Lost Motivation and Interest

WDD

WDD

Final Approach
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Oct 16, 2019
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Atlanta / Marietta
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Vintage Snazzy (so my adult children say)
Lately - it’s just not there. Little interest.

Not about flying - about finding that next indispensable widget that any self respecting pilot must have. Red light head lamp, new tablet for in cockpit, a new adsb in box, etc. Sportys catalog used to be filled with amazing crap that I couldn’t figure out what some of it was really for. Now I toss it in trash.

To be somewhat serious - I guess I’m just at that place where is isn’t at new as it used to be - and the actual flying is more fun.

Signed up with the local Angel Flight organization - that could be fun!
 
WDD said:
Lately - it’s just not there. Little interest.

Not about flying - about finding that next indispensable widget that any self respecting pilot must have. Red light head lamp, new tablet for in cockpit, a new adsb in box, etc. Sportys catalog used to be filled with amazing crap that I couldn’t figure out what some of it was really for. Now I toss it in trash.

To be somewhat serious - I guess I’m just at that place where is isn’t at new as it used to be - and the actual flying is more fun.

Signed up with the local Angel Flight organization - that could be fun!
Click to expand...

I know the feeling. In several aspects of life.
Most notable to me is Harbor Freight. Man, I used to love going in there to just look around and plan what I wanted to buy next. Now every time I'm in there I just think "nope I don't really need that".
 
Harbor Freight - the White Castle of tool stores. You think it will be great - forgetting your last experience. And then soon you’re reminded why you shouldn’t go there. I’ve had so many bad tools from there - but think of how cheap it is! This time will be different !!!
 
WDD said:
Harbor Freight - the White Castle of tool stores. You think it will be great - forgetting your last experience. And then soon you’re reminded why you shouldn’t go there. I’ve had so many bad tools from there - but think of how cheap it is! This time will be different !!!
Click to expand...

It's all about finding the tools that are not junk , that's half the fun! Still a big fan of the HF but don't get the old rush going in. Probably because I already own most of the things in there worth having :D
 
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WDD said:
Lately - it’s just not there. Little interest.

Not about flying - about finding that next indispensable widget that any self respecting pilot must have. Red light head lamp, new tablet for in cockpit, a new adsb in box, etc. Sportys catalog used to be filled with amazing crap that I couldn’t figure out what some of it was really for. Now I toss it in trash.
Click to expand...

I flew VFR for 44 years in cheap ugly airplanes with only the most basic required widgets. Saved my money for avgas. Had 3800 great hours in the air. That's what counted. No regrets.
 
Congrats on starting with Angel Flight. It's been a long time since for me due to life getting in the way, but Angel Flight missions were very rewarding for me. I'd like to get back to it someday (probably in a few years when the kids are off to college).
 
WDD said:
about finding that next indispensable widget that any self respecting pilot must have.
Click to expand...


Maintaining that gadget lust is the true purpose of events like SNF and Oshkosh. Have you been neglecting your attendance lately?
 
HF quality varies. I have one of their US General roll-around tool boxes that is really excellent. The hand tools are decent; not great but serviceable. I have a bench top drill press that works fine with my light hobbyist usage.

But I’ve learned to avoid Chicago Electric welding equipment. Burned up one of their wire feed welders.

Their flashlights use low quality LEDs that die young. They’re dirt cheap so it’s hard to complain much, except they seem to die at really inopportune times.

Prices on consumables like shop towels, hand cleaner, WD40, etc., tend to be pretty good.
 
schmookeeg said:
The flying is great. The patients are mostly great with some d-bags. Steer WAY clear of the social events, they're a tesseract of self-congratulatory cringe.
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Man, that's some word you're tossing around there. Gave me a headache reading about it.

Regarding Angel Flight, it's the real deal. Neighbor of mine somehow tracked down his estranged biological father who was dying of cancer, alone, in Texas. Vietnam veteran with variety of service related issues. Got him on an Angel Flight King Air straight to Alabama. Cared for him in his final days, got him the VA end of life benefits. It all meant a lot to the family. I saw a video of the flight on approach. Heartwarming to say the very least.
 
Piperonca said:
Man, that's some word you're tossing around there. Gave me a headache reading about it.

Regarding Angel Flight, it's the real deal. Neighbor of mine somehow tracked down his estranged biological father who was dying of cancer, alone, in Texas. Vietnam veteran with variety of service related issues. Got him on an Angel Flight King Air straight to Alabama. Cared for him in his final days, got him the VA end of life benefits. It all meant a lot to the family. I saw a video of the flight on approach. Heartwarming to say the very least.
Click to expand...

