Pandemic flying

TexasAviation

TexasAviation

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TexasAviation
I’m just curious ... how’s the pandemic affecting your logbook?

Personally, I’ve flown very little since March. I tend to fly for social reasons - visit friends and family, see museums, go to concerts, etc. - and almost all of that has ground to a halt.

I used to average twice a week. Now I’m down to roughly twice a month.

Guessing some pilots are the opposite. More free time = more flying!
 
I took a several month break when the governor turned off most activities, pausing my Part 141 progress towards commercial ASEL. I resumed when conditions were looking much better, and have been training at my normal rate since then. For my dual flights, I'm accepting some risk because it's kind of hard to protect yourself from the passenger in the other seat of a small plane (and vice versa) for a 1.5 hour flight. We wear masks but I don't think they help much under those conditions. I'd honestly be willing to pause for longer but my G.I. Bill college program would probably throw a hissy fit and send me a bill for $25,000 or something. I live alone so I'm not complaining about being unable to social distance while training (even for the solo flights where I encounter people in the flight school).
 
Cut off some trips in the beginning. Stay at home orders didn't help, but then being labeled "essential" made it an option. Back doing Angel Flight missions, including COVID missions. Then a big across the country trip and stop in Rapid City; I have a post on it, with lots of pics.

We just flew to Charlotte (CLT) last weekend to visit our youngest and celebrate her birthday.

I have more Angel Flight missions coming up, another trip and working on doing more weekend trips.



Wayne
 
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I too fly mainly for social reasons so the number of flights have about halved.

I hadn’t flown for about 45 days before the pandemic because I needed to upgrade my ADS-B setup for a flight into South America. Spent a lot of energy and some money getting prepped for the trip which in the end was canceled. It would have been our longest and most challenging trip to date.

Having nothing planned that was doable, we went back to taking care of some elderly relatives and medical stuff. Then started planning some appropriately distanced fishing, golf, and meet-ups. Been to Charlotte, Pittsburgh, NYC, Bahamas, Philadelphia, Mifflintown PA, and Winchester VA.

There are so many things one can’t do but the plane allows us to do so many things in a reasonably safe manner relative to social distancing and the pandemic. In the case of the Bahamas, only private flights and boats were allowed in from the states, no commercial flights. It’s been a bit of a burden but a pretty small one in the scheme of things.


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the weather in the southeast has been far more devastating to my flying than anything
 
No destination flights since the lockdown began, so it's been down to running the engine an hour every two weeks. Took the kid and wife for local sightseeing a couple times, but other than that, it's been a loss for the summer travel season. School semester is back in session so it's pretty much done. Came out to around 30 hours this year (i count my hours annual to annual, not calendar). Hoping 2021 brings better opportunities to do some family travel.
 
Between some family stuff, work travel and upgrades, my year started pretty bad, so I am making up for it. About 40 hrs since beginning June . Just going somewhere and coming back, for the heck of it.
 
TexasAviation said:
I’m just curious ... how’s the pandemic affecting your logbook?

Personally, I’ve flown very little since March. I tend to fly for social reasons - visit friends and family, see museums, go to concerts, etc. - and almost all of that has ground to a halt.

I used to average twice a week. Now I’m down to roughly twice a month.

Guessing some pilots are the opposite. More free time = more flying!
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Overall, flying more. I have 32 hours this year, mostly since April. My old club shut down operations for months and I left them and joined a new club out of RDU. One of the reasons for flying more is that I get a rebate if I fly 4 hours / month. Today was just a cross country flight, out and back for fun, but a few weeks ago I flew up to Martinsville VA for lunch. Nice little restaurant there on the field.

So far, not sure about the new club (Raleigh Flying Club). The planes are ok, but they are all different and you have to get a checkout on each one individually....every year. That's a lot of CFI time if I want to have multiple airplanes to fly. On the other hand, they're talking about buying a SR-20 at $125/hr dry...hope that comes through.

I looked, the old club is back to flying, but I couldn't get a 172 scheduled for the next two weeks. Obviously they aren't missing me.
 
No trips--not many places to go yet--but a lot of flying to get out of the house and some to do proficiency work. Normally this time of year would be a good time to travel to some new MILB ballparks or go visit friends. Next year...
 
No change, well that is not true. I was going to fly to Bar Harbor for vacation but Maine has issues so went to Greenbrier, WV. Instead. Otherwise no change.
 
Didn’t fly much in March and April, then my plane was stuck at the shop waiting for annual as the shop was super busy. Flown at least once a week from late June to now, and the plane goes back to the shop for Dynon upgrade next week.
 
10 hours total so far this year. I flew once the beginning of the month knowing that I wouldn't fly much after that as my wife had her right hip replaced almost 3 weeks ago and it would be a while before she could climb into a 172 or 182. We shall see what happens later on.
 
I had planned on doing a slow start to my IR and taking more trips this summer, but with everything shut down, decided it would be a good time to knock it out. Checkride next Monday. In March I would've said no way I'd be done before harvest. Have done very little pleasure flying otherwise though. Looking forward to having more flexibility to take some longer trips next year once things have settled down.
 
Think I’ve been to 16 or 17 states. Flown about 75 hours in a little over 3 months plus knocked out my tailwheel. :)
 
My flying is predominately recreational so still quite active. I will fly more this year than last year but I don't fly for work or to any destinations that would be closed because of the current situation.
 
