Hard Getting Hours

bstratt

bstratt

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Canuck
Anybody else finding it difficult to get hours this winter?

Being restricted to weekends doesn't help. Was away in early December on vacation. Had one weekend before Xmas which was basically consumed with last minute Xmas shopping (although IIRC the weather wasn't great either). Then away for Xmas on the 22nd & 23rd. Back for the 29/30 but low clouds and snow. New Year's day we had one of the heaviest snow falls ever. Now this coming weekend (5th & 6th) is calling for heavy rain both days!

Geeez!:mad:
 
bstratt said:
Anybody else finding it difficult to get hours this winter?

Being restricted to weekends doesn't help. Was away in early December on vacation. Had one weekend before Xmas which was basically consumed with last minute Xmas shopping (although IIRC the weather wasn't great either). Then away for Xmas on the 22nd & 23rd. Back for the 29/30 but low clouds and snow. New Year's day we had one of the heaviest snow falls ever. Now this coming weekend (5th & 6th) is calling for heavy rain both days!

Geeez!:mad:
Click to expand...

Yep. I was thinking that the forecast for 50 degrees plus might make this weekend good to try. Forgot about the days o rain predicted.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather
Oops. Windy, too.

Owell. At least the snow will be washed away.
 
This December was terrible, I got maybe 13 hours in for the month, down from an average of 30-40. I think every single weekend there was some sort of a winter storm, followed by low ceilings and fog. Not a good month at all.
 
Try 2.5 hours for December! :D
 
Decembers are always crappy for me. For one thing the weather blows. For another thing I usually spend the majority of the month at home with the parents, or studying hard to catch up for finals or something stupid like that.
 
7 days in a week Barry, and 24 hours in a day!!!!

Night flights r0xx0red!!
 
yeah, getting married, all the family in town is cutting into my flying. Rain with low freezing levels predicted for the wedding so at least I'm not missing out this weekend. Just kidding.

Jeo
 
bstratt said:
Anybody else finding it difficult to get hours this winter?

Being restricted to weekends doesn't help. Was away in early December on vacation. Had one weekend before Xmas which was basically consumed with last minute Xmas shopping (although IIRC the weather wasn't great either). Then away for Xmas on the 22nd & 23rd. Back for the 29/30 but low clouds and snow. New Year's day we had one of the heaviest snow falls ever. Now this coming weekend (5th & 6th) is calling for heavy rain both days!

Geeez!:mad:
Click to expand...

I'm with you! I saw my BFR expire in December. I have a ton of excuses, but Wx didn't help. (Note to self - get IFR in summer to change my BFR month to a month that I can actually fly!)
 
EdFred said:
7 days in a week Barry, and 24 hours in a day!!!!

Night flights r0xx0red!!
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Yup, that's what Leslie and I did tonight. It was a beautiful (but COLD) night, so I flew up to MSN to exchange XMas gifts with my brother, who wasn't able to make it down to Chicago due to illness. It was truly a spur-of-the-moment thing, but it also allowed me to get instrument current. (Officially, at least. I was rustier than I would have liked).

And I also only had about 2 hours in December. Just enough to get checked out in the 210 and get a few approaches in.
 
EdFred said:
7 days in a week Barry, and 24 hours in a day!!!!

Night flights r0xx0red!!
Click to expand...

I agree night flying is great but I get up at 4:15am and don't get home most nights until 7:00pm. After dinner I'm usually in bed by 9:30pm in order to get up the next morning.

Maybe I could do it if I had a part time job like some!!:D
 
wbarnhill said:
Got you beat.

Haven't flown for almost a year, due for a BFR, medical expired. Just no cash flow for it.
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Got you beat.

I cannot, due to my work life and family life choices, make aviation a priority right now. I just can't do it in a manner that keeps me safe and proficent -- and that means I haven't touched GA since late 2003.

When we start a family, and I come off the road for work, my wife has promised to let me make time to get back into flying (even though we will have children, I won't be travelling for work any more) :yes:

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
I didn't fly at all through December. It gets dark here by about 5. Through all of December the weather was mostly not great, plus on days when flying was possible, the Cessna was in for its annual. I suppose December is a much better time for that than July. Add to that the fact that every weekend from Thanksgiving through New Years, I was in New York due to various issues (mom needing help, failing engagement followed by dumping all her crap off at her door, Christmas, New Years), and December was just a bad month for flying.

I did go up on Christmas Eve with some friends in their PA-28, but that was in the back seat. If nothing else, it was still great to be up in the air and also to get to listen to the radio work, but I still didn't get to actually touch the controls.

