Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:17 pm
Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
It stopped me. Things are good enough now for me to go back to the FBO and continue. I haven't flown an airplane since September 20, 2009. Got my new medical late last summer and things are much better now; circumstances will allow me to go back to flying. I can't wait to get back up there.
Anybody else out there stop flying because of the poor economy?
TM.
It stopped me. Things are good enough now for me to go back to the FBO and continue. I haven't flown an airplane since September 20, 2009. Got my new medical late last summer and things are much better now; circumstances will allow me to go back to flying. I can't wait to get back up there.
Anybody else out there stop flying because of the poor economy?
TM.
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:01 pm
Yes. And sell my airplanes. And sports cars.
Chris...
Chris...
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:21 pm
As a flight instructor, I'd say that it's slowed a little, but it actually has been rather steady in my area, and seems to be picking up just a bit right now. There are plenty of people still able to afford it.
Ryan
Ryan
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Mon Feb 14, 2011 6:05 pm
cwmc wrote:Yes. And sell my airplanes. And sports cars.
Chris...
Yikes!!!!
Man, I am sorry. It's better to have owned an airplane and lost it than to never have owned one at all.
TonyM.
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:52 pm
I had thought about selling my Cessna 140 but it has a high time engine so even with the mods I have made to it I could not get anything for it. So I just kept flying it.
I bought the L 4 in August after things got better. And the thing is dirt cheap to fly..well as planes go.
I bought the L 4 in August after things got better. And the thing is dirt cheap to fly..well as planes go.
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:47 am
Yeah...the economy and the FAA.
Mudge the grounded
Mudge the grounded
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:31 pm
i can't even afford to get flight lessons 
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:53 pm
The economy has prevented me from getting a decent job...which has prevented me from buying and flying an aircraft.
I don't want to buy a plane until I can afford hangar, maintenance and insurance without worring about it.
I won't do flying on the cheap...
I don't want to buy a plane until I can afford hangar, maintenance and insurance without worring about it.
I won't do flying on the cheap...
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:35 pm
The economy has certainly affected most flying, perhaps not for all.
I have found that I am spending far less money on skiing and ski equiptment than before. For those who have not done it, skiing is one of the most fun things there is. I don't mean just floundering around for a few days, but actually taking a little time and learning to ski, something foreign to most Texans. Normal recreational skiing is a kick, the scenery it often beautiful for instance, but the real fun to me is ski racing. I would equate racing with being able to fly a warbird, it is the most fun, and in some ways more demanding part of skiing. And for a regualar person to be able to have a slope all to himself, with prepared snow, no one in his way for that run and to go all out if he choses and can, is a special thing.
Anyway, partly due to a sensitve knee and partly not being so young anymore, I don't race now. If I still could it would be hard to give up. But as for regular skiing, I have cut back on the expense of that and while I still enjoy skiing, I think I would find it harder to give up flying. At this stage I am a better pilot that a ski racer, the former mostly takes mental abilty and doesn't requie good knees.
So, I am still flying some, mostly my Bonanza and some gliders. It is not warbird flying, but I appreciate it for what it is. I sure miss my Spitifre, etc. time and hope to do more one of these days. Man I am glad I still can do some flying. I also enjoy just hanging out at the airport and watching others fly and talking to folks. The Boulder airport is still a friendly place to do that, it hasn't been ruined by jets and TSA zealots or cell phone phoneys.
And I may try to finish my CFI this Spring. I feel like may have learned some things over 30 years of flying that I might be able to pass on and help someone starting out. That is, of course if I can find some new folks interested in Merlins and real airplanes and not just G1000 glass cockpits, like in the trainers here which I woudl know nothing about.
I have found that I am spending far less money on skiing and ski equiptment than before. For those who have not done it, skiing is one of the most fun things there is. I don't mean just floundering around for a few days, but actually taking a little time and learning to ski, something foreign to most Texans. Normal recreational skiing is a kick, the scenery it often beautiful for instance, but the real fun to me is ski racing. I would equate racing with being able to fly a warbird, it is the most fun, and in some ways more demanding part of skiing. And for a regualar person to be able to have a slope all to himself, with prepared snow, no one in his way for that run and to go all out if he choses and can, is a special thing.
Anyway, partly due to a sensitve knee and partly not being so young anymore, I don't race now. If I still could it would be hard to give up. But as for regular skiing, I have cut back on the expense of that and while I still enjoy skiing, I think I would find it harder to give up flying. At this stage I am a better pilot that a ski racer, the former mostly takes mental abilty and doesn't requie good knees.
So, I am still flying some, mostly my Bonanza and some gliders. It is not warbird flying, but I appreciate it for what it is. I sure miss my Spitifre, etc. time and hope to do more one of these days. Man I am glad I still can do some flying. I also enjoy just hanging out at the airport and watching others fly and talking to folks. The Boulder airport is still a friendly place to do that, it hasn't been ruined by jets and TSA zealots or cell phone phoneys.
And I may try to finish my CFI this Spring. I feel like may have learned some things over 30 years of flying that I might be able to pass on and help someone starting out. That is, of course if I can find some new folks interested in Merlins and real airplanes and not just G1000 glass cockpits, like in the trainers here which I woudl know nothing about.
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:02 pm
Bill Greenwood wrote:And I may try to finish my CFI this Spring. I feel like may have learned some things over 30 years of flying that I might be able to pass on and help someone starting out. That is, of course if I can find some new folks interested in Merlins and real airplanes and not just G1000 glass cockpits, like in the trainers here which I woudl know nothing about.
Now that would take some real money. I imagine there are lots of pilots who would like to do that, but would be short of the cash to feed a Merlin. I wish...
