How often do you fly?

[PilotDerek]

Curious how often people fly? Only personal flights, not for business.

[PilotDerek]

I try and fly at least once a week but feel like I should be flying more often.

[Hector]

Trying to fly every week, but not always possible.

[TWinter]

Usually try for once a week minimum. Sometimes it gets pushed to once every 10 days. Try to do an hour minimum.

[jetdriven]

Try not to let your airplane sit for more than ten days, and I have a feeling running it for ten minutes on the ground one time between flights (if you are going to exceed ten days) is worth it. One time only, perhaps twice.

The lifter faces can develop rust in ten days, even with camguard. Spreading some oil around by running it a few minutes I feel can negate the downsided of excessive water in the oil from running on the ground.

[Seth]

I try to fly as much as I can personally. Sometimes it is only one time per week, sometimes I have to wait two or three. Lately, due to the Top Overhaul and then Annual, it's been less than I want. I feel the list above does not give a more varried range. Sometimes it's 2-3 times per week, other times its 1 time per week. So 1-3 would have been a better choice for me.

Most of my business flights are very pleasurable, but it's still business and thus I can't count it in your survey.

-Seth

[Seth]

Try not to let your airplane sit for more than ten days, and I have a feeling running it for ten minutes on the ground one time between flights (if you are going to exceed ten days) is worth it. One time only, perhaps twice.

The lifter faces can develop rust in ten days, even with camguard. Spreading some oil around by running it a few minutes I feel can negate the downsided of excessive water in the oil from running on the ground.

I happen to agree - and it kills me that my engine sat so long during the Top OH due to the cracked cylinder and then cylinder replacement when I had it flying every week since I picked it up after the full overhaul last year.

I would agree, run it EVERY week if possible, even if just on the ground, but do try to get her in the air if you can. I absolutely hate it when she sits there not moving for two weeks. Rarely happens.

-Seth

[AndyFromCB]

Never, I drive to the bank to deposit money that my mechanic then spends on whores and whiskey and bandwidth to send me updated photos of my airplane.

But seriously, I fly once a month with an instructor, usually 3 approaches to min or less with full stops. I find missed approaches pointless, you've done one, you've done them all. The transition from 120 at 200 feet to 75 over the fence is what requires practice.

Then whatever trips my schedule demands. So a lot of Kcbf-kdsm, Kcbf-kfar between offices, kcbf-kdec, all and all about 200 hours per year. About 6 trips to the mountains per year. About 6 trips to Chicago area too.

So I'd say about 24 personal flights per year. But I actually don't like flying that much, for me it's a means to an end.

[jetdriven]

Andrew, missed approaches are one of the most hazardous parts of an IFR flight. That said, they are rare, and the accidents are usually the result of staring at an iPad reading it like a cookbook. You gotta have the MDA or DH, and the missed approach prodecure memorized.

[AndyFromCB]

Andrew, missed approaches are one of the most hazardous parts of an IFR flight. That said, they are rare, and the accidents are usually the result of staring at an iPad reading it like a cookbook. You gotta have the MDA or DH, and the missed approach prodecure memorized.

Byron,

Yes and no, I am by nature kind of a digital/aspbergers child, seriously, I could have passed my ifr checkride at 5 hours. I spent the next 35 hours burning time between Omaha and Denver and chicago taking on the radio and dealing with the endless icing and thunderstorm that midwest is.I am not however a natural flyer so once off instruments like last 200 feet, that's where I need practice. Missed approaches I can fly all that long, needles and charts speak to me ;-) I memorize the whole plate looking at it once. ifr flying is just like playing a video game or programming one. Supposedly my autopilot will work again after this annual so we'll see if I get lazy again. I will never be an air show pilot, I simply do not have that level of feel/connection with my airplane. My basic flying skills always seem to need practice, it's not that I'm unsafe but I am by the numbers flyer. So I need a lot of practice in windy conditions so I always pick my training days to where it's blowing. One nice thing about Iowa, they are not hard to find. My basic private took close to 85 hours, my ifr I passed at 40.3.

Also, I fly my approaches flaps less at 120 so missed approach is nothing more but mixture/power/10 degree pitch up. I make th hardest part the easiest.

Andy

[HopePilot]

My understanding is that running the engine on the ground can be harmful as the act of combustion creates moisture. If you don't run it hot enough to burn that moisture you are doing more harm than good. Am I wrong?

[jetdriven]

My understanding is that running the engine on the ground can be harmful as the act of combustion creates moisture. If you don't run it hot enough to burn that moisture you are doing more harm than good. Am I wrong?

My theory is that spreading some new oil on the cylinders and cam/lifters after ten days offsets the wear caused by a cold start. After 90 seconds, everything is coated well and I would proably shut it down then.

Doing this more than 2 times in a row probably crosses the line between harm and good, because running an engine on the ground does add moisture to the oil. However, corrosion caused by disuse appears to be more of a problem than moisture in the oil caused by running it on the ground. I would keep the ground run short, it is only to distribute oil, not to warm up or do anything else.

As soon as possible, I would fly the plane a minimum of 20 minutes to dry the oil out.

[HopePilot]

What about turning the prop a couple times? Would that spread some oil without combustion?

[jetdriven]

I agree with the general consensus that it scrapes the oil from the cylinders and does nothing to lube the cam and lifters. You might could turn the prop two full revolutions and get some oil smeared on the cam and lifters, a week after the last run, but that's not a safe bet.

Lycoming SL180B says: "Pulling engines through by hand when the aircraft is not run or flown for a week or so is not

recommended. Pulling the engine through by hand prior to start or to minimize rust and corrosion does more

harm than good. The cylinder walls, piston, rings, cam and cam follower only receive splash and vapor

lubrication. When the prop is pulled through by hand, the rings wipe oil from cylinder walls. The cam load

created by the valve train wipes oil off the cam and followers. After two or three times of pulling the engine

through by hand without engine starts, the cylinders, cam and followers are left without a proper oil film.

