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I haven't done any night flying since my training about six months ago. I want to reduce as many risks as possible, and flying in the dark is one that I'm able to eliminate. One pilot I really look up to thinks the same thing. He's an amazing guy who started flying in World War II and was a...

If you can make it to Greenville, Texas (KGVT, just east of Dallas and outside the Bravo), I'd be glad to drive you to and from the hotel. Send me a private message if you're interested.

No matter what form of transportation you choose, accident statistics are going to be skewed by the idiot factor. I wish there was a way to filter out the idiots from the stats to get a fairer picture. I do think both motorcycles and airplanes suffer because they attract a certain element of...

... the forecast switches from "sunny" to "monsoon." Jeez, I'm feeling ready to start on my instrument ticket. And I've barely been a pilot for a month! :)

Lost my lunch on the first 10+ flights. Every. Freakin'. Time. And the ginger didn't do a thing. But all's better now. Just a little bump in the road :)

Lunch for me and instructor on dual cross country. He's buying a celebration dinner now that I passed the checkride :)

I know a lot of aspiring student pilots ask how much it costs to get a license. And, of course, the answer is "it depends" because every student/plane/instructor is different. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I've been tracking my expenses down to the penny ever since starting my...

That's wonderful advice! Love that quote. And by calling myself a "miser," I don't mean I'd be inclined to defer maintenance. Didn't mean to mislead you. If I saw a problem, or if my A&P said something needs to be fixed, or if my plane needs an upgrade that will significantly improve safety...

Thanks for all the advice so far. I could save up to buy a six-seater within two years or less. I could afford to operate and maintain it, no problem. Heck, I could fit a twin in the budget if I really wanted to. But it's still a question of whether I WANT to spend that much money on my hobby...

OK, brace yourselves: here comes another "what plane should I buy" thread. Here's my situation: — I just got my PPL on Thursday. — I'm a member of an awesome flying club where I can rent a well-maintained, well-equipped Archer for $90/hour (GPS, autopilot, etc.) — I'm married with...

Buy an airplane, if I can convince my wife it's a good idea :) I'll start one of those dreaded "what plane should I buy" threads on the Flight Following board in a few minutes. Other than that, I want to enjoy my VFR ticket for about a year before starting instrument training. I'll fly myself...

Sure! He covered most (if not all) of the FAA's "areas of emphasis," or whatever they're called. 1. Positive aircraft control, 2. Positive exchange of the flight controls procedure, 3. Stall/spin awareness, 4. Collision avoidance, 5. Wake turbulence avoidance, 6. LAHSO, 7. Runway incursion...

My wife, but I don't know when. I'm flying to College Station solo on business Monday and Tuesday, and the weather isn't looking too cooperative before then. Speaking of which ... if anybody's been there, would you prefer Easterwood Field in College Station or the smaller Coulter Airfield in...

Thanks! I guess I should add a little more detail. My checkride went extremely well. I had a VERY bad flight with my instructor a couple of weeks ago that spooked me (not literally scary, just sloppy flying on my part ... making me feel like "I'll never get this down.") But the following flight...

Woo hoo!!! I'm a pilot!!!!

I think it's a bad idea to borrow money for an airplane. I've been in debt before — "responsible" debt, as some people here would describe it, not like up to my eyeballs or anything — and I don't like that feeling. It's a lifestyle choice, and I think life is much less stressful without having...

Ouch! That's a lot of cash! Of course, the Bay Area tends to distort reality a bit when it comes to prices :) That would be appalling out here in rural East Texas, but it doesn't seem too out of line for San Francisco, really. Every time I go there I wonder how folks can afford to live there...

Make that Nov. 20 :) Sorry! The prep work must be frying my brain.

Well, I've got my checkride scheduled for Oct. 20. The two-week wait is agonizing! I haven't been posting much on here lately, but my training has been going very well. Cross countries and night flights are all behind me now. I just need to polish up my shorts and softs and continue to study up...

Today was my long solo cross country flight! And it was pretty boring, at least as boring as FLYING A MACHINE IN THE SKY can be :) Weather was perfect. Prep work was thorough. I never got lost. I just flew from point to point in crystal clear visibility, which made it easy to see where I was on...