What to do at milestones?

denverpilot

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DenverPilot
I just noticed after this weekend's flight that the ol' total time meter will tick over 400 in another 0.3 in my logbook.

In many ways the 400 hour mark isn't that big a deal, I know. It's just another flight with something new to learn.

On the other hand, us humans like the century marks to be special.

So just trying to think of something to do to make hour number 400 seem special.

Thoughts? Anyone else do anything fun on an otherwise meaningless particular logbook milestone? (Doesn't have to be the 400 hour mark, obviously.)

My first thought was, "That's ten standard work-weeks." My second and third thoughts were, "Who works a standard work-week who can afford aviation?!" And, "How many non-standard work weeks did I work over the years since I started flying in 1991 to afford those aviation weeks?"

(And yeah, I took eight years off when I refused to go into massive crippling debt to afford to fly. So if 400 sounds a little light for a 20 year aviator, it is. No doubt.)
 
Well, you could fly up to FTG and help me remove ancient avionics & other wiring...
 
I just logged my 800th ASEL hour yesterday.
 
I realized after landing and completing the post mission paperwork, that the moment I passed 1000hrs in the Bone, I was dropping a full load of Mk82s. Can't top that!
 
I just noticed after this weekend's flight that the ol' total time meter will tick over 400 in another 0.3 in my logbook.
Hour 400 for me was taking a coworker flying in a C150.
 
We try to get some good food whenever we turn a milestone in the log book.

Of course, we try to do that on EVERY flight... :D
 
Every flight is special.

I say that at 1500 hours.
 
It used to be a big deal to me, but now that I fly all the time (for a living) its really not that big of deal. I'll likely pass 600 tomorrow and at the rate I'm going I'll end up around 750 or so at the end of the year.
 
Agreed on every flight being special. :D

Just seeing about making the next one... um... "more special". ;)

The helicopter idea is kinda appealing... actually. I'd never pay as much as it would cost to do the add-on rating though.

Might be fun to see how the other 1/10th (not a real number) lives. ;)

Could also go get my butt up to Boulder and try to pick up where I left off in gliders.

Not sure I want to be that ass who only shows up to fly and never has time to hang out and help with ground crew duty though.

There's that unwritten rule that you do that in the sailplane community and hanging out for even an entire Saturday helping out once or twice a month, probably isn't in the cards unless something else went "on-hold".

Could also go pay big bucks to come out of "non-flying" status at the club and find out who's teaching in the Decathlon these days...

Or just get on with finishing up the &$((/)&@" Instrument Rating and um.... "enjoy"... some sim time with a CFII trying to kill me. ;)

Dunno. Maybe I should just ignore it and go flying anyway. ;)

I could even just shock everyone and turn the key before 10AM and do a breakfast run... That'd be decidedly different. ;)
 
I realized after landing and completing the post mission paperwork, that the moment I passed 1000hrs in the Bone, I was dropping a full load of Mk82s. Can't top that!
That is a tough one to top. :D
Para-hawking, maybe?
 
Agreed on every flight being special. :D

Just seeing about making the next one... um... "more special". ;)

The helicopter idea is kinda appealing... actually. I'd never pay as much as it would cost to do the add-on rating though.

Might be fun to see how the other 1/10th (not a real number) lives. ;)

Could also go get my butt up to Boulder and try to pick up where I left off in gliders.

Not sure I want to be that ass who only shows up to fly and never has time to hang out and help with ground crew duty though.

There's that unwritten rule that you do that in the sailplane community and hanging out for even an entire Saturday helping out once or twice a month, probably isn't in the cards unless something else went "on-hold".

Could also go pay big bucks to come out of "non-flying" status at the club and find out who's teaching in the Decathlon these days...

Or just get on with finishing up the &$((/)&@" Instrument Rating and um.... "enjoy"... some sim time with a CFII trying to kill me. ;)

Dunno. Maybe I should just ignore it and go flying anyway. ;)

I could even just shock everyone and turn the key before 10AM and do a breakfast run... That'd be decidedly different. ;)

Some good ideas there... as for choppers, maybe not so much a full add-on as a lesson or two just to inject some novelty into your flying. Eventually I will probably do that, for the same reason. I wouldn't consider it a waste of money, any more than my little bit of aerobatics that I never followed up on, or paying $100 for 10 minutes of "sole manipulator" time in a Tri-Motor.
Then there's the "you never know" stuff, like the time I thought I'd be sharing the front hole in a Waco for a sightseeing ride, only to get the option to pay what would normally be for two pax, with the front control stick re-installed. That was worth every penny, flying that thing.
 
I managed to hit 1000 hours at the end of the year - the very day - the 31st. Figured out I was a few hours away and planned it out. Flew with a student in the morning. Then invited some friends from church to bring their father who flew in WWII in the 210 and went somewhere for lunch. Finished up (and passed the 1000 mark) in the Piper Cub solo, and just having some good plane fun cruising over a wilderness area at 500'.

Ryan
 
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