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Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:32 pm

Hey all! I just got enrolled in a pilot school over the summer and am getting my 10th hour of dual this weekend. I was wondering if anyone else here is a pilot too? I fly a 1969 Cessna 172.

Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:43 pm

I'm an ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI, Hawker typed, and a former FAA examiner. I do fly for a living...if there's anything I can help you with...pm me your email address and I'd be happy to do all I can. I have a lot of time in 172s (as a student, instructor, and examiner) but only flew the R, S, and SP models...1997-present. Happy flying! :)

Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:57 pm

Haha wow! Thats really cool! ill go ahead and pm you then!

Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:24 pm

I am 18 with around 41 hours total. I have done everything but the long distance cross country solo and the exam for my private license. It was a lot of fun but I got kind of burned out on it (I took it really seriously, its quite fatiguing flying 2-3 times a week). Hopefully I can finish it up some day..

I trained in a Cessna 172 G-1000. I think its an '05 model but the place I used to fly out of had some reliability issues (like having a brake failure.. that was fun for my 10th hour of soloing).. not to mention a lot of the paperwork for the planes was missing/out of date :shock:

Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Where's Kombisutra...

Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:52 am

single engine IFR rating, 1959 Cessna 175 is my current ride of choice. Want to work on my multi when I get the time/money. just started a Franchise business by myself and have had very little of both!

Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:21 pm

Wow that's cool you guys! As for you Elan67 I'm sorry to hear about the liability issues, I have my grandpas Cessna being passed down to me once I turn 17. And after I get my VFR, im going to sign up to get my water license too. And since I joined so early, I only fly once every two weeks, so flying is a real treat to me. I'll probably have around 30-40 hours of dual before I fly solo (which will be on my 16th birthday :o ).

Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:57 pm

My dad has two planes. A 1948 Stintson and just finished a RV9. Im sad to say I have never made time to learn to fly.

Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:05 pm

Aww that's a shame. My opportunity was a surprise gift from my grandpa, and they're even going as far as to get it reupholstered and repainted for my solo flight! I can't wait!

Tue Oct 28, 2008 11:08 pm

Elan67 wrote: I am 18 with around 41 hours total. I have done everything but the long distance cross country solo and the exam for my private license. It was a lot of fun but I got kind of burned out on it (I took it really seriously, its quite fatiguing flying 2-3 times a week). Hopefully I can finish it up some day..

I trained in a Cessna 172 G-1000. I think its an '05 model but the place I used to fly out of had some reliability issues (like having a brake failure.. that was fun for my 10th hour of soloing).. not to mention a lot of the paperwork for the planes was missing/out of date :shock:

Fly as often as you can. In my experience, the more often you do it, the sooner you'll be done and the less it will cost you in the long run...as your skills stay sharper. And I'm 29, by the way :)

Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:54 am

I used to have a Private Pilots license. I was planning to build a kitplane and register it with an experimental ticket but ran out of money to stay current before my first biennial flight review. I freak out when doing power on stalls so a commercial license was out of the question (requires spin maneuvers etc.). Don't know how I'd go about getting my license again.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:55 am

tstracy39 wrote: I used to have a Private Pilots license. I was planning to build a kitplane and register it with an experimental ticket but ran out of money to stay current before my first biennial flight review. I freak out when doing power on stalls so a commercial license was out of the question (requires spin maneuvers etc.). Don't know how I'd go about getting my license again.

Someone's misinformed you. I'd suggest picking up a current copy of the FAR/AIM. Or you can look at it for free under the "regulations" section of www.faa.gov. Pay particular attention to parts 1, 61, and 91, as they are most applicable to you at this stage of the game.

A pilot's license NEVER expires. It only becomes invalid if surrendered, revoked, or upon death...and a few other very rare circumstances. And the same stalls you would have had to do to get a Private Pilots License...are the exact same ones you'd do to get a Commercial.

Currency, however, does expire... depending on what certificates you hold...the 3 t/o's and landings in the preceding 90 days to act as PIC carrying passengers, as well as the BFR and medical. All you would have to do is contact a local flight school/instructor and you'd find that a BFR, according to the FAA, only requires a minimum 1 hour ground and 1 hour flight, at the instructor's discretion. Of course, it'll take longer if