Where's my motivation?....

J

Jimgrouch

Pre-Flight
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
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33
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Willow Springs, IL
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Display name:
Jim Grouch
Greetings POAer's,

I received my private a year ago (Dec. 2014). Passed it with 51 hours. I have since logged another 53 hours on top of that which most are cross country hours. I hate to admit it but I now struggle to find the motivation to fly. I try to go up at least once a month just to maintain my confidence.

A little about me: I moved to the Chicago area for a job a few years ago from Michigan. It is normally a 5-6 hour drive to get back to friends and family. I figured I would invest in my pilots license to make the round trip faster. 5-6 hours vs. 2 hours. Well worth it right?

I thought it would be great to take the family on short trips here and there and things would be great. Unfortunately I have yet to do that. I have two little ones still in diapers and didn't realize that the club planes I use (Archer & C172) wouldn't be practical to put child seats in them.

I feel like it will all be worth it in a few years when they get a little older but right now I feel like I'm just grinding along forcing myself to get out there. Any of you ever experience this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Any interest in getting your instrument rating? If so, now's a great time to start knocking that our while you wait the the little ones to get bigger. I'm in the same place as you with family and hours and I'm now halfway through the IFR. Never planned to fly the family without it and it's given me a new mission to focus on for a while.
 
I'm in the same spot, hit 200 hours( safety pilot, and flying with lost medical pilots added a bunch of those) and then haven't flown since oct 2nd when I took a buddy up.

Did the tailwheel thing got 6 hours in that but need 4 more for club insurance and throwing 600 bucks just buzzing around the pattern and doing wheel landings doesn't strike my fancy.

Honestly I'm about aviationed out until I start making more money and i don't notice the random thousand dollars missing like I do now.

Love flying with people, love landings, like maneuvering around, hate straight and level Hate getting back from a little afternoon cross country and realizing I just spent 300 bucks.
 
Find some aviation events near you. Attend and try to meet some other pilots. See if you can find a flying buddy then the two of you can find some places to fly to together. Sounds like you need to expand your flying radius. You may be flying the sane hour over and over each month trying to stay active.

As for the plane check out any flying clubs near you. They may offer some larger planes to get checked out in. That would solve the car seat issue.

Just my $0.02
 
I have a little one too and I got my PPL for a similar reason. I was making the 8 hr trip to MO regularly and decided flying would be better. I also planned some family trips, which we didn't get to do until a year in. Once I could start using it for my planned mission it became more fun and less forced (although forced or not I've enjoyed every flight). Try using it for your planned mission. Take it up to MI. Maybe switch to a club that has planes that are more conducive to child seats? I know of several clubs here in Chicago that have 182s, SR22s, Bonanza's or others that might work better (and cost more). We just came back from Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend. What a way to travel.... Take a small trip with the family and see how it goes. I wouldn't be disheartened too if I weren't using my PPL for the reasons I got it. Check out the fun places to fly site for recommendations on destinations. Good luck to you.
 
Explore. It doesn't have to be about some predetermined mission.
You basically have a license to be more curious.
 
Thanks for the input guys. Yes JR, I do plan on persuing the IFR route. I'm slowly going through the Sportys course now. I wanted to do that before getting w/ an instructor. Finding a flying buddy and events probably would be something different for me. Thanks for the advice. I think for me I need some sort of purpose to get out. For me I don't get that satisfaction of flying around locally. Especially in the Chicago area dodging the big guys flying around here.
 
Jimgrouch said:
Greetings POAer's,

I received my private a year ago (Dec. 2014). Passed it with 51 hours. I have since logged another 53 hours on top of that which most are cross country hours. I hate to admit it but I now struggle to find the motivation to fly. I try to go up at least once a month just to maintain my confidence.

A little about me: I moved to the Chicago area for a job a few years ago from Michigan. It is normally a 5-6 hour drive to get back to friends and family. I figured I would invest in my pilots license to make the round trip faster. 5-6 hours vs. 2 hours. Well worth it right?

I thought it would be great to take the family on short trips here and there and things would be great. Unfortunately I have yet to do that. I have two little ones still in diapers and didn't realize that the club planes I use (Archer & C172) wouldn't be practical to put child seats in them.