Starting engines without proper lubrication can cause scuffing and scoring of parts resulting in excessive

wear."

[jetdriven]

Never, I drive to the bank to deposit money that my mechanic then spends on whores and whiskey and bandwidth to send me updated photos of my airplane.

...and all the rest of the money he wasted...

[PilotDerek]

Wow, I am actually surprised at the results thus far. I assumed many of you flew more often. I'm thinking that I should have added a second question: how often do you use your plane for buisness each week?

[Parker_Woodruff]

I fly on business about 1-2 times per month. I fly for personal flights at least once per week, but generally 2 times per week.

A lot of x/c flying, that's for sure!

[aviatoreb]

Wow, I am actually surprised at the results thus far. I assumed many of you flew more often. I'm thinking that I should have added a second question: how often do you use your plane for buisness each week?

Well - maybe I exaggerated a bit - I answered "2-3" since usually it is 2 and sometimes 3. But sometimes it is 1. And 2 or 3 times a year it gets bit longer. Like annual, or sometimes in the winter a combination of a long stretch of bad weather and work schedule together make it longer. Once last year we lost our runway for 2.5 weeks to thick ice despite the plow guy's best efforts and that made for 3 weeks on the ground for me. And right now I am at 13 days looking like 15 days - in the shop - since I needed to have my cowl flap fixed and that tiny cable/part had to wait for thanksgiving to get through the cable-shop in Kansas work queue.

Each time it sits on the ground for more than a week I start thinking about my engine corroding and I hate it. I call those "its been a week so I gotta fly it" trips where I am flying it just to keep it flying and I have no place in particular to go - I call them "walking the dog". Plane needs to fly, and I need to fly to keep current, and darned but I love the excuse that makes me do it since if it weren't for those two things then I might fly once per month sometimes because of the expense. But these two factors allow me to overcome the worry about spending money needlessly and enjoy more often the activity I enjoy so much - because its good for the plane!

Byron, I have often thought about the ground run thing. I am in the don't ground run it camp - but not firmly. Maybe the trick would be to ground run it at least by 10 days but also use an aggressive dehydrator system?

[Bennett]

I try to fly once a week, but this is not a rule for me. It does average out to about 20 - 30 fights per year. - mostly under 2 hours each way, with a couple of considerably longer multi state trips.

[Hank]

I have two answers: every chance I get, and not often enough.

My company specifically prohibits business travel by private plane. It is what it is, though.

So ALL of my flying is personal. That, though, is why I bought the plane. My parents are 6 hours away, and my inlaws are 8, when traveling by car; my Mooney takes me there in 1:20 and 2:00, so I can feel better about job-related relocation and still being able to get down to them if necessary. We can now visit on a regular weekend, leaving after work on Friday and coming home Sunday afternoon/evening. Can't drive it like that!

[Seth]

I have two answers: every chance I get, and not often enough.

Great answer. I used to be able to fly on company busienss but that is not allowed any longer through my salaried position. All my business flights are my own firm 10-99 income flights. I have a salaried position and also have my own firm where I am the boss.

-Seth

[Seth]

My understanding is that running the engine on the ground can be harmful as the act of combustion creates moisture. If you don't run it hot enough to burn that moisture you are doing more harm than good. Am I wrong?

You are correct - however, as noted, it is my understanding that it is better to keep the inside of the engine coated with oil to stop corrosion. In order to get moisture out of the oil, you need to run it around 180 degrees (oil) for an extended period of time. This is what I have been told. Unfortunatly, my oil tends to run in teh 160 to 170 degree range often. The extended period of time means once it's hot for around an hour, but I'm sure 40 mintues is probably just fine. Maybe even 20 as suggested by an earlier post. I try to make the extended time go for between 40 and 60 minutes. However, sometime it is less than that.

-Seth

[aviatoreb]

You are correct - however, as noted, it is my understanding that it is better to keep the inside of the engine coated with oil to stop corrosion. In order to get moisture out of the oil, you need to run it around 180 degrees (oil) for an extended period of time. This is what I have been told. Unfortunatly, my oil tends to run in teh 160 to 170 degree range often. The extended period of time means once it's hot for around an hour, but I'm sure 40 mintues is probably just fine. Maybe even 20 as suggested by an earlier post. I try to make the extended time go for between 40 and 60 minutes. However, sometime it is less than that.

-Seth

Seth, The gotcha as I see it is that on descent it is essentially impossible to keep my oil up near 180 as power settings are somewhat lower during descent but speeds are still relatively high. So it is common even after a long flight that there are a few dabbles of water on the dip stick which I presume comes from the last 10-15 min of flying.

[fantom]

Flying is a bit like $ex, I think.....

I don't do it as often as I'd like to, all costs considered it's expensive, I talk about it more than I do it, I think about it all the time, I believe I'm better at it than I probably am, when I get the chance it sometimes doesn't last as long as I would like, there are lots of debatable techniques, there is only one person plane I do it with, even having done it for a long time I never take it for granted....I could go on and on

[aviatoreb]

Flying is a bit like $ex, I think.....

I don't do it as often as I'd like to, all costs considered it's expensive, I talk about it more than I do it, I think about it all the time, I believe I'm better at it than I probably am, when I get the chance it sometimes doesn't last as long as I would like, there are lots of debatable techniques, there is only one person plane I do it with, even having done it for a long time I never take it for granted....I could go on and on

Hahha -

Okay here is the litmus test:

1) Do you think about sex when you are flying your airplane?

2) Do you think about flying your airplane during sex?