Dang.

We took on a standing run from Reno to Santa Monica for a young cancer patient, did it for 6 or 7 months or so. Halfway through we learned that mom would drive 5 hours to be with the daughter during the treatments, so we got AFW to approve us stopping and grabbing mom too.

Definitely a rewarding time. My only regret is when she told us her BF was cheating on her while she was away, that our Bonanza had no bombing or gunnery capabilities. I found AF very gracious when they delivered us the news that the Reno flight would not be needed anymore... I think she was 25 or so. :/

Our worst AF trip was a guy who was basically using us as an uber because his chica was getting treated for something else. He stopped just short of clapping hands and saying "to the booty call, James" to me. Should've chucked his ass back onto the ramp.

I still consider the special-needs kid who had a wank and fell asleep in the back seat on our IFR run to be "C-" angel flying at best. :D
 
Half Fast said:
Maintaining that gadget lust is the true purpose of events like SNF and Oshkosh. Have you been neglecting your attendance lately?
Click to expand...
Ain't that the truth, though? I have a handheld radio here that I just HAD to have one year at Oshkosh. Never have found any actual use for it, other than rapidly killing batteries.
 
Half Fast said:
HF quality varies. I have one of their US General roll-around tool boxes that is really excellent. The hand tools are decent; not great but serviceable. I have a bench top drill press that works fine with my light hobbyist usage.

But I’ve learned to avoid Chicago Electric welding equipment. Burned up one of their wire feed welders.

Their flashlights use low quality LEDs that die young. They’re dirt cheap so it’s hard to complain much, except they seem to die at really inopportune times.

Prices on consumables like shop towels, hand cleaner, WD40, etc., tend to be pretty good.
Click to expand...

Yup. I have the 44" US General top and bottom boxes. I looked around at different big box store brands and off-brand stuff for a year before I came to the conclusion that the US General boxes couldn't be touched in terms of quality for the price. I know they have an "ICON" lineup now that supposedly rivals the Snap-On/Matco lineups, but I didn't need anything that expensive for weekend shade-tree work. I have a fewer Bauer-brand polishers and DA sanders that work pretty well. I honestly haven't had anything from HF be outright awful, but I don't usually buy the really cheap hand tools from them. I think I do have a Chicago Electric oscillating cutoff tool that works, but I'm not overly impressed with. However, for the rare occasion I need to use it, it works fine. I have Pittsburg Pro impact sockets sets that haven't shattered with moderate abuse, so that's a win as well! Their low profile 4Ton jack is a great buy, too.

Beats the heck out of what Craftsman has become over the last few decades.
 
WDD said:
Lately - it’s just not there. Little interest.

Not about flying - about finding that next indispensable widget that any self respecting pilot must have. Red light head lamp, new tablet for in cockpit, a new adsb in box, etc. Sportys catalog used to be filled with amazing crap that I couldn’t figure out what some of it was really for. Now I toss it in trash.

To be somewhat serious - I guess I’m just at that place where is isn’t at new as it used to be - and the actual flying is more fun.

Signed up with the local Angel Flight organization - that could be fun!
Click to expand...
Congratulations on kicking the habit. But be careful, once a gadgetaholic, always a gadgetaholic. Just resist the urge. Hi, my name is Luv and I'm a recovering gadgetaholic:no:
 
It’s all about the flying Some people need all the latest widgets while others are happy just being in the air in a basic airplane.
 
WDD said:
Harbor Freight - the White Castle of tool stores. You think it will be great - forgetting your last experience. And then soon you’re reminded why you shouldn’t go there. I’ve had so many bad tools from there - but think of how cheap it is! This time will be different !!!
Click to expand...
i use nothing but HF tools to work on the boat. there is half a rollaway laying on the bottom under my boat lift.
 
I too am a gadgetoholic. I've had many hobbies through the years for which I've gone through all the stages.... pretty much every tie eventually concluding that less is more. I have noticed that I mostly take interest in things that promote all sorts of little gizmos that mostly aren't necessary....
 
Half Fast said:
HF quality varies.
Click to expand...
It does. But lately in a positive direction, IMHO.

I grew up being taught Craftsman was the gold standard for us mere-mortal not-being-a-mechanic-for-a-living types (and SnapOn was both out of my price range and need). Crescent, Williams, even Stanley were up there too - long time ago.

These days all of the above ain’t what they used to be - and many come from the same factory.