So far in 2008 I was hoping to get 30 minutes in after work yesterday, but yesterday winds were 18G25 and today's not looking much better. Even if I go up, though, the intercom isn't working in the plane so I need to use the speaker and hand-held microphone if I take that plane up in the air. Hopefully this weekend...

The big thing for me now is I need to get my solo X-Cs done, which means that the weather needs to be good here and where I want to fly to. It's harder to build a skill set when you have breaks this long, though...
 
astanley said:
Got you beat.

I cannot, due to my work life and family life choices, make aviation a priority right now. I just can't do it in a manner that keeps me safe and proficent -- and that means I haven't touched GA since late 2003.

When we start a family, and I come off the road for work, my wife has promised to let me make time to get back into flying (even though we will have children, I won't be travelling for work any more) :yes:

Cheers,

-Andrew
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When I pick you up for Wings, you'll get some time. :yes:
 
Yep, December weather was bad and holiday preprations take time. No flying in December. January should be better. Annual is due at the end of the month, so that will cut into Feburary. Not so easy sometimes. :dunno:
 
bstratt said:
Anybody else finding it difficult to get hours this winter?

Being restricted to weekends doesn't help. Was away in early December on vacation. Had one weekend before Xmas which was basically consumed with last minute Xmas shopping (although IIRC the weather wasn't great either). Then away for Xmas on the 22nd & 23rd. Back for the 29/30 but low clouds and snow. New Year's day we had one of the heaviest snow falls ever. Now this coming weekend (5th & 6th) is calling for heavy rain both days!

Geeez!:mad:
Click to expand...
Barely any since November. Our WX around here has been very bad.
 
I was going like gangbusters when I was out in SoCal and had good wx, a cheap plane, and more daylight... haven't flown since then as I still haven't lined up a rental I want to fly and have been working a reduced schedule (which means less $$).
Been trying to get something going since getting over a nasty cold last month, but the weather has been pretty bad on the weekends I was free. Sigh...

Good news: I booked some dual in Andover's J3 for the 26th... yippee!! Gonna be great to get some air again, especially in a "proper" airplane. :)

Bad news: they told me they only use it for instruction...wah.

There's a Cub at VanSant, but they are having trouble finding instructors even for checkouts, apparently... and although I didn't ask, I'll bet they don't rent that one for solo flight either. I had high hopes to get into their Champ, but they took it off the line... ugh.

I guess I really need to buy that C140 soon... just don't feel like renting Skyhawks these days.
 
I have been waiting 3 weeks to make a trip to BTR Baton Rouge LA, Finally Got it done. Left Yesterday evening 5.5 down and returned this morning 6hrs home EZZ KC,Mo area. Average GS 143kts down , 124kts return flight 1957 172. Hit the winds perfect as the high pressure was moving through ,Winds: the strong tailwinds pushed me south Yesterday , good tailwinds pushed me North today .

That gives me 9hrs for Dec. and 11.5 for Jan so far! Had to hit it Just right to fly any in Dec.
 
I scrubbed 2 Angel Flights in December. I was all set to pass 400TT, then all this crappy wx blew in. Icing, low IMC, hi winds, the works. The latter 2 aren't big challenges, but when combined, and when I HAVE to get back home by time certain, they become serious obstacles. Icing, well, I'll leave that to the pros.
 
I have been flying my butt off lately. At least most of them are out and backs. And I am getting tired of snow storms in CO. :)
 
Earthroamer said:
And I am getting tired of snow storms in CO. :)
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But at least the skiing is reported to be good. :dunno:

Passengers need to get a clue that the reason they sometimes can't fly into the mountain airport of their choice is that it's located right next to a ski area where they want to test the fresh new powder and experience the winter wonderland...
 
Everskyward said:
Passengers need to get a clue that the reason they sometimes can't fly into the mountain airport of their choice is that it's located right next to a ski area where they want to test the fresh new powder and experience the winter wonderland...
Click to expand...

I've noticed this is a common symptom among passengers. If it involves something that makes the flight less safe or just a bad idea, they generally seem to be in favor of it. My ex thought all such things were a lot of fun... of course she was in the back and had no desire to learn to fly because she thought it would be too hard for her. :dunno:
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I've noticed this is a common symptom among passengers. If it involves something that makes the flight less safe or just a bad idea, they generally seem to be in favor of it.
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In all fairness, I don't think most people deliberately want to try something hazardous. In fact, even some of the more eager ones start to get nervous when we start our descent into the clouds and begin to get bounced around. It's just that they have trouble putting two and two together:

Snowstorms = Good snow for skiing

Snowstorms = Less than wonderful flying and runway conditions, not to mention driving conditions. Seems to me I heard that thousands of people got stranded on the road just before New Years because I-70, the interstate through the mountains closed for 24 hours due to snow and blowing snow.
 
