Flying fatigue with maybe a dash of seasonal melancholy

[ArrowFlyer86]

A total rant - but I'm going to do it anyways.

Been planning a trip back to Phoenix for a bit now, and the past 2 days I've kicked it into high gear to prepare for the trip. Went to bed early last night and this morning I woke up at 5am to get started. Fully caffeinated by 545 and ready to go with a 730am departure figured into my plan. Weather brief and routing completely done - 100% packed, outfitted and ready to rock. Everything's on schedule.

Then for some reason only known to my unconscious, I had the urge to just stop and take a few minutes and catch up on emails and check the headlines briefly before I roll out. Almost without my noticing an hour went by, and with it so did the excitement and motivation to embark on the journey. Now it's ~10am and I'm on Google Flights looking to buy an AAL ticket out there for a cpl days from now. The cost isn't that much less than what I'd pay if I flew myself since I'm booking it last minute.

The thing is, I love the scenery out west and it's the absolute best time I have flying. Nothing else comes close. And this time especially since my friend really wants to fly to Sedona and LV (he was too scared of flyin' last time). But I'm finding that even *contemplating* minor *potential* inconveniences are enough to get me to throw in the towel now.

<Fast forward 2 months and I can say confidently this was a temporary thing... Feel stupid for even having complained in the first place...>

 

[Zeldman]

The thing is, I love the scenery out west

Yeah, I kinda enjoy the scenery out here myself. Came here with the intention to stay a year and haven't left yet.

18 years so far.!!

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

Yeah, I kinda enjoy the scenery out here myself. Came here with the intention to stay a year and haven't left yet.

18 years so far.!!

So jealous.
I gotta fly like 500nm in any direction to get to anything neat*
(*excluding Lake MI and the UP, which are scenic in their own rights).
EDIT: And Gaston's... b/c I really like that place. That's not TOO far.

 

[Racerx]

Yeah, I kinda enjoy the scenery out here myself. Came here with the intention to stay a year and haven't left yet.

18 years so far.!!

You will have company in the Land of Enchantment. Been looking at property more and more seriously lately. New Mexico is really under rated when it comes to southwestern states.

 

[Racerx]

So jealous.
I gotta fly like 500nm in any direction to get to anything neat*
(*excluding Lake MI and the UP, which are scenic in their own rights).

We got a mound west of Rockford....that doesn't count?

 

[Hengelo]

So jealous.
I gotta fly like 500nm in any direction to get to anything neat*
(*excluding Lake MI and the UP, which are scenic in their own rights).

I wouldn't beat yourself up about it too much. They call them seasons of our lives for a reason. Things change, priorities shift, and you can't be 100% stoked to fly 100% of the time. Maybe a trip to a really new place (Caribbean?) or with some new people is the ticket.

Check out http://www.volunteerpilots.net/ if you're looking for a new reason, and if that doesn't fill your sails, give yourself a break this fall and check in again when the skies are cold and dry

(edit for spelling)

 

[Zeldman]

So jealous.
I gotta fly like 500nm in any direction to get to anything neat*

A little better here. We gotta drive for hours to get anywhere...

 

[Zeldman]

You will have company in the Land of Enchantment. Been looking at property more and more seriously lately.

What part of the state are you looking at.??

I am northwest in Gallup. Lot of sand and rocks, cedar and natives. The other week my wife woke me up at about 0215 saying a woman is screaming in the back yard. Turned out to be 2 foxes making whoopee in the field across the road. Foxes are noisy little critters, especially during mating season.

 

[TCABM]

…Then for some reason only known to my unconscious, I had the urge to just stop and take a few minutes and catch up on emails and check the headlines briefly before I roll out. …

Part of the reason when I’m driving the bus, the only ‘headlines’ I check before take off is weather and NOTAMs.

Media, as an industry, is about constantly capturing short attention spans. The technology behind that, short of a paper newspaper, is designed to reinforce feeding you content your short attention span is focused on.

