So, when did you start hating to fly?

KeithASanford

KeithASanford

Line Up and Wait
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MyTurnToFly
The title of this thread came from a question my wife asked me, "How long do you think it took some of these Pilots to hate flying?" Curious, I asked her where she got the impression that so many hated it. Her reply, "Well, they only seem to talk about speed and getting to their destinations as quick as possible. They sound like you in the car."

Anybody who knows me knows that I HATE driving, which is why I often say to my bride, the shortest distance to anywhere in a car is the best route. So, using my disdain for driving, she assumes that Pilots that make speed a traveling priority(and not necessarily a recreational priority....that she gets.)obviously hate being in the air longer than they have to.

Any truth to this assumption and if so, when dld flying become almost exclusively utilitarian?
 
The plane IS transportation, if you're looking to get somewhere in particular the goal is to arrive so speed seems to be a reasonable metric.

At the same time, the ride can be enjoyable by seeing intersting scenery, cruising in comfort etc... I can say I fall in both camps, with a destination or activity in mind I want to get there and if flying accomplishes the mission better than something else (car, catapult, transporter beam) its the way to go. Breakfast runs are very different, enjoying the act of flying is the mission and breakfast is the reward.

Yes I enjoy flying but still want to get to my destination.
 
The answer should be obvious, it's the date they started reading the want ads to find a slower airplane.

KeithASanford said:
The title of this thread came from a question my wife asked me, "How long do you think it took some of these Pilots to hate flying?" Curious, I asked her where she got the impression that so many hated it. Her reply, "Well, they only seem to talk about speed and getting to their destinations as quick as possible. They sound like you in the car."

Anybody who knows me knows that I HATE driving, which is why I often say to my bride, the shortest distance to anywhere in a car is the best route. So, using my disdain for driving, she assumes that Pilots that make speed a traveling priority(and not necessarily a recreational priority....that she gets.)obviously hate being in the air longer than they have to.

Any truth to this assumption and if so, when dld flying become almost exclusively utilitarian?
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I like driving.
I like driving so much I have a race car that just goes round and round and round with the only destination being where I started from.

I like flying, too. More than racing.

When a gaggle of airplanes are making their way to Saturday morning breakfast, a fast airplane is a good way to beat the crowd without having to wake up earlier than everybody else.

With cars and airplanes, fast is fun.
 
KeithASanford said:
The title of this thread came from a question my wife asked me, "How long do you think it took some of these Pilots to hate flying?" Curious, I asked her where she got the impression that so many hated it. Her reply, "Well, they only seem to talk about speed and getting to their destinations as quick as possible. They sound like you in the car."

Anybody who knows me knows that I HATE driving, which is why I often say to my bride, the shortest distance to anywhere in a car is the best route. So, using my disdain for driving, she assumes that Pilots that make speed a traveling priority(and not necessarily a recreational priority....that she gets.)obviously hate being in the air longer than they have to.

Any truth to this assumption and if so, when dld flying become almost exclusively utilitarian?
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Right about when gas hit $2 a gallon, I still remember filling the tank truck at the rack for 74¢ a gallon for 100LL Also cruising at 180kts 25' off the deck is a lot more fun to me than flying at a couple thousand at 90kts.
 
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I drive a track ready big beefy engine swapped 1990 M3 with "built in West Germany" tags (ie way more uncomfortable than anything anyone else in POA probably DD's) and fly a fighter. Neither are comfortable for long stretches, and while they are both exhilarating to pilot to their limits, it's always satisfying to turn the ignition off or hear the blades spool down post flight and just savor the experience. It has nothing to do with hating what you are doing IMHO.....there is just a limit to how much fun you can have at a time in a quirky demanding vehicle. Yeas?
 
Has not happened yet. I still love flying. However, that being said speed depends on my mission. If I out just farting around taking in the sites slow speed is just fine. If I am out practicing, the maneuver I am doing determines the speed. If I have a destination to get to the speed will vary with my determination to get there.
 