I feel like it will all be worth it in a few years when they get a little older but right now I feel like I'm just grinding along forcing myself to get out there. Any of you ever experience this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Aviation is an expensive lifelong pursuit, and some times along the way, it just gets set aside when it serves no purpose. However, it's much like riding a bike, and you don't really forget. You might be a bit wobbly after a couple years when a purpose reappears in life, so you do do a Flight Review to get current, and in the process of a few hours tops, it's all back, no worries. It's not like you have to do 10 hrs every year and maintain currency and a BFR or they come take your license back. It'll always be in your pocket. No reason to go flying if it's not doing anything for you right now. If it's going to be a few years before you see having a use for GA, no particular need to fly between then and now. Flying once a month for the next 2-3 years will have no significant time or ability difference vs your ability to regain currency at that point, and regaining currency rather than maintaining will likely cost 1/3rd as much by the time you put your kids in the plane.
 
You get a ticket so you can chase the 100 dollar Hamburg,my motivation is to land in every state in the country.
 
Jimgrouch said:
I think for me I need some sort of purpose to get out. For me I don't get that satisfaction of flying around locally.
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You are not unique. I LOVE to fly...not the poking holes in the sky and just soaring over the world part...but rather the process and learning to master the systems and machine. Never been super excited to just go fly for the sake of flying...but I absolutely LOVE doing long XC trips for work and play as well as taking friends to dinner or lunch or sightseeing. Just going up solo to fly around...meh.

I have my IFR and loved that process and gonna next go for mountain flying course, aerobatic and eventually commercial (although no aviation career plans).

For me the passion is the process, not necessarily the physical act of floating through the sky in an aluminum tube.

...and I own my plane...and love it!
 
Thanks for the sound advice from everyone. I'm happy that I didn't get ridiculed by all of the diehards out there. I was a little worried about that when posting. It's good to hear that they're others out there in the same boat and I'm not the only oddball out there.

Henning,... Are you a shrink? I feel like I just walked out of some sort of therapeutic session after reading your post. I had that happy feeling that everything's going to be ok sort of feel. Please don't send me a bill.
 
Jimgrouch said:
Thanks for the sound advice from everyone. I'm happy that I didn't get ridiculed by all of the diehards out there. I was a little worried about that when posting. It's good to hear that they're others out there in the same boat and I'm not the only oddball out there.

Henning,... Are you a shrink? I feel like I just walked out of some sort of therapeutic session after reading your post. I had that happy feeling that everything's going to be ok sort of feel. Please don't send me a bill.
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I was raised by a shrink, the Clinical Director of Psychiatry for the State of Missouri.:rofl::rofl::rofl: I was hooked to an EEG machine at 3 and have been studying the workings of the mind since, and had a tenured professor at home to teach me. So yeah, I'm ****ed up six ways from Sunday, but at least I understand why and am therefor happy.:D:rofl: I try to pass it on.;) The truth shall set you free, and the truth is you're crazy.:lol:
 
I started flying again after a long hiatus to relieve stress and preserve my sanity. I was taking care of both my parents who lived with me with Alzheimer's. Flew almost every day. Didn't work.. I went crazy anyway:) I fly more complex planes these days and find them more fun to fly. Flying around in the same old 172 gets little boring seems like. Doesn't hurt to take a break though. Then one day after you have run outside for the hundredth time to see if you know who just flew over your house, you think hmm, maybe I ought to go out to the airport.
 
Vanilla GA flying is boring. Shhhh we're not supposed to admit it.:wink2: Unless you have a travel need and the money to cover it, flying around isn't that much fun once you've learned the basics. If travel is the motivator go get your instrument rating and find more money. If flying for flying's sake is your thing go try sailplanes, or skydiving, or paragliding, or acro. Anything but droning around in a Cessna at 150 bucks an hour.:yawn:
 
Phoenix said:
If flying for flying's sake is your thing go try sailplanes, or skydiving, or paragliding, or acro.
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People still do that?:D:D:D Yeah Hanggliding is another excellent option.
 
Do you actually enjoy flying? Didn't see that in your post. If you don't enjoy it, it is hard to get motivated to do it.
 
PilotRPI said:
Do you actually enjoy flying? Didn't see that in your post. If you don't enjoy it, it is hard to get motivated to do it.
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True, and even if you do like it, sometimes there are greater priorities that still make motivation difficult and even create guilt. Airplanes are time machines, and airplane time is expensive. The time it saves has to be more valuable than the time it costs to get me motivated to fly, and I love flying. It's way easier for a bachelor/bachelorette to find that motivation than for someone who has a young family, because kids are more expensive than airplanes.
 