Moving off the soapbox, miserable weather can make for miserable flying. We have a frontal passage forecast for Friday, right about the time I’m planning on taking off. The flight is 45mins, the drive is 2+15. Doesn’t tale much delay to equalize the time, so I’ll likely drive unless the Friday morning forecast and actual conditions support flying.

I also recognize there maybe periods I don’t fly as much…there is where missions give purpose and over the next few years, I expect to find new missions thru charitable organizations to motivate my flying. But I’m not going to lose any sleep if I ‘miss out’ on some flying in the near to mid future.

 

[Lon33]

I wouldn't beat yourself up about it too much. They call them seasons of our lives for a reason. Things change, priorities shift, and you can't be 100% stoked to fly 100% of the time.

This, I think, is the explanation for what you’re feeling.

Your post was not a “rant.” It was an honest and healthy acknowledgment of where you are right now.
All of us will give up flying some day. I ask myself not only when, but also “why.” The best answer, I think, is that enough of the joy has gone out of it so that other things have become more enjoyable.

 

[Racerx]

What part of the state are you looking at.??

I am northwest in Gallup. Lot of sand and rocks, cedar and natives. The other week my wife woke me up at about 0215 saying a woman is screaming in the back yard. Turned out to be 2 foxes making whoopee in the field across the road. Foxes are noisy little critters, especially during mating season.

The first time I went elk hunting was in unit 10. Stayed near Grants, but ventured up near Gallup one day. Ideally north central. Rio Arriba County...but I'm pretty open minded as long as it's the right parcel.

 

[brcase]

On the actual flying side of things -- I love challenges. But the only challenge I'm feeling these days is sustaining the motivation to pay for the occasional mx (like the $1800 tire/tube replacement last wk) and to work around weather and instructor scheduling headaches. As we go into winter where wx factors only get worse in the midwest -- I'm developing an almost welcome feeling that I'll have an excuse not to fly. I guess so much of the flying aspect has just become such a rote process that it's not offering much in the way of mental stimulation and it's hard to get excited when I don't feel like I'm building new experiences.

I liked the volunteer pilots suggestion as well, having a mission can make flying a lot more enjoyable.

What you said above is why I Instruct and fly sailplanes. I have don't have that many places to go and when I do it rarely makes sense to take an airplane. I can't quite bring myself to pay $$$/hr to motor around in an airplane, I enjoy it but the $$$ part make it lose a lot of it's enjoyment for me.

So..
Instructing, I like instructing, which is not for everyone, but it means people pay me to fly and I get to learn and show them new and interesting things in a wide variety of aircraft.
It also supports my Soaring habit...

Flying the Glider is more of a social sport and has the challenge that the power plane just doesn't have... "Hey the weather looks good Saturday lets go fly" is the motivation for me to meet other pilots at the airport and go fly. "Hey the weather looks like we should be able do 100 mile out and return to the northwest", is the challenge. We even set up a few goal flights each year with trophies to achieve. It also helps that that $1800 tires for the power plane is only $180 on the glider. The $2400 Annual is only $240. Another draw is a glider tow costs between $60 and $150 depending on where and how high I tow, but as soon as I pull the release from the tow plane, the rest of the flight is free, it costs the same to do a 10 minute glide back to the airport as it does to start catching thermals and fly 300+ miles and/or for 7+ hours, using only my skill and reading of the weather, And since I am often flying with other pilots with similar goals I can compare my soaring performance to their's.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Take a break. Fog your cylinders and crankcase with storage oil.

Go out to your Phoenix friend and schedule 1-2 hours of glider or unusual attitude training while you’re there.

I’ve been working on my commercial certificate on and off. Keeps me excited and challenged.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I would think that maybe adding something challenging to the mix would help liven it up. Maybe some tailwheel time with tundra tires to explore the backcountry and refine your STOL skills. Glider work or even something with an open cockpit to get you out above the treetops instead of 6K'+ AGL.

