR only  After 60 years of this I don't need to be anywhere that important to go IFR or night SE anyway.

Just stopped doing all my own maintenance as the years have made me not as "bendable" as I used to be.  

Bought the Mooney 23 years ago and said when I drop below 50 hrs a year we sell it. Its not for sale yet BUT I did just put a

Dynon panel in it and should be able pick it up next week :-)

[GeeBee]

I've always said aviation is a "cruel mistress". She lures you in, she is so beautiful, she takes your money, makes you do things your mama warned you not to do, betray everything you thought was good and prudent. When she gets mad she might even cut you and laugh while you bleed but you find yourself in her bed again, and again because.....she is so damn good. 

[A64Pilot]

22 hours ago, FlyingDude said:

Who hasn't had too much cheesecake?

I respect your questioning and decision.  I do hope you stay among us.  But, if you decide to quit flying, please do not park the plane in the hangar to let it rot.  New planes are unaffordable to most.  They cost 3-4x what our planes used to cost in today's money.  So many young people want to join the ranks, but can't afford it...

Totally off-topic, but I sometimes think that there should be export taxes for planes older than x many years of age leaving US to disincentivize the shrinkage of the GA pool, and maybe the government should also disincentivize hangar queens (by maybe charging all of us a tax which we later get refunded if we've purchased x many gallons of fuel.)  Maybe that way people sell their hangar queens to people who want to fly them, before they rot and become too expensive to restore.  

But I do hope you stay and keep flying.

Trust me, you don’t want the government fixing anything you hold dear.

 

[A64Pilot]

3 hours ago, GeeBee said:

I've always said aviation is a "cruel mistress". She lures you in, she is so beautiful, she takes your money, makes you do things your mama warned you not to do, betray everything you thought was good and prudent. When she gets mad she might even cut you and laugh while you bleed but you find yourself in her bed again, and again because.....she is so damn good. 

I’ve heard it described as a lady of the evening to put it politely

”so much money, so little pleasure”

[T. Peterson]

22 hours ago, FlyingDude said:

Who hasn't had too much cheesecake?

I respect your questioning and decision.  I do hope you stay among us.  But, if you decide to quit flying, please do not park the plane in the hangar to let it rot.  New planes are unaffordable to most.  They cost 3-4x what our planes used to cost in today's money.  So many young people want to join the ranks, but can't afford it...

Totally off-topic, but I sometimes think that there should be export taxes for planes older than x many years of age leaving US to disincentivize the shrinkage of the GA pool, and maybe the government should also disincentivize hangar queens (by maybe charging all of us a tax which we later get refunded if we've purchased x many gallons of fuel.)  Maybe that way people sell their hangar queens to people who want to fly them, before they rot and become too expensive to restore.  

But I do hope you stay and keep flying.

Your sentiments about allowing an airplane to just rot away in the hangar are most likely shared by us all, but inviting the government to fix it with some tax or other is like getting in bed with a Cobra because you are mad at a mosquito. It is in the DNA of government to expand, tax and control. We should do everything in our power to limit their voracious appetite, not encourage it!

Torrey

[A64Pilot]

My Father told me years ago that the purpose of a Bureaucracy is to perpetuate the Bureaucracy. Its stated purpose is secondary to its continued growth and survival

[Fly Boomer]

2 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

I’ve heard it described as a lady of the evening to put it politely

”so much money, so little pleasure”

Somebody on this forum says he has heard his mistress whisper "Hey, Baby, come back when you've got more money."

[aviatoreb]

On 4/29/2022 at 2:32 PM, FlyingDude said:

Who hasn't had too much cheesecake?

I have not.

[rotorman]

Been at it continuously for 53 years. Yet each time I put the power to it, ease it off the runway and pull the gear up I marvel at how great it is.  Give it up?  Only when I have to.  

[Hank]

1 hour ago, rotorman said:

each time I put the power to it, ease it off the runway and pull the gear up I marvel at how great it is.  Give it up?  Only when I have to.  

Me, too, brother! My goal is to join the UFOs (United Flying Octogenarians). It may be in my little C, it may be in something slower with wheels welded down. We'll see . . . .

[steingar]

Right now it's starting to look like I'll have a couple partners in place by next month.  If that isn't the case I sell the Mooney and bail.

[A64Pilot]

We have two in our neighborhood that just hung it up, one flew a Carbon Cub and is 84, The other 80 ish and flew two Super cubs one on wheels, the other on straight floats, tows it to the lake with a 1940’s Willy’s Jeep

Edited May 3, 2022 by A64Pilot

[kortopates]

I am hoping to be a UFO too. One of our MAPA PPP instructors is 84 and going strong and you'd never even know he was an octogenarian versus a 60 yo. We had a much older long time instructor recently retire due to diminished mental faculties. But everybody is different as to when its time to cut back. Maybe I am optimistic, but barring things like Cancer, we can all work harder to maintain proficiency and health, to maximize our years. 

[skydvrboy]

On 4/28/2022 at 8:51 PM, nosky2high said:

I’ll never quit flying. However I’m predicting that insurance (already happening) and further government overreach will make certified GA pilot/owners performing IFR cross country missions out of reach for those of us in the normal pay scales.  

I think this is exactly what’s going to happen and then I’ll have to sell the Mooney. But with the proceeds I’ll buy a powered parachute or ultralight, launch from my front yard and have enough money left over for a lifetime of fuel and maintenance.  They won’t stop me from flying!

[cliffy]

I'm betting the gas price kills the light twin market and cuts flying hours by 50% yearly at least for the recreational flyer already behind the currency curve

With that look for accidents to go up in 2023 and 2024

[carusoam]

Healthy Cognitive function requires exercise…

Nothing better for brain exercise… than preparing to fly, and actually flying….

Discussing flying comes in a close third….   
 

So… when you have to give up the flying part… don’t give up the discussion part….

Go MS!

Best regards,

-a-

[T. Peterson]

1 hour ago, cliffy said:

I'm betting the gas price kills the light twin market and cuts flying hours by 50% yearly at least for the recreational flyer already behind the currency curve

With that look for accidents to go up in 2023 and 2024

I hope you are wrong, Cliffy, but I can’t fault your logic.

Torrey

[carusoam]

Some nice twins around my home drome stopped flying years ago…

Fuel price pretty much drains the excess cash from the wallet…. The 2X FF is a pretty steep hill to climb…

The killer… is the 2X OH….

 

We have discussed a lot of efficiency over the years…

Some days it is a nicety…

In tough economic times it is a must…

Mooneys hold their value better than twins… when they fly the same speed… 
 

Go Mooney!

Best regards,

-a-

[irishpilot]

In my weaker moments, especially after major unexpected aviation expenses, I daydream about going experimental.
 

I joined the dark side. Experimental is pretty awesome, but I do miss Mooneyspace!

Sent from my motorola one 5G ace using Tapatalk

[cliffy]

3 minutes ago, irishpilot said:

I joined the dark side. Experimental is pretty awesome, but I do miss Mooneyspace!

Sent from my motorola one 5G ace using Tapatalk
 

Heritic !!     :-)