Do you still fly for fun?

[Clocks]

I would go up to stay current, etc, while on furlough, but I'm not going to spend the cash right now, and none of my buddies live near me so no easy excuses to go right seat with someone.

Honestly, unless I hit the lottery, the only flying I'll be doing until I get called back to xjet will be a few refresher flights and a couple of approaches.

 

[KLB]

I went up with Frogflyer a couple of months ago in a 172. It was the first time that I had touched the control of something single engine in 2 years. I was happy to resign the duties of captain to him!

Fyling single pilot 135 has allowed me the pleasures of getting a lot of stick time. Of course I fly the aircraft according to my companies SOP though. But there still is a lot of fun to be had. For instance, I can hand fly my approaches to minimums in marginal to poor weather and theres no one to complain if I have to do what I have to do to make it work out. (By that I mean that if theres a bad vector and atc leaves me high and tight....I can pull the power to idle, bank, and dive to make the intercept.)

 

[JaceTheAce]

I would if I was paid enough to afford a $75/hr C172 rental.

 

[NC_BE300]

I still doing some flying for fun in a Cessna 152, when i'm not working on the CRJ.

Like someone else said....its just nice for a change of pace, and to enjoy the view. It may not fly all that fast....but still fun to do.

Its fun taking up my friends & non-flyers too,for them it re-defines "small plane" in their mind.....and they dont complain about any "express/connection" sized airframes anymore.

haha.

Has been a long time since i've done a $100 hamburger though. Back in the college days, i did that a few times every couple of months....but in that time i was so busy with classes-i was also doing it to barely stay current.

 

[Polar742]

T-cart, back in the old days (before my time) you had to have AG time. Now, as you know, finding Ag guys is next to impossible. I must get 2 resume's a week, and so far in the past year, only one guy had any AG time, but 0 ME time. We are the only heavy operator that uses an all turbine fleet. The other two ops use round engines (P-2s). Four of my Captains have no AG time. Two still actively spray in the off season. It's kind of a mixed bag, you want someone with low level experience, but you also need to have multi-crew experience and multi engine time. A tough mix. The progression from FO to Captain is extremely slow. On average a guy is here for at least 5 seasons before even considering putting him in the Captain syllabus. That syllabus takes up to two years, over 100 drops, and 100 hours of low level aerial application time.
So with the long time in the right seat, and the fact that many of our Captains have been doing this for 20+ years, but have relatively low Instrument time, sometimes having a guy with lots of CRM experience, Instrument ME time is good too.

Clear as mud?

You'd get my resume across your desk if the wife was down with the job. I was all about trying to breach into that work, my wife was supportive. She bought me a photo book of firefighters, and asked about the cuffs riveted to the props. I told her what I thought they were for.

That was the end of that.

Back on topic. I would if I could afford it, and if I could understand all the regs now with the TFRs and whatnot....

 

[Cessna414JJB]

Ever since becoming a Commercial Pilot, I have not spend a single minute in an aircraft just to go poking holes in the sky for the fun of it. I wish I could though. :drool:

 

[PaulRix]

It's been about two and a half years since I flew a 172 and that was to give an experience flight (ride). I passed my COMSEL in 2004 and haven't paid to fly since then. I do enjoy the flying I get paid for though.

 

[ShyFlyer]

I ran out of money for renting at about the same time the FBO I went to ran out of money for staying in business. That was May (?) 2007 and I haven't feel quite right since. :crazy:

It was magical how all the stress and aggravation built up over the course of a week melted the moment I started my pre-flight...

 

[jrh]

*Still* fly for fun? Heck, I never *stopped* flying for fun!

Been flying for 6 years, professionally for 4, biggest thing I've flown is an Aztec, and I love it. When I'm not teaching (flying for work) you might find me in my plane practicing touch and goes, taking friends for rides, going to fly-ins, visiting family in nearby states, or any combination of those activities at the same time.

"Living the dream" has nothing to do with turbine equipment, at least in my mind, at least not yet.

 

[BillH]

I fly the little stuff on average, 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. For me, flying for fun entails something OTHER than a C172 or pa28. I loved the CJ1 and C402, and can never forget the B757 level D sim. I go to Key West some times, you know you are over dosed when you find the moped much more fun than the airplane.

 

[AviatorGator]

Great question. I do; not quite as much as I like to anymore, but I can still get away from the Citations and jump in the company 210 or 310 and take them for a spin. I've also got a few contacts on the field that let me borrow an airplane if I need or want it.

We also have a single pilot cargo job in a caravan I used to fly a bunch that I purposely stay on the schedule for once every three weeks or so. Obviously the name of the game there is safety and efficiency but it can be a nice change of pace; you get to be your own captain for a change (instead of a gear monkey) and you get to do things you can't do with passengers.

I'd have to look it up, but I don't think I've been in a 172 or a warrior since the summer.

 

[Firebird2XC]

I would, but I don't.

Who can afford nowadays?

 

[Douglas]

I am part 91/141, Flight instruction.
Every couple of months, I will go up with a friend or family member for 20 minutes. (I can afford any more).

Flight instruction is pretty fun flying, but I don't get to actually fly.


What I do for pure fun of flying, is flying a glider on the weekend. I am pre-solo!

 

[jrh]

I would, but I don't.

Who can afford nowadays?

It's all about priorities. A person could go have a fair amount of fun renting planes on the weekend at their local FBO for a couple grand a year. If you rent a 172 for $125/hr, you could fly half an hour every other weekend, year-round, for $2k/year. Or, I estimate about $25/hour for gas and oil for my plane, plus all the other things that come along with ownership.

But at the same time, I live in a relatively cheap neighborhood, drive an old pickup, and don't go out to eat very often. My plane and skydiving are really the only "luxuries" in my life, but I'm ok with that. I love it, plan for them, budget for them, and find it more worth it to do them than it would be to drive a nicer car or live in a nicer place.

 

[BillErvin]

I would, but I don't.

Who can afford nowadays?

Hey Charlie, Come on down to Eagles Nest and I'll let you fly the 150anic:

 

[meritflyer]

*Still* fly for fun? Heck, I never *stopped* flying for fun!

Been flying for 6 years, professionally for 4, biggest thing I've flown is an Aztec, and I love it. When I'm not teaching (flying for work) you might find me in my plane practicing touch and goes, taking friends for rides, going to fly-ins, visiting family in nearby states, or any combination of those activities at the same time.

"Living the dream" has nothing to do with turbine equipment, at least in my mind, at least not yet.

This has to be the best post I've ever read.

Will you be my new JC fling, jrh?

 

[jrh]

Will you be my new JC fling, jrh?

Hmmm...only if you're a hot chick. Which I'm fairly sure you're not.

Thanks for the offer though.

 

[BenWlson]

I don't get up in my Swift as much as I would like. But yes, I fly for fun besides flying the Citation for $$. (retired airline, etc)

I try to go fly the Swift at least once a month. I only just broke 50 hours tailwheel, so I still feel like I need at least that often just to stay current in my own mind.

 

[Orange Anchor]

I try to go fly the Swift at least once a month. I only just broke 50 hours tailwheel, so I still feel like I need at least that often just to stay current in my own mind.

I would agree and I watch carefully the winds, especially crosswinds. The Swift can be a handful. The field I fly out of has almost constant crosswinds and it is on a plateau which seems to add gusts. Makes for interesting pattern work.

What engine in yours? How long have you had your Swift? What year?

 

[surreal1221]

Nope.