 

[hindsight2020]

well, nothing like a blowded up engine to give you mx fatigue, ask me how I know. Between you and I, wouldn't mind the hassle as much it if my aircraft utilization was higher. But that's not the airplane's fault, that's my wif-- *cough* *cough* eh, life circumstances .

That said, a few years back I started getting a real bad case of AOG-aversion, and I haven't shaken that one off. I limped a flat nose strut across the Caribbean, and shudder at the thought of having been AOG in the bahamas. The cost of dealing with AOG chills a lot of my interest in GA traveling anymore. As I sit at home these days (with a noted apathy/lack of interest in prompt engine work by any of the contacted parties it seems), with more money but no free time to do anything with it, I often ponder what would have been been like if this engine situation had happened to me far away from home plate. Or worse, abroad. oof. Yeah ngl, that'd be a real walkaway moment from me.

Like others have said, it's an ebb and flow. We all quit at some point. Some come back, some not.

 

[Brad W]

.............. Where I used to have a lot of fun flying enroute, seeing new things, dropping into new airports and having an overnight stop in a new city, I've grown tired of visiting and overnighting in these featureless southern/midwestern towns, where the only constant seems to be a sense of economic malaise (or a pervasive sense of downright boredom). In the past I used to try and see the best of the cities and their unique characters, but now I'm finding that they're more depressing than anything. I used to chock it up to that just being part of the journey and the experience, but I've lost that almost completely. ..................

This rings true to me. I call it "anywhere's-ville" I used to travel a lot for work, papermill towns mostly. I get burned out of visiting those little towns. Sure there are good people in most all of them, and gems to see and do...but there's a lot of the "same-old" too.

More recently, about 10 years ago, we got a small motorhome. Mostly regional weekend and long weekend type trips in it just because of the lack of time. A couple week long trips up to the Mts in NC and area.... We used to dream about getting a biiger RV and travelling more when we retire...not full timing in the motorhome maybe, but a few months out maybe... Actually I was in the full timer camp, but DW wants the anchor of a house to pull us back (and in my eyes hold us back from going further).

We did take couple trips out West though, from FL (San Antonio and another out to the Grand Canyon). I hear you about out West, the wide open spaces are something I'm jealous of... oh, and hills.. Here in FL I have to go so far to see a hill.... ugh.

Anyway, the bit of RV travel we've done has made me realize that a vast majority of the time spent on the road is passing through "anywhere's-ville", over and over..... yep there's a wal-mart...and a strip mall.... and the same fast food joints...

For me as a rusty pilot... the thing I miss most about flying was the extended radius of travel options. There's only so many places you can go by car for a two day weekend. The options open way up in theory anyway, when the radius doubles or triples in size.

And I guess I get it about the flying side malaise too.... flying without a purpose isn't as much fun for me. Like @brcase mentioned.... hard to justify the price...and not nearly as exciting either, if travelling alone &/or with no purpose. I was on track thinking I'd do exactly like he did a bunch of years ago...instruct kinda for fun....thought part time instructor would give me a purpose to fly...but a job change and move derailed that.

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

Maybe that's why I've bought a different plane every year since I got my license lol. I kind of feel the same way every now and then but then once airborne, I'm always happy I am airborne. Also, last time I couldn't fly my mission due to weather I ended up driving, which was the first time in like two years where I went on a long road trip, instead of taking the plane and I instantly was reminded how much I hate driving long distance and how stupid people behind steering wheels are. Same goes for the airlines - every now and then I have to go places by commercial plane and hate it. I'd rather fly my plane for 8 hours than to be on a commercial jet for 2 hours.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

I appreciate all the suggestions and related thoughts folks.