Pittsburgh used to be throw-away stuff, in my opinion. Not any more. Even that level of HF is credible, for the right task. The Icon stuff looks as top-notch as anything from my growing up. And I don’t have one (yet) but the Titanium welders look darn good.

HF is still where I go for “disposable” 4 1/2” angle grinders, oscillating saws, and the like. But much of their stuff is moving up the quality scale - while many, many of the “classics” are moving down - way too fast.
 
WDD said:
Harbor Freight - the White Castle of tool stores. You think it will be great - forgetting your last experience. And then soon you’re reminded why you shouldn’t go there. I’ve had so many bad tools from there - but think of how cheap it is! This time will be different !!!
Click to expand...

KFC is like that for me. Longing for the flavor, and not remembering the typical tummy ache after.
 
unsafervguy said:
i use nothing but HF tools to work on the boat. there is half a rollaway laying on the bottom under my boat lift.
Click to expand...
Lol... Same reason I carry them on the tractor. When you lose one in the field, they grow just as well as the expensive ones.

I've stopped buying from harbor freight though. I've been doing everything I can to buy stuff made anywhere other than china.
 
WDD said:
Harbor Freight - the White Castle of tool stores. You think it will be great - forgetting your last experience. And then soon you’re reminded why you shouldn’t go there.
Click to expand...

There are a bunch of places like that for me. Cabela's, Bass Pro (yeah, same thing, I know), REI (although they have nice stuff), woodworking stores, Aircraft Spruce's showroom, Summit Racing.
 
schmookeeg said:
That actually sounds really difficult to pull off.
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It's an exercise in frustration to be sure. I did manage to find an actual made in USA toolbox for my hangar, and most of my recent hand tool purchases have been Taiwanese. It often means I have to pay 2-3x the cost of the Chinese made item, but frankly I have yet to be disappointed as quality is at least that much better. There has been several times I've simply gone without because I couldn't find a non- Chinese option, and of course occasionally you just don't have any choice at all.
 
Love Harbor Freight. Helps that there is one about 5 minutes from my house. I have picked up entirely new skills on a whim just because I wandered into HF. Last month I bought a wire feed welder and started playing around with scrap metal just for the hell of it.

If I lived near Aircraft Spruce I would probably be bankrupt.
 
HF is pretty good about their warranty on hand tools, too. I had a torque wrench fail so I took it back. No fuss, just grab a new one off the shelf. Much easier than Craftsman, and Craftsman’s warranty doesn’t cover torque wrenches at all.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Love Harbor Freight. Helps that there is one about 5 minutes from my house. I have picked up entirely new skills on a whim just because I wandered into HF. Last month I bought a wire feed welder and started playing around with scrap metal just for the hell of it.

If I lived near Aircraft Spruce I would probably be bankrupt.
Click to expand...
Where did you get the scrap metal? Harbor Freight wrench department? :)

I’m at the point, after 3 years of building and 1 year of flying my RV, where I struggle to find anything exciting in the Spruce catalog to bundle with my occasional order for 37 cents’ worth of lock nuts. The only things I really want are the bag that fits behind an RV seat (which I’m too cheap to buy) and aircraft jacks (same excuse). So the lock nuts languish in my cart forever.
 
Lost interest in what exactly? You fly with the widgets that you think are necessary for you.

After that you just fly. Whatever missions are interesting to you. For me, I’m working on my IR so 95% of the time I’m with my II. Otherwise my wife. Hardly ever on my own. Joined CAP for additional personal growth. You might consider that.

Not sure what HF has to do with the discussion. I’m not loading a HF toolbox in the plane to fly.
 
WDD said:
Harbor Freight - the White Castle of tool stores. You think it will be great - forgetting your last experience. And then soon you’re reminded why you shouldn’t go there. I’ve had so many bad tools from there - but think of how cheap it is! This time will be different !!!
Click to expand...
I suppose for some they are great as long as you only intend to use the tool once.
 
WDD said:
Lately - it’s just not there. Little interest.

Not about flying - about finding that next indispensable widget that any self respecting pilot must have. Red light head lamp, new tablet for in cockpit, a new adsb in box, etc. Sportys catalog used to be filled with amazing crap that I couldn’t figure out what some of it was really for. Now I toss it in trash.

To be somewhat serious - I guess I’m just at that place where is isn’t at new as it used to be - and the actual flying is more fun.

Signed up with the local Angel Flight organization - that could be fun!
Click to expand...