Not yet.
I'll let you know.
LOL

Actually I went thru a phase, halfway between soloing and checkride, where it wasn't fun anymore. It became "work". Going to the practice area alone and doing steep turns, stalls, slow flight, etc....I wanted so badly to take passengers somewhere for a meal but of course that was out of reach for me.
Prior to that every lesson with my CFI was full of new and awesome experiences. And upon soloing everyone made a big fuss over me and everyone adored me. After awhile, the party was over. I found myself at times believing I would never get it. Even when I did pass the checkride (December 2008) it didn't really sink in till the next morning. Only then did I realize, "I am a licensed pilot."

Looking back now, everything I went thru - taking out loans, rearranging my work schedule, etc - was all worth it. I feel like I begin a new life with each flight, and each time is more and more wonderful.
 
Just flew from MKG to SAV. Bit of a tail wind, good vis most of the way, a bit of ice over the mountains. Nice way to spend 3 plus 30 of my life. Wouldn't go where I'm going in a car or on the airlines.
 
When I read the post title I thought you were talking about pro pilots - that's another topic all together.

Glad you were talking about something else.:)
 
cslane said:
Just flew from MKG to SAV. Bit of a tail wind, good vis most of the way, a bit of ice over the mountains. Nice way to spend 3 plus 30 of my life. Wouldn't go where I'm going in a car or on the airlines.
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Welcome to town.
 
To me flying is like riding a motorcycle. If the weather is good and I am not under a time crunch to get to my destination, it can be quite enjoyable. If the weather is lousy and I have to be there right now, no doubt about it...flying is work. If it is cold and the heater is TU, flying is no fun. Go fly a 150 in a headwind and you will understand why faster is better regardless of weather you enjoy flying or not.
 
It has went the other way for me. Probably because I fly on a pretty limited budget.

I used to always rent so I was paying for Hobbs time.

More often now I fly for the cost of fuel, so slowing down and getting better economy is more fun and I get spend more time in the air.

Best yet is the sailplane. $50 to $85 to launch, fly as long as I can or want to. 7.5 hours is my longest flight so far. I average about 75hrs a year in the glider. Usually about 20 flights.

Brian
 
Flying is by no means strictly utilitarian. I love doing it.

But, I also am trying to get someplace in a particular period of time. Part of the fun is being able to get where I want to go in the amount of time I want to get there. If I have to spend too long doing it, then the fun goes away. I also fly a plane that is meant to go places, so I don't just take it up to count the cows in the field. If I had a little taildragger or something like that, then I'd use it for just fun.

I think that goes for things most people love. Riding a sport bike is fun, but not all day.
 
KeithASanford said:
The title of this thread came from a question my wife asked me, "How long do you think it took some of these Pilots to hate flying?" Curious, I asked her where she got the impression that so many hated it. Her reply, "Well, they only seem to talk about speed and getting to their destinations as quick as possible. They sound like you in the car."

Anybody who knows me knows that I HATE driving, which is why I often say to my bride, the shortest distance to anywhere in a car is the best route. So, using my disdain for driving, she assumes that Pilots that make speed a traveling priority(and not necessarily a recreational priority....that she gets.)obviously hate being in the air longer than they have to.

Any truth to this assumption and if so, when dld flying become almost exclusively utilitarian?
Click to expand...

I must really love flying! It took me 12 days to get from Michigan to Wisconsin on one trip. I somehow happened to end up in Idaho on the way! I flew over the Rio Grande River on my way home from Kansas to Michigan and flew over the very end of the Mississippi River on the way to Tennessee from Michigan.

My only rule on cross countries is: no traveling in a straight line for more than one hour. So I veer over to that lake to wave at some fisherman or do turns around a herd of antelope. For me it is not the destination but the trip. :yes:

Barb
 

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High, low, slow or fast it's all good. It beats the crap out of being stuck behind an 18 wheeler on a two lane blacktop.
 
I hardly ever go somewhere in the airplane. Mostly just putz around for the sake of putzing around. But, for those rare occasions that I might want to use it for transportation, 10 more knots would get me further in a day.
 