Going back and reading my post it's overly doom and gloom. It's not all bad and I do genuinely enjoy flying, and it's not something I'm going to give up. I think I'm close to if not past 170h since April, and this is the year I've flown the most. So the trajectory has been upward. I think the melancholy tone was just that I'm disappointed in myself that I backed out of this XC at the last second, and I let silly inconveniences get in my way. I looked at some nasty headwinds and some weather I'd have to navigate around combined with 1-2 overnight stays somewhere and concluded it was too much to deal with.

I didn't mean to overly beat up on the Midwest or small towns and whatnot. But I do feel like what @Brad W is saying is the feeling I get -- all the towns kinda run together and stop being exciting to visit. Every one seems to have the same issue - lack of Ubers, no onsite rentals and a lack of a courtesy car overnight. I'm just stuck at a Holiday Inn waiting for the earliest possibility to takeoff. It just adds headache when traveling. It makes travel there more of a chore than an enjoyable new experience.

Of course - lots of nice people, no doubt... Just not the easiest places to get excited about for all the above reasons.

Also, by pure chance, Google photos reminded me that I got my license 3y ago today. I checked my license and yeah, that's accurate. That was a funny coincidence. I couldn't have a post like this be my 3 year flying anniversary so I took the arrow up for a bit before some storms come through in a few hours. Just landed. Feeling better already. Caught a bit of turbulence from the incoming warm front which gave me some brief reminders of the excitement in flying (though perhaps not the ones we want everyday)

Once I'm back from PHX I'll set up some time to come up with more deliberate XCs instead of my normal going-anywhere-is-fine mentality. Having a mission to get somewhere rather than flying for flyings sake will probably help quite a bit.

Also @hindsight2020 - In retrospect I felt bad writing this post given the stuff you got going on w/the engine and here I was ****ing about tires and tubes mx -- and wanting to get my second wind for flying... I'm sorry, I know by comparison mine is just a bunch of whining!

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

Maybe that's why I've bought a different plane every year since I got my license lol. I kind of feel the same way every now and then but then once airborne, I'm always happy I am airborne. Also, last time I couldn't fly my mission due to weather I ended up driving, which was the first time in like two years where I went on a long road trip, instead of taking the plane and I instantly was reminded how much I hate driving long distance and how stupid people behind steering wheels are. Same goes for the airlines - every now and then I have to go places by commercial plane and hate it. I'd rather fly my plane for 8 hours than to be on a commercial jet for 2 hours.

I've thought about this a lot over the last 6 months. I have a daily routine of checking TAP and sometimes I can't tell if I'm suffering from gear acquisition syndrome [G.A.S]. Thinking that "oh boy, if I had a shiny new toy that would fix everything!". To be fair: there's times where I'm sure I'd be absolutely thrilled to hop into some of the planes and it would fix everything for a while

And I'm largely the same, I prefer to fly myself rather than be transported on a jet even if the jet gets me there in 1/3 the time. Usually because the commercial travel involved a couple hours of me just staring at the tray table in front of me wondering why I didn't fly myself

 

[schmookeeg]

I participate in online aviation fora to whine and read other whinings. GA is one continuous kick in the bonch, punctuated by occasional moments of terror and also-occasional exhilarations. Without a place to vent about it all, I think we'd explode

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

I've thought about this a lot over the last 6 months. I have a daily routine of checking TAP and sometimes I can't tell if I'm suffering from gear acquisition syndrome [G.A.S]. Thinking that "oh boy, if I had a shiny new toy that would fix everything!". To be fair: there's times where I'm sure I'd be absolutely thrilled to hop into some of the planes and it would fix everything for a while

And I'm largely the same, I prefer to fly myself rather than be transported on a jet even if the jet gets me there in 1/3 the time. Usually because the commercial travel involved a couple hours of me just staring at the tray table in front of me wondering why I didn't fly myself

I really like the Comanche I now have so I hope I'm over buying a new plane on an annual basis. Maybe you can give me your G.A.S. - Sounds a lot cheaper than A.A.S. (Aircraft Acquisition Syndrome).