My flight bag is full of what I need now for a few years. I usually throw away the Sportys catalog before looking at it. Does not mean I am burned out of flying. I still fly 3-5 days a week 98% of the time by myself with my dog. I enjoy my 172 and is fine for just me and the dog. Low an slow is where it is at for me lately and lots of grass.
My buddy sold his cheerokee and bought an arrow. So now we don't fly together as much as we used to. I am not so sure I want something faster, more expensive to fly and then I would be afraid of rough grass. Ideally I would like to partner up with someone with a faster plane and keep my 172 for local fun flights off pavement.

My plane eats up my widget budget keeping it up. 3-5 days a week of flying wears stuff out.
Sportys is local to me so easy to fly over there pick something up, I was at I69 yesterday at Cincinnati Avionics, didn't go into Sportys.
 
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Jim K said:
I've stopped buying from harbor freight though. I've been doing everything I can to buy stuff made anywhere other than china.
Click to expand...

Me too for many years now. Yes it is tough to buy American tools. American anything!
I have had a harbor freight store 1/2 mile from the house for 10 years now, I rarely go in there. But I have bought plenty from them over the years.

I did buy a US General tool box from them about 5-7 years ago, like already said it is a tough deal to beat especially if you compare them to junk china boxes craptsman was selling at the time. Still not as nice as my original Snap On box.

The US General box keeps shoving all my tools to the back of the drawer every time you close it because of how it's made. It has bump in the drawer slides which causes your tools to slide rearward every time you close a drawer. OK for a home owner, not so good if you use it on a daily basis like I do.
I have been doing car and truck service at my business for 35 years, so I have bought much Snap On, Mac and Matco tools over the years. All 3 of my original tool boxes were used from the Snap On ,Mac, dealers. I wore them out in 25 years of use, they were used when I got them. I have 4 sets of tools, Home, work, hangar and a tool box in my truck. Used to have tools just for racing in a race car trailer.
I do have a tool addiction, since am a do it yourself person.

I bought harbor freight shop tools like a drill press, press, porta power etc when they were made in Taiwan back in the 80s long before they had any retail stores around here! IMO they are better than the china made tools they sell now.
Remember the HF catalogs? I used to day dream looking at those early on.
 
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I will say the Lowes purchase of Craftsman has resulted in a lot of new products at reasonable cost. Dunno about overall quality, but I do like the gunmetal chrome finish on the new socket and box wrench sets.

Back to OP, I think your progression is common and normal. At this point, if I have a few $K burning a hole in my pocket, I prefer to spend it on airframe reliability. New fuel pump, alternator, rewire, hoses, etc. Moving from deferred maintenance mode to preemptive maintenance.
 
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WDD said:
To be somewhat serious - I guess I’m just at that place where is isn’t at new as it used to be - and the actual flying is more fun.

Signed up with the local Angel Flight organization - that could be fun!
Click to expand...
Have you looked into Pilots n Paws?
 
Ed Haywood said:
At this point, if I have a few $K burning a hole in my pocket, I prefer to spend it on airframe reliability. New fuel pump, alternator, rewire, hoses, etc. Moving from deferred maintenance mode to preemptive maintenance.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:
 
Ed Haywood said:
Love Harbor Freight. Helps that there is one about 5 minutes from my house. I have picked up entirely new skills on a whim just because I wandered into HF. Last month I bought a wire feed welder and started playing around with scrap metal just for the hell of it.

If I lived near Aircraft Spruce I would probably be bankrupt.
Click to expand...
I do live near Aircraft Spruce. It exercises my self-control muscle, much of the time.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
It does. But lately in a positive direction, IMHO.

I grew up being taught Craftsman was the gold standard for us mere-mortal not-being-a-mechanic-for-a-living types (and SnapOn was both out of my price range and need). Crescent, Williams, even Stanley were up there too - long time ago.

These days all of the above ain’t what they used to be - and many come from the same factory.

Pittsburgh used to be throw-away stuff, in my opinion. Not any more. Even that level of HF is credible, for the right task. The Icon stuff looks as top-notch as anything from my growing up. And I don’t have one (yet) but the Titanium welders look darn good.

HF is still where I go for “disposable” 4 1/2” angle grinders, oscillating saws, and the like. But much of their stuff is moving up the quality scale - while many, many of the “classics” are moving down - way too fast.
Click to expand...

I love the 4 1/2" angle grinder, probably the most value I have ever gotten out of a $15 tool.
The Baur 7.3 Amp 1 In. SDS-PLUS Type Variable Speed Rotary Hammer is the best tool I didn't know I needed until I had one. Is the best way to drill holes in concrete I have found.

Brian
 
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