There is a difference between a hobby and a lifestyle.

A hobby is something that you do and enjoy when you have time/money. It's an enjoyable way to use time but you don't do it all the time. And it's not the highest priority in your life.

A lifestyle is something that is simply part of you something that is a "normal part of every day living".

I have decided to make aviation a lifestyle. It is just part of who I am what I do what makes me - me.

Sometimes I enjoy just going to the airport - just sitting and watching airplanes take off and land, or sometimes just walking around looking at airplanes.

Sometimes I talk to my aviation buddies sometimes I don't sometimes, I just simply sit and read or study aviation materials.

But all those things are part of my normal life. Not a hobby - part of my normal life.

If aviation is just a hobby for you there were be times when you do it, times when you don't.

If aviation is your lifestyle you will always be doing it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Henning said:
True, and even if you do like it, sometimes there are greater priorities
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I think this pretty much sums it up for me. I do enjoy it. It's not like I hate flying. There are a lot of other moving parts in my life that keep me busy.

Maybe I should get a babysitter and fly the wifey out for a lunch date.
 
I lost it for a little while too. I was unable to fly for something like 8 months then when I was finally free to, I didn't want to. For me, it was the fear of forgetting how to fly that crippled me. I didn't want to go up with an instructor because I was (irrationally) certain they would look down on me for being so rusty. So I perpetuated my fears for a few more weeks when finally, a family friend offered to go up with me. So we went out and focused on having fun. We buzzed his house, got closer to the ground than I had ever been before, did steep turns, and pushed the airplane to do what she was meant to. So I guess that's what did it for me, I needed to have fun in the airplane again.

If you spend your whole life doing pattern work, which piles in the most serious and stressful aspects to flying all together, that's the impression you'll be left with. But flying is so much more than that! We just need to remember to go an and experience it every now and then.

Good luck. :)
 
Have you considered being a part of a flying organization such as Civil Air Patrol? It's like a club (but has a mission), so you're around people that have the same interests as you ... you can get some free flying time and the flying is relatively varied (not all SLUF). If you're looking to be a better pilot, the additional mission workload on top of simply flying the plane may increase your overall SA and ability to handle various situations. Also, once your reach your "free" flying cap, you can fly at half-rate for a while, depending on the mission. The planes are usually relatively new (<20 years), most have glass cockpits (something new to learn) and some are considered high performance. It is a time commitment to some degree, but may be a option to keep you in the air doing something other than throwing money at a plane.
 
Quit. Just do it.

Seriously.

Sometimes life moves us in different directions and going through the motions isn't what life is about.

I piddled around with flying for a long time. When the economy tanked I decided it was time to grow up. A few years later I bought an airplane. We will see how long that lasts. Given the amount of time and money I happily spend on flying, I think I'm kinda addicted. The time out might have set the hook.
 
Jimgrouch said:
I think this pretty much sums it up for me. I do enjoy it. It's not like I hate flying. There are a lot of other moving parts in my life that keep me busy.
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There are plenty of activities in my life that I don't hate doing but I wouldn't really do them or throw extra money at them. Running for example is something I do but I'm not in love with it.... I do it to stay healthy. Some people absolutely love running. They buy all the gear, go to all the races, join the clubs, put the stickers on their cars, want to talk about it all the time ect.

If tomorrow it starts to cost me money for every mile I run, or I need to pay for inspections on my saucony shoes then I would probably prioritize some other form of exercise, while others would pay to run and get their shoes inspected.

If you feel about flying how I feel about running then don't worry about it. Take it as a life experience and find something else to do for fun. If 10, 20 years you decide to fly again get current.

If it comes down purely to a financial thing where you love to fly but can't afford or don't want to spend the money then again, hold off till your financial situation improves and go back at it or look for ways to make it financially feasible.

rachelk.tailwinds said:
I lost it for a little while too. I was unable to fly for something like 8 months then when I was finally free to, I didn't want to. For me, it was the fear of forgetting how to fly that crippled me. I didn't want to go up with an instructor because I was (irrationally) certain they would look down on me for being so rusty. So I perpetuated my fears for a few more weeks when finally, a family friend offered to go up with me.
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I have a friend like this, he's had his PPL for 7 years and about 120 hours but only flew 5 hours last year... and he owns a plane! I'm not a CFI but I fly frequently enough that I offer every chance I get to take him up or sit right seat for him. I flew with him about 6 months ago and he did fine... well his radio comms were rusty but stick and rudder was good.
 
tinygiant said:
Have you considered being a part of a flying organization such as Civil Air Patrol? It's like a club (but has a mission), so you're around people that have the same interests as you ...
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You have to be into military cosplay to enjoy CAP. If he's not motivated to fly now, playing psuedo military and dress up probably isn't going to help him.