 

[Half Fast]

Here in FL I have to go so far to see a hill.... ugh.

I’ll let you know the next time the FAA (Florida Alpinist’s Association) organizes an assault on Mt Dora.

 

[TCABM]

I participate in online aviation fora to whine and read other whinings. GA is one continuous kick in the bonch, punctuated by occasional moments of terror and also-occasional exhilarations. Without a place to vent about it all, I think we'd explode

But it’s so enjoyable. There’s worse kinks to have.

 

[murphey]

You will have company in the Land of Enchantment. Been looking at property more and more seriously lately. New Mexico is really under rated when it comes to southwestern states.

I'm always happy that I live in the time zone the rest of the country/world forgets about.

 

[murphey]

Part of the reason when I’m driving the bus, the only ‘headlines’ I check before take off is weather and NOTAMs.

Media, as an industry, is about constantly capturing short attention spans. The technology behind that, short of a paper newspaper, is designed to reinforce feeding you content your short attention span is focused on.

Moving off the soapbox, miserable weather can make for miserable flying. We have a frontal passage forecast for Friday, right about the time I’m planning on taking off. The flight is 45mins, the drive is 2+15. Doesn’t tale much delay to equalize the time, so I’ll likely drive unless the Friday morning forecast and actual conditions support flying.

I also recognize there maybe periods I don’t fly as much…there is where missions give purpose and over the next few years, I expect to find new missions thru charitable organizations to motivate my flying. But I’m not going to lose any sleep if I ‘miss out’ on some flying in the near to mid future.

Yup....loaded up the cherokee on Saturday, ready to take off early on Thursday (Denver to Richfield, UT for the eclipse) ... 8 hrs driving, 4-5 hrs flying (I gotta go around the mountains)...whoops! high winds and snow around Vail pass. On Tuesday, I moved everything from the airplane to the car.

Just like the trip to OSH this summer - hail storms and bad weather, I drove instead. 3rd time. Never again.

 

[Racerx]

I appreciate all the suggestions and related thoughts folks.

Going back and reading my post it's overly doom and gloom. It's not all bad and I do genuinely enjoy flying, and it's not something I'm going to give up. I think I'm close to if not past 170h since April, and this is the year I've flown the most. So the trajectory has been upward. I think the melancholy tone was just that I'm disappointed in myself that I backed out of this XC at the last second, and I let silly inconveniences get in my way. I looked at some nasty headwinds and some weather I'd have to navigate around combined with 1-2 overnight stays somewhere and concluded it was too much to deal with.

I didn't mean to overly beat up on the Midwest or small towns and whatnot. But I do feel like what @Brad W is saying is the feeling I get -- all the towns kinda run together and stop being exciting to visit. Every one seems to have the same issue - lack of Ubers, no onsite rentals and a lack of a courtesy car overnight. I'm just stuck at a Holiday Inn waiting for the earliest possibility to takeoff. It just adds headache when traveling. It makes travel there more of a chore than an enjoyable new experience.

Of course - lots of nice people, no doubt... Just not the easiest places to get excited about for all the above reasons.

Also, by pure chance, Google photos reminded me that I got my license 3y ago today. I checked my license and yeah, that's accurate. That was a funny coincidence. I couldn't have a post like this be my 3 year flying anniversary so I took the arrow up for a bit before some storms come through in a few hours. Just landed. Feeling better already. Caught a bit of turbulence from the incoming warm front which gave me some brief reminders of the excitement in flying (though perhaps not the ones we want everyday)

Once I'm back from PHX I'll set up some time to come up with more deliberate XCs instead of my normal going-anywhere-is-fine mentality. Having a mission to get somewhere rather than flying for flyings sake will probably help quite a bit.

Also @hindsight2020 - In retrospect I felt bad writing this post given the stuff you got going on w/the engine and here I was ****ing about tires and tubes mx -- and wanting to get my second wind for flying... I'm sorry, I know by comparison mine is just a bunch of whining!

