Why I like to fly alone "sometimes"

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evapilotaz

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Drone airspace abuser
I get the most pleasure flying alone. How about you?

When I don't take up passengers.

I don't have to worry about passengers safety.
I don't have to worry about them enjoying the flight.
I don't have to worry about them offering money to pay for the flight.
I don't have to worry about them trying to find the airport to meet me at the plane.
I don't have to explain preflight to them.
I don't have to explain engine run up.
I don't have to tell them do not talk while I'm listening to the tower.
I don't have to impress them with my landings.
I don't to worry about them tripping on their own shoe laces. Lol
 
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It's a catch 22 for me. I don't like flying alone but I also don't like anxious pain in the rear passengers. I like people that like to fly but no one ever wants to go, surprise right?
 
evapilotaz said:
I get the most pleasure flying alone. How about you?

When I don't take up passengers.

I don't have to worry about passengers safety.
I don't have to worry about them enjoying the flight.
I don't have to worry about them offering money to pay for the flight.
I don't have to worry about them trying to find the airport to meet me at the plane.

I don't to worry about them tripping on their own shoe laces. Lol
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you worry too much
 
evapilotaz said:
I get the most pleasure flying alone. How about you?

When I don't take up passengers.

I don't have to worry about passengers safety.
I don't have to worry about them enjoying the flight.
I don't have to worry about them offering money to pay for the flight.
I don't have to worry about them trying to find the airport to meet me at the plane.
I don't have to explain preflight to them.
I don't have to explain engine run up.
I don't have to tell them do not talk while I'm listening to the tower.
I don't have to impress them with my landings.
I don't to worry about them tripping on their own shoe laces. Lol
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Think I enjoy everything you don't. Don't think I ever had a passenger that didn't have fun..:wink2:
 
#1 reason why I like flying alone is I don't have to worry about someone throwing up.
 
I like flying with other people because I love teaching them about what I'm doing.

I hate flying with other pilots. Your Old Wives Tales aren't going to work with me, buddy.
 
I've envied the men that orbited the moon by themselves.
Solitude, far from the things of man. Not a bad thing.
 
When I fly alone I don't have to worry that my passenger will suddenly decide she's too nervous to fly in a small plane after all... after we're already on our way. Yes, that has happened... :(
 
Bikers have a saying... "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand."
It works the same for us too.
 
Don't get me wrong I occasionally take people up but those first timers are sometimes a pain.

I don't have to worry about their big feet touching the rudder peddles. Cured that one by moving their seat all the way back.
 
There is another plus to flying alone. Single seat airplanes are cheaper. Why I fly what I do. The cost or lack of.

Tony
 
I prefer flying alone most of the time. Even when my wife flies with me in the 425, she sits in the back with the dog, so I am essentially alone in the cockpit. :D I enjoy listening to what I want on XM and using the right seat for my checklists, ipad, water bottle etc. :D
 
A lot of my flights are solo, I tend to feel more relaxed when I'm alone then like someone else said..worrying about someone else being in the cockpit. I do enjoy flying with passengers, I guess I just pick and choose who comes. I like to take people that either want to come or are interested in aviation.
 
I can't remember my last solo flight. I still haven't flown the RV solo, and I bought it in '13.

Over half of the pleasure of flying, after a couple of decades, is sharing the wonders of flight, IMHO.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I can't remember my last solo flight. I still haven't flown the RV solo, and I bought it in '13.

Over half of the pleasure of flying, after a couple of decades, is sharing the wonders of flight, IMHO.
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Agreed. Most of my flying is solo but it's almost always more enjoyable with passengers along.
 
mkosmo said:
I almost had to deal with that one... he made it to the restroom in the FBO after we landed, fortunately. Timing was perfect in that regard lol
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Some memories stay with you over the years. In the 50s I rented a very new C-170 out of Whiteman north of LA. In the plane was my older brother, his wife, a girl whose name I no longer remember, and myself.
The plane still smell new.

My brother's wife barfed all over the nice new plane. Upon landing my brother was busy comforting his poor sick wife. My girl friend went "Ow Ugh gross" or words to that effect. This left only me to face the wrath of the FBO.

The FBO threatened to turn me into a soprano if I didn't make their plane all spiffy and nice.

All these years and I still remember the smell.