Everskyward said:
In all fairness, I don't think most people deliberately want to try something hazardous. In fact, even some of the more eager ones start to get nervous when we start our descent into the clouds and begin to get bounced around.
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I agree that most people don't deliberately want to try something hazardous, but the folks I'm thinking of don't necessarily realize the hazard involved. Sort of the same mentality that they may have when driving their SUVs in the snow. I've also come across some people who, when they hear there's going to be turbulence are excited, because they like it. Not that I mind it as a pilot per se, but my second lesson involved a decent amount of turbulence, and it was in actual instrument conditions (the lesson was flying from IPT to PIT to pick up my ex at the airport). She was most excited and enjoyed herself thoroughly, but I was the one who had to do the work, and mind you this is lesson number two. I suppose situations like that are more what I'm thinking of - the passenger doesn't have to do the work.

It's just that they have trouble putting two and two together:

Snowstorms = Good snow for skiing

Snowstorms = Less than wonderful flying and runway conditions, not to mention driving conditions. Seems to me I heard that thousands of people got stranded on the road just before New Years because I-70, the interstate through the mountains closed for 24 hours due to snow and blowing snow.
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This might be the cause of what I'm thinking of as well. In the case of the turbulence example with my ex:

Turbulence = rough ride, and I suppose she enjoyed that sort of thing

Turbulence = winds that can try to make the plane end up belly up, etc. either way, more work for the pilot
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I've also come across some people who, when they hear there's going to be turbulence are excited, because they like it.
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Hmm, you must have come across a different set of people than I have. :) I'm here trying to remember if I've ever had an enthusiastic reaction to my comment that we will probably have turbulence, although I have heard an occasional "woohoo!" from the back after hitting a bump. Maybe that's the difference between people who are going on an airplane for fun compared to those who are just using it as transportation. Of course I have come across the occasional person who has asked if we can, "Do something like roll it." Uh sorry, we don't do things like that in this airplane. :no:
 
Lets see,
I got in a 120 hrs in December.
Course I am a freight dog.
Joe
 
Looking at a record 80+ degrees here in Texas tomorrow! Windy, though... today was mid 70's. Of course, it was in the 20's earlier this week, but don't tell anybody!
 
Everskyward said:
Hmm, you must have come across a different set of people than I have. :)
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Well, referring to my ex, when I told my flight instructor we broke up yesterday he said "She seemed a little crazy to me, and I only met her twice." My flight instructor is a good judge of character! :yes:

I'm here trying to remember if I've ever had an enthusiastic reaction to my comment that we will probably have turbulence, although I have heard an occasional "woohoo!" from the back after hitting a bump. Maybe that's the difference between people who are going on an airplane for fun compared to those who are just using it as transportation.
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Possibly. Alternately, I just know more people who are off their rocke than you do. :)

Of course I have come across the occasional person who has asked if we can, "Do something like roll it." Uh sorry, we don't do things like that in this airplane. :no:
Click to expand...

Some of my friends have made requests that they can try aerobatic moves when I take them flying once I get my PPL and can actually take people flying. Sure, because that's a great idea to try as your first experience in control of an airplane, nevermind it being in an airplane that's not supposed to do such things with the actual PIC having had zero aerobatic experience. :no:
 
EdFred said:
When I pick you up for Wings, you'll get some time. :yes:
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I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing :dunno:





:rofl: It would have been a blast, Ed. However, I'm moving to RIC 3/1/08, so unless you want to dog leg it... ;)

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
astanley said:
:rofl: It would have been a blast, Ed. However, I'm moving to RIC 3/1/08, so unless you want to dog leg it... ;)

Cheers,

-Andrew
Click to expand...

hmmmmmm....RIC's not that far from here. Don't know what I'll be flying since the trinnie will be in for annual, but I'm sure we can still get you to Wings.....god willing and the creek don't rise....... :yes:
 
Mari,

I made my guys drive out of PSO to FMN (2 hrs). PSO is VFR only. DRO had wet snow and slush. Contaminated data for my a/c was showing 11,700ft of runway use. Dont think DRO was going to cut it. :) They were not mad. I was glad they understood. Even stopped and brought me a sandwich. :)
 
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