Maybe this is one of those cases where your subconscious was looking out for you. Prepare all you want for something, but sometimes when the time comes to actually do it your not up for full task. If you're not in the right headspace, sometimes we need a break from whatever it is we're doing.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

Maybe this is one of those cases where your subconscious was looking out for you. Prepare all you want for something, but sometimes when the time comes to actually do it your not up for full task. If you're not in the right headspace, sometimes we need a break from whatever it is we're doing.

That's actually a very, very good point.

 

[Zeldman]

Ideally north central. Rio Arriba County...

Really pretty area, that is if you like mountains, trees and a big lake with a river.

I remember trees, sorta...

 

[GMascelli]

I think at one time or another we all go through that cycle. Prior to my accident I was always in the air, post off airport adventure, I'm more laid back. I'm not as much into runs for breakfast as much as flying the mission. We love to travel so that's what I focus on. I'll admit that desire to be in the air as many days as I can has fizzled a bit and I have all the time to do it since I've been retired 8.5 years. Maybe with the cooler wx I'll gear up for more flights. Somehow insurance, annual and hangar cost dictate I get my butt in that left seat.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

All the money spent will do that to you to your motivation levels!

Also I had to re-read this line, at first I misread it as "I'll gear-up more flights"

Maybe with the cooler wx I'll gear up for more flights.

Hope you spend more time up in the skies!

 

[kaiser]

Solidarity brother. BTDT.

I bailed on my mission today as well. Though the overriding reason is how little sleep I got last night and contributing factors being the garbage weather here, having to punch through a dry line and big mountain winds waiting for me in Colorado - as well as my [real] job being relentless.

I'm going to try to salvage something for Sunday, just to run the hobbs for 6 to 9 hours and build time.

 

[charheep]

Se hobbs for 6 to 9 hours and build time.

Noice

 

[Kitch]

After you stand in line for the TSA guy to fondle you

Ride cattle class with a screaming kid behind you and a sick guy next to you

Stand at baggage claim for a suitcase that never shows up

Your lack of interest in flying yourself will be repaired in no time... hopefully just before your head is ready to explode

Kidding of course... sometimes you just don't "feel it" it happens. Do what works for you. There is no right or wrong answer.

 

[masloki]

I’ll just counter-point one point. Why do you stop in the any-ville towns? Finding spots like Gaston’s on every route is a nearly impossible task, but stringing together cities with services, rental/courtesy cars adds, what, 30 minutes flight time per day and some bucks in what is a spendy expedition? Skip flying in great circle routes and go to places worth stopping, IMO. Somehow I have friends and family sprinkled all over that all my trips have good stops.

 

[Terry M - 3CK (Chicago)]

@ArrowFlyer86 where are you based again? UGN? Maybe it was LOT?

Check out Gambit Aviation at ARR. spice it up.

I think, also, sometimes you're in a funk. Is this even worth it? I get there at least and my job creates so much stress.

I skip flights just to keep the peace elsewhere. Working on that.

 

[Pinecone]

Go ahead and fly commercial. By the time you deal with the traffic getting to the airport, parking, standing in line to check in, standing in line for security, sitting and waiting at the gate, boarding, getting into a middle seat with two former NFL linebackers on either side, who didn't shower, making the flight, waiting for your luggage and finally getting out to your destination, you will be WISHING you had flown.

 

[charheep]

Check out Gambit Aviation at ARR. spice it up.

I think, also, sometimes you're in a funk. Is this even worth it? I get there at least and my job creates so much stress.

I skip flights just to keep the peace elsewhere. Working on that.

Never heard of them, but that does look like fun!

 

[hindsight2020]

Anybody can pinch their nose for 2 hours. It's those 3-5 hour legs in narrowbody coach seats that give me flashbacks to SERE. And 1k+ per head for the privilege? Sorry granny, they have this thing called Whatsapp for a while now.