From a financial perspective the most affordable way to fly is partner on a plane with 3-4 people. Think of it as owning a plane at a 75% discount. As long as your don't try to over-complicate things and everyone gets along it's fantastic.
 
Go ahead and get your instrument rating. You like to travel, it will come in handy. Its almost necessary for trying to keep any sort of a schedule.

I'm headed to Key West in a month, two 2:20 legs with a fuel stop for $3.5/gal avgas should be on the beach before noon.
 
It may be a form of financial self-preservation. My interest wanes when my finances go south. Wanting to fly is a clear leading indicator that things are looking up. So it could be you're feeling stress in other areas and your motivation has gone because you have to focus on career/income.

If you've got two little ones at home, you may be dealing with a lot.
 
Thanks everyone. It's not a financial issue. It's more of what was previously mentioned as far as wanting to use it to fly the family and not doing so. If anyone has a good way to install baby seats in an Archer II or C172 I'd love to know how to do it in a safe manner.
 
Jimgrouch said:
I think this pretty much sums it up for me. I do enjoy it. It's not like I hate flying. There are a lot of other moving parts in my life that keep me busy.

Maybe I should get a babysitter and fly the wifey out for a lunch date.
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There you go.... There is a minimum that GA costs, and it's not low by any means, but the primary difference in most households with marginal discretionary income as to whether they can afford GA or not is if mama likes it or not.:lol:
 
Jimgrouch said:
Thanks everyone. It's not a financial issue. It's more of what was previously mentioned as far as wanting to use it to fly the family and not doing so. If anyone has a good way to install baby seats in an Archer II or C172 I'd love to know how to do it in a safe manner.
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Seriously, if it's truly and completely not a financial issue, just buy a Cherokee Six, Lance, or Saratoga with big back doors and club seating. That will take care of your family airplane needs for a long time to come. If mama enjoys it, you'll find the money to support it.
 
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Several problems I see that tend to suck the fun out of flying:

1. Renting
2. Flying with small kids (babies?)

And the combo of the two makes it far worse.

1. Renting is baseline ****ty. I say this as a former renter and a current owner. Owning has its downsides, but as far as the ability to use the airplane for a family trip, it's far and away better. The airplane is there when I need it. I don't have to schedule it. It is in a hangar that I can pull my car into, transfer bags, preflight, wait for wife and kids to arrive 1.5 hours later, park their car, go fly. When I push the plane back in at the end of the trip they drive away as I unload.

My family doesn't appreciate flying the way I do. For them it's transportation and they appreciate what it is and isn't. It isn't cheaper. It can be faster. It can be a somewhat more pleasant experience. It can open up travel to more out-of-the-way places.

Renting involves scheduling, minimum hours and a host of other burdens if the plane is parked outside.

2. Flying with babies. Installing seats in planes that were designed in the 1950s is a great and large PITA. It takes years off your life. Infants and young toddlers are tough especially if they are required to be in rear-facing seats. Unless you put your wife in the back seat it's not gonna work at all. Really young kids in forward-facing seats are a pain too because they're needy and your wife has to turn around and deal with them. Not fun. But it sucks even more on long car trips. So that much is a wash.

I started with my kids at 3 and 5. We had trouble for the first year - maybe 1.5 yrs. But we got it stabilized. Now they're 7 and 9 and it's much better.

I try hard to make their experience pleasant and to expose them to as little of the drudgery of plane ownership as possible. Except for airplane wash day. For that it's all hands on deck! :D On a trip they show up, load up, and we spin. I like airports, they don't.

So the more you can minimize the drudgery of flying for yourself and for your family the better. Some people don't see it as drudgery. Some do. It's all in how you value your time.

You might consider owning an airplane with a hangar. Buy extra kids seats or bases and leave them installed.

You also might consider renting a Cirrus with the LATCH system managed by an outfit that will stage it for you. You will pay more (perhaps MUCH more) but you won't have to do all that other stuff and it will be cushy.
 
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