After Angel Flight grounded for a few months, I did weekly pilots n paws trips, as well as seeing my parents every couple weeks. Certainly kept the log book full and current.

Radar Contact said:
We just got back from Bar Harbor (our first trip to Maine). We loved it!
View attachment 89062
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Bah Hahbah is awesome. Good choice Kevin.
 
I stopped flying in March. Started again toward the end of May. Getting up about once every 10 days. Except for one day when I went up twice with a close friend (instrument currency for me; IPC for him), it's all been solo and no instruction :( Mostly short local flights to stay somewhat proficient, but since it's been in 6 different make/models, it's been kinda fun too.
 
I set aside my IR training .... although could have continued it but just didn’t want to create a potential risk factor even if the odds were very low. I’ll pick that back up again later.

Otherwise been getting some decent XC hours in just for fun.
 
The governors of NY, CT, MA, (and maybe NJ?) shutdown flying for everyone who didn't own a plane.
Renting is such a horrible health risk. No flying.
Since things opened up I fly at least once a week, usually more.
I fly low and cough out the open window.
 
eman1200 said:
the weather in the southeast has been far more devastating to my flying than anything
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Ain’t that the truth. A whole summer of convective activity, and the next ten day forecast is no different!

That said, when life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. I’ve been on four 4-5 day motorcycle trips so far this summer and have another week long trip scheduled for early fall. Ain’t skeered to ride in a little rain!

But it would be nice to fly somewhere soon.
 
Still flying without any passengers, getting used too outside dining.
 
Flying less than last year given so many regular event cancellations. Will miss not being able to make the annual trek to Reno for the races next month. :(

Just back from a round trip flight out to the west coast for my 95 year old MIL's funeral. Convinced Mrs. GRG55 to fly back with me; that's progress! But she is telling all her friends the tops of the peaks directly below seemed uncomfortably close. :oops:
 
My A&P said he is busier than he has been in years. He thinks that more people are flying GA and not taking the airlines.
 
Covid cramped my Flight Review. I had to wait thru a lockdown, my instructor being exposed (14 day quarantine), then the instructor actually testing positive (another wait until cleared by board of health).

But things were slow at my club so I was able to get my FR in the logbook in a few weeks.

I flew solo once to make certain I could make it on my own... I did. So, I booked a flight with a friend and spent a couple more hours in the air, sightseeing.

The plane I like is down for maintenance, replacing a gas tank discovered during its 100 hr inspection... I may have to check out in another, to get back in the air.

Covid, a wet runway earlier in the year, and now maintenance; are making 2020 a challenging year for my flying enjoyment.

It's all good... It just could be so much better.
 
Heat, smoke, haze....and almost no place to go. Really happy to have a job right now, that’s keeping me busy, altho at home. Not much flying so far this year.
 
CharlieD3 said:
Covid cramped my Flight Review. I had to wait thru a lockdown, my instructor being exposed (14 day quarantine), then the instructor actually testing positive (another wait until cleared by board of health).
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I was lucky, I only missed a couple of weeks after my flight review currency expired to arrange for an IPC/FR, finally getting it done mid-June. This is despite trying to schedule a flight review and IPC since February! But other than flight instruction being down for about 60 days, the airport hardly skipped a beat.
 
COVID had a significant impact on my business so my hours are up. 110.7 from March 1st to the end of July. Most of those hours were solo.
 
Like so many, lots of free time, but no real place to go since almost all fly-ins have been cancelled in the PNW, restaurants and museums are closed, etc., and now the fires have started meaning IFR days ahead due to the smoke and haze. I have pretty much written off 2020 for almost everything.
 
No destination flights. Have flown about 25 hours since March which is about average for me. But did take advantage of some avionics deals.
 
hindsight2020 said:
No destination flights since the lockdown began, so it's been down to running the engine an hour every two weeks.
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What do you mean by "running the engine"? Does that mean flying?
 
hindsight2020 said:
Yes, I meant flying the aircraft for an hour. I'd quit the hobby before I'd find it productive, let alone advisable, to ground run an engine for an hour! :D
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Sorry, I can’t agree it’s a hobby for me, or you. Here’s why. You don’t spend that much time and money to “run an engine for an hour” and call it a hobby. That’s called an obsession.
 
Flying more than ever....but that’s because I just came off a 3 year drought from living overseas. I mostly fly long PnP trips. I have gone from 0 retract time to 32 hours in 50 days (while holding down a 50+ hour a week job).
 
I cant seem to get past the heebees of another unknown mouth 2ft away from mine. Bought an RV6A in April. Still waiting to get my nerve up (covid) to get my 15hrs dual required. Condition was up July 31st. So now I guess I get to do what I was contemplating before the 15hrs. Rip into her and do some upgrades. Needs ADSB anyways. Gotta get lights changed to LED. a few other odds and ends. Plus too damn hot to flight train right now.
 
Finished my IR up. I thought for sure COVID was going to scrub it all. Turns out my school (141) got an early exemption when the state shut down and, as an existing student, I was allowed to continue. I also did two trips with the fam: 1) Mackinac Island; 2) visiting my folks (KS). My fam is new to flying so COVID has helped me in selling more private aviation... “avoid busy disease ridden airports by flying private” ;)

My biggest issue is difficulty in understanding what’s open/what to do. Also I’m a renter, so it takes a bit of planning when I go for a trip (which limits me I believe). I’m currently planning trips to some restaurants, Texas, and the north woods this fall. 2020 (COVID / fires) probably canceled my California trip I wanted to do.
 
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