Paul
Salome, AZ
 
Ouch... I really don't want to figure out the best way to get the smell of puke out of my plane anytime soon. So many tiny places for it to fester...
 
I haven't flown solo since the morning of my checkride. Planning a solo night currency flight this week though. Looking forward to it.
 
I like the quiet, plus doing touch and goes or simulated engine failures is always like pulling teeth with my pax.

Most of my flying is with one other person for my personal stuff, work is almost always with pax, really should get some more alone time flying :yes:
 
I think it's all good, for the reasons folks listed above. I like being alone, in general, so flying alone is relaxing. Having a passenger along often brings back the thrill because to them it's a big deal. Hmmm.... now that I think about it, the passengers who think it's fun make it fun. With my family I might as well be in the minivan. I get the usual, I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm hungry, are we there yet, or they sleep. But it's family, so that's good, too. Like I said to start, it's all good!
 
evapilotaz said:
Do you ever do touch and goes and pattern practice with pax? Would it be no fun for them?
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good recipe for a puker IMO.

if I have a good sport and I'm going out for lunch and back I might make one T&G at the destination so I can log 3 landings for the trip for currency so it's easy to remember.
 
PeeGee said:
good recipe for a puker IMO.

if I have a good sport and I'm going out for lunch and back I might make one T&G at the destination so I can log 3 landings for the trip for currency so it's easy to remember.
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I do the same thing.
 
I agree with you David. There are only a few, well vetted people I take flying with me. I usually tell people I meet that I prefer to fly solo until I can determine if they are suitable. My goal is to weed out three personality types who have no business sitting in the cockpit of an airplane:

  1. The Know-It-All: "My neighbor's brother's best friend is a pilot, therefore I'm qualified to critique your flying and grab the controls as I see fit."
  2. The Practical Joker: "Hey, watch me press this button and say something witty to the controller."
  3. The Bad Ass: "Dude, let go, you're way to conservative, hot shot here is gonna show you something awesome."
 
SoCalPilot88 said:
I agree with you David. There are only a few, well vetted people I take flying with me. I usually tell people I meet that I prefer to fly solo until I can determine if they are suitable. My goal is to weed out three personality types who have no business sitting in the cockpit of an airplane:

  1. The Know-It-All: "My neighbor's brother's best friend is a pilot, therefore I'm qualified to critique your flying and grab the controls as I see fit."
  2. The Practical Joker: "Hey, watch me press this button and say something witty to the controller."
  3. The Bad Ass: "Dude, let go, you're way to conservative, hot shot here is gonna show you something awesome."
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Another reason I fly a single seat. To get away from all these type of people. The world is full of them. Then you have the ones who will take you to court over anything. I need none of this in my life. These type of people take the fun out of everything. I do not need others to have fun. I can have fun all by myself and not have to worry about all the drama caused by others who believe they are Gods gift to the human race.

Tony
 
About pressing that button. A friend took me flying in his 172. I went to say something to him and hit the little button and said my say. He said, I can tell you fly a single seat for you just broadcasted that out to the world. He got a good laugh out of that. He said just talk I will hear you.

We both had a good laugh about that.

Tony
 
Had a great solo flight late yesterday afternoon. Plugged my tablet into the intercom and listened to my music while I checked out the farmers plowing and planting.
 
I flew by myself today. There was no one else in the plane. Jus lil ol' me. Alone. 2.3 to the runway café at downtown Greenville (GMU) for a burger then back to Concord (JQF). I went mainly because if you fly there they give you a discount, so I saved $1.80 on my burger, and that's pretty flippin awesome.
 
eman1200 said:
I flew by myself today. There was no one else in the plane. Jus lil ol' me. Alone. 2.3 to the runway café at downtown Greenville (GMU) for a burger then back to Concord (JQF). I went mainly because if you fly there they give you a discount, so I saved $1.80 on my burger, and that's pretty flippin awesome.
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$98.20 hamburger :D
 
Mutts said:
I've envied the men that orbited the moon by themselves.
Solitude, far from the things of man. Not a bad thing.
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Years ago I sat next to the son of Michael Collins on a commercial airline flight. His father, of course, piloted the command module for Apollo 11. The son told me that his father thought he had the best job on the mission, and that for the 44 minutes of every orbit he was out of contact with humanity on the far side of the moon, he felt like he was with God.
 
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