Ryan
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:40 pm
Ryan, there are things that I think I have learned over the years that might be used to some pilots. It is not just Merlins, but the side of flying that is related to fun, just like you are. For the guys who aspires to a Cub or T-6 or B-25 or something fun and perhaps performance oriented, This may be someone who has just bought a Spitfire or Mustang or T-6, etc. or even thinking about starting flying in gliders or Cubs. Just not the guys who are starry eyed by lot's of gadgets in the cockpit of some plane and are more into that than what the plane will really do. If you want to fly corporate jets or play simulator games then I am not that knowledgeable, others may be better.
I was reading on another place, Osh 365, and a student was asking about getting a "high performance " rating. I was definitely in the minority, talking about a T-6, or at least a retract Mooney or Bonanza. Know what the concensus was, a C-182. Their point was that , BY DEFINITION OF THE REGS, a 182 is considered high performance. So the guy went that way, he spent $500 getting checked out in 182. He doesn't know anything about retractible gear,can't rent one, has probably never been over 150mph, but his log book is now signed off as 'HIGH PERFORMANCE". If that is all you want, I may not be the best CFI, but for the guy who wants to get into flying
warbirds and airshows, I think I might have somethings to offfer.
Sure money will help, but it is not all money. If I lived in Oshkosh or Chino orFlorida some such, I think I could get involved in some fun planes even if I was only helping as a volunteer and not an owner.
I was reading on another place, Osh 365, and a student was asking about getting a "high performance " rating. I was definitely in the minority, talking about a T-6, or at least a retract Mooney or Bonanza. Know what the concensus was, a C-182. Their point was that , BY DEFINITION OF THE REGS, a 182 is considered high performance. So the guy went that way, he spent $500 getting checked out in 182. He doesn't know anything about retractible gear,can't rent one, has probably never been over 150mph, but his log book is now signed off as 'HIGH PERFORMANCE". If that is all you want, I may not be the best CFI, but for the guy who wants to get into flying
warbirds and airshows, I think I might have somethings to offfer.
Sure money will help, but it is not all money. If I lived in Oshkosh or Chino orFlorida some such, I think I could get involved in some fun planes even if I was only helping as a volunteer and not an owner.
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:43 pm
We just got the numbers here for traffic over the last three years. It has been slowly going upward again. I hope the trend continues.
aw jeez renting a 172 is only $175.00 an hour...
Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:22 pm
...with a two hour minimum. .....er.....wait a minute renting a 172...350.00 minimum.....yikes! 
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:46 pm
Bill Greenwood wrote:Ryan, there are things that I think I have learned over the years that might be used to some pilots. It is not just Merlins, but the side of flying that is related to fun, just like you are. For the guys who aspires to a Cub or T-6 or B-25 or something fun and perhaps performance oriented, This may be someone who has just bought a Spitfire or Mustang or T-6, etc. or even thinking about starting flying in gliders or Cubs. Just not the guys who are starry eyed by lot's of gadgets in the cockpit of some plane and are more into that than what the plane will really do. If you want to fly corporate jets or play simulator games then I am not that knowledgeable, others may be better.
I was reading on another place, Osh 365, and a student was asking about getting a "high performance " rating. I was definitely in the minority, talking about a T-6, or at least a retract Mooney or Bonanza. Know what the concensus was, a C-182. Their point was that , BY DEFINITION OF THE REGS, a 182 is considered high performance. So the guy went that way, he spent $500 getting checked out in 182. He doesn't know anything about retractible gear,can't rent one, has probably never been over 150mph, but his log book is now signed off as 'HIGH PERFORMANCE". If that is all you want, I may not be the best CFI, but for the guy who wants to get into flying
warbirds and airshows, I think I might have somethings to offfer.
Sure money will help, but it is not all money. If I lived in Oshkosh or Chino orFlorida some such, I think I could get involved in some fun planes even if I was only helping as a volunteer and not an owner.
Bill,
Without a doubt, I agree.
Interestingly enough, I actually DID get my "High Performance" sign off in a 182 - but that was because it was necessary to ferry a 182, and I was getting to fly the plane for free, not because I was trying to cheat the system.
Ryan
Re: Did the poor economy stop you from flying?
Wed Feb 16, 2011 11:56 am
I'm not sure why you're getting caught up in the semantics. In any case, that's why there is a complex airplane endorsement. I would love to have gotten my complex endorsement in a T-6, but a Bonanza (actually a Debonair) was it.
The high performance endorsement exists so pilots new to prop controls, hydraulic systems and higher gross weights don't wad airplanes or trash engines while looking for the runway they just overshot. It doesn't matter much what the FAA calls it, but new pilots do typically need transition training.
Bill, if you're ever in Northern California with a T-6, I would love to get some time in the airplane with you whether you are a CFI or not.
Tim
The high performance endorsement exists so pilots new to prop controls, hydraulic systems and higher gross weights don't wad airplanes or trash engines while looking for the runway they just overshot. It doesn't matter much what the FAA calls it, but new pilots do typically need transition training.
Bill, if you're ever in Northern California with a T-6, I would love to get some time in the airplane with you whether you are a CFI or not.
Tim
Bill Greenwood wrote:I was reading on another place, Osh 365, and a student was asking about getting a "high performance " rating. I was definitely in the minority, talking about a T-6, or at least a retract Mooney or Bonanza. Know what the concensus was, a C-182. Their point was that , BY DEFINITION OF THE REGS, a 182 is considered high performance. So the guy went that way, he spent $500 getting checked out in 182. He doesn't know anything about retractible gear,can't rent one, has probably never been over 150mph, but his log book is now signed off as 'HIGH PERFORMANCE".