My primary instructor asked me what kind of a pilot am I? I said what do you mean? He went on to ask, are you learning to fly to fly or are you learning to fly to travel? I had to think about what he meant. Then I told him that I wanted to be a pilot to fly. He said, good then you will have a long enjoyable private flying life ahead of you. Because you want to fly you will not need a fast airplane, just one that you get you in the air and be cheap to operate.

I love to fly and I don't need the expense of a fire breather to get my fix.
 
Can you provide the calculations that support this conclusion?;)

Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
I hardly ever go somewhere in the airplane. Mostly just putz around for the sake of putzing around. But, for those rare occasions that I might want to use it for transportation, 10 more knots would get me further in a day.
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I drive to beautiful places so I can fly around really really slow
 
I'd like to quote author and pilot Stephen Coonts-

"Flying is like sex. I've never had all I wanted, but occasionally I've had all I could stand"
 
Before the Champ I had a Maule that burned twice as much fuel but it flew almost twice as fast so, when comes to going somewhere it's almost a wash except that in the Champ you need to eat twice as many meals on the way. For "putzing" around the Maule loses big time.
 
Flymy47 said:
I'd like to quote author and pilot Stephen Coonts-

"Flying is like sex. I've never had all I wanted, but occasionally I've had all I could stand"
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I'm saving this one. Great quote!
 
Love to fly just to fly sometimes, but have to admit when traveling, part of fun is the "engineering". What's the best path, what's the ideal airspeed/altitude/fuel burn, can I avoid a fuel stop if I slow down...? When travelling, some of the enjoyment, to me, is knowing that I'm blowing away any other option whether it be driving or commercial flight. Direct, fast and efficient appeals to the nerd in me. Then again, there are those days when I take off, fly an hour NE just to lose a VOR, track per calculations, pick up another VOR, hang a left, repeat, hang a left, repeat and then arrive home ... 3 or so hours doing nothing but burning fossils just to play the game.

That's the beauty of owning. Every flight is almost just marginal cost. I'm eating the fixed and it ain't cheap. Want to fly three hours for ****s and giggles - that will be $150 sir. Compare that to renting and I'd be hard pressed. In dollar and cent terms, completely ignorant. As a way to justify getting my fix, perfect.
 
It's all about efficiency.

In a 150 I can fly:
Louisville, KY to Charleston, SC - 4:41 on 29 Gallons - 2 Legs
In the Lancair:
Louisville, KY to Charleston, SC - 2:17 on 20.5 Gallons - Non stop

A long day of flying and the necessity for an overnight stay turns into an easy day trip, and less fuel burned. Also complex time :rofl:
 
A friend of my father took me flying in 1973 in an Arrow, a xc KBED to KHYA and back, with a circuitous route. I was hooked. I didn't get to learn to fly until 1987.

I still love to fly.

I don't fly for travel, although I was able to fly my father a few times to visit relatives in PA.

clarification: I hate flying in the back of the big aluminum tube, especially now with TSA and crappy airline service and even worse airline seats.
 
PBristolJr said:
It's all about efficiency.

In a 150 I can fly:
Louisville, KY to Charleston, SC - 4:41 on 29 Gallons - 2 Legs
In the Lancair:
Louisville, KY to Charleston, SC - 2:17 on 20.5 Gallons - Non stop

A long day of flying and the necessity for an overnight stay turns into an easy day trip, and less fuel burned. Also complex time :rofl:
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Is that a 360? On my "I want someday" list.

Someday isn't happening soon, though.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Is that a 360? On my "I want someday" list.

Someday isn't happening soon, though.
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320, we were considering the 320 or 360, OR a Glasair. Looked at quite a few, this one had the best craftsmanship/avionics/hours/MK 2 tail/all-things-considered and the extra 20 horsepower of the 360 wasn't that much of a factor. It's great fun!
 
PBristolJr said:
320, we were considering the 320 or 360, OR a Glasair. Looked at quite a few, this one had the best craftsmanship/avionics/hours/MK 2 tail/all-things-considered and the extra 20 horsepower of the 360 wasn't that much of a factor. It's great fun!
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Plus no reason why you couldn't throw in a 360 if you wanted.

I'd want to put in a 200 HP IO-360. But, I love power.
 
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