Today I didn't fly

cgrab

cgrab

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cgrab
It is a CAVU day and reminds me of the days after 9/11 when the only things in the sky above FDK where I learned to fly were the contrails from the F-16s flying over P-40.

While walking the dog this morning, I made plans to go fly.

By the time I got home I was thinking what would I tell the many neighbors I speak to across the street as I walk. At that point, I decided that it would be better to stay home. Even though solo flying is the utmost in social distancing, it might make the neighbors think they can go out and do their hobbies which may not be as safe.

So, I will be staying in for the duration.
 
I hope this is trolling
 
I go fly, practice approaches with my wife as a safety pilot, and don’t tell my neighbors about all my other “hobbies” my wife and I enjoy.
 
It looked bumpy as hell this afternoon in NEPA
 
What I found interesting was the Fed lending money to other country's central banks. It didn't address the specified dates, which I find fascinating:

The Federal Reserve provides U.S. dollars to a foreign central bank. At the same time, the foreign central bank provides the equivalent amount of funds in its currency to the Federal Reserve, based on the market exchange rate at the time of the transaction. The parties agreed to swap back these quantities of their two currencies at a specified date in the future, which is the next day or as far ahead as three months, using the same exchange rate as in the first transaction. Because the terms of this second transaction are set in advance, fluctuations in exchange rates during the interim do not alter the eventual payments. Accordingly, these swap operations carry no exchange rate or other market risks.
 
The other obvious question is: Is Brasil every going to give us back a dime?
 
Anyways, I went flying today. I did feel a little guilty about it.
 
Today I *did* fly (for work). First time in about 3 weeks because I had a cough at the beginning of this Coronavirus mess and was grounded for 2 weeks.

It was QUIET. Eerily quiet. Flying north through Kansas City Center airspace in southern IL, right where a ton of airliners are normally criscrossing the country... We were with that controller for about 20 minutes and heard him talk to ONE other airplane. I turned the traffic scope to 40-mile range and I don't think I saw more than 3 planes at a time on it the entire day until we were descending near Chicago. And there was ONE other airplane that came in throughout our time with Approach and Tower.

Crazy.
 
Wow, just a thought for those in the area, this would be a great time to add O'hare to your log book. That is if you were inclined to fly during the emergency.
 
cgrab said:
Wow, just a thought for those in the area, this would be a great time to add O'hare to your log book. That is if you were inclined to fly during the emergency.
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I was just considering trying a flight into Tampa international for this very reason.
 
I should be flying right now. I cancelled. I have a cough. CAVdamU!

Trying for Tue & Thu next week. If I'm over the cough.

I don't want to expose anyone. I don't wanna be exposed.

Sigh.

fly to the scene of the incident, or be recovered at the scene of the tragedy
 
I've certainly had the itch and if I had my own plane I'd have gone. But no way I'm flying in the club planes right now. My mom (who lives with us) checks all the Covid-19 boxes and I'm not taking that chance.
 
cgrab said:
By the time I got home I was thinking what would I tell the many neighbors I speak to across the street as I walk. At that point, I decided that it would be better to stay home. Even though solo flying is the utmost in social distancing, it might make the neighbors think they can go out and do their hobbies which may not be as safe.
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So what you're saying is you think your neighbors are idiots and you have to be responsible for their actions because they are too stupid to be held responsible themselves.

You cannot control what your neighbors do. Nor is what they choose to do your responsibility. And they'll probably be just a tad bit insulted to know how stupid you think they are.
 
I saw my doctor this morning (scheduled back in January for a completely unrelated issue to the current scare). His position is that this whole mess is an urban problem. We live in a fairly rural area. His point was that for our county if you had the number of reported cases and then looked at the overall population of the county, you were looking at about 1 case for every 1000 people. Do you see 1000 people in a day? He isn't worried that much. We still follow the governor's "request", but losing sleep over it isn't high on our list of priorities. When the weather improves, I'm going flying. It still maintains separation from other people. We'll clean the interior of the plane before and after (it is a club plane, after all), but stay home? Not likely.
 
I did my biennial today. The CFI didn't have any issues with social distancing and I didn't either so we had a nice flight. My business is considered essential so I was working anyway. Other than a wicked crosswind a nice day to fly.
 
took a quick flight after work. few people flying but lots of people out on the roads, which I was surprised at. no one at either airport when I landed so of course I had 2 squeaky landings. get out there and fly!
 
No flying around here today.
This is supposed to be a 4-lane US Highway. At least I THINK I was on the highway...

20200402_114109.jpg
 
I flew Monday. I flew 50NM west to visit a buddy at his hangar & to see how his J3 project was going. After requesting flight following I wondered if my radio was inop because the frequency that is usually very busy was fairly quiet. ATC was only talking to me & one other aircraft doing practice approaches. It was very strange.

Go fly! Social distancing at it's best.
 
Eldorado said:
I go fly, practice approaches with my wife as a safety pilot, and don’t tell my neighbors about all my other “hobbies” my wife and I enjoy.
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i dont tell mine, but i have an old house and close neighbors i think they know..

Ghery said:
I saw my doctor this morning (scheduled back in January for a completely unrelated issue to the current scare). His position is that this whole mess is an urban problem. We live in a fairly rural area. His point was that for our county if you had the number of reported cases and then looked at the overall population of the county, you were looking at about 1 case for every 1000 people. Do you see 1000 people in a day? He isn't worried that much. We still follow the governor's "request", but losing sleep over it isn't high on our list of priorities. When the weather improves, I'm going flying. It still maintains separation from other people. We'll clean the interior of the plane before and after (it is a club plane, after all), but stay home? Not likely.
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i live in a rural area, its in my town and a nursing home a town over is now filled with it...
 
I went flying today, i think its a fine social distancing activity. With an autogas stc and rec gas I've personally tested for ethanol available at $1.84/ gallon, i cannot say no to flying for $9.20 an hour of fuel cost!
 
Karen and I did a quick 1.5 round trip to Cleveland, TN with 2 touch & goes there. An absolutely perfect day to fly!

49731839227_1f9f7be748_z.jpg


Thoughts...

1) When I called Flight Service, it occurred to me that if there is a nationwide stay-at-home order, there could come a time when flights will require a legitimate purpose. Hopefully not, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

2) Certainly there’s zero risk of infection on a flight like this, but a small concern is needing medical attention in the event of an accident. Then again, I’ve managed a quite long and varied flying career with nary a single flight requiring medical care, so there’s that. Plus, so far E TN is not yet a hot spot, so hospital beds are not likely in short supply.
 
FastEddieB said:
….2) Certainly there’s zero risk of infection on a flight like this, but a small concern is needing medical attention in the event of an accident. Then again, I’ve managed a quite long and varied flying career with nary a single flight requiring medical care, so there’s that. Plus, so far E TN is not yet a hot spot, so hospital beds are not likely in short supply.
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how is that any different than if you weren't flying and needed medical attention though?
 
ApacheBob said:
The other obvious question is: Is Brasil every going to give us back a dime?
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No. They are due to cancel their currency in the next few years and reissue a new currency. They've done it regularly over the past 100 years. I have a collection of 4 different generations
of Brazilian money, all of it worthless now. Each generation was issued when the previous currency had runaway inflation.
 
The governor ordered stay in place effective 12:01 last evening. Florida was already kind of quiet.
 
You can also play golf, can I use my airplane to fly to a golf course?
 
cgrab said:
Wow, just a thought for those in the area, this would be a great time to add O'hare to your log book. That is if you were inclined to fly during the emergency.
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A C150 was doing traffic pattern in Detroit (DTW) today... :)
 
Neighbors have no idea why you're leaving. Perhaps you need more toilet paper. Or medicine from the pharmacy.

I go fly by myself, and it feels gooooood. If I crash and survive, 1) I have bigger problems and 2) I earned that bed fair and square. I could have a DVT from sitting on my couch and need a bed too.

Live. Just be smart about it.
 
3.6 VERY bumpy hours today.

While cruising at 8,500 SW bound with 120kt IAS: (these are from a tracking app on my phone)

Screenshot_20200407-224647_Firefox.jpg

...and at the same spot on the way back cruising at 9,500 and 120kt IAS:

Screenshot_20200407-224556_Firefox.jpg
 
Hang 4 said:
They arrested the clown in Tampa that had a service last Sunday with a crapload of people. I'm a strong supporter of separation of Church and State, but that guy was a freaking idiot.
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I agree he is, as is everyone who attended. But the govt is expressly prevented from stopping the free exercise of religion for any reason. There is no “except” clause in the first amendment.
 
bflynn said:
But the govt is expressly prevented from stopping the free exercise of religion for any reason. There is no “except” clause in the first amendment.
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During a declared National Emergency usual rights can be suspended......but suspect it would go all the way to SCOTUS for their usual 5 to 4 decision.
 
bflynn said:
I agree he is, as is everyone who attended. But the govt is expressly prevented from stopping the free exercise of religion for any reason. There is no “except” clause in the first amendment.
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We have tons of "exceptions" to the first amendment for speech (e.g. direct calls to violence, disturbing the peace by shouting fire in a crowded theater etc etc.). To say that the religion part of the first amendment is somehow more important or more immune to exceptions than the speech part seems legally dubious at best. In fact we already do have exceptions to the free expression of religion. As an example, you can't perform human sacrifice even if it is an expression of your religion, even if the victim is consenting. Where the line is of course would/is defined by the courts and precedence.
 
bflynn said:
I agree he is, as is everyone who attended. But the govt is expressly prevented from stopping the free exercise of religion for any reason. There is no “except” clause in the first amendment.
Click to expand...

Ah, but technically there isn't any breakage of the first amendment here, because the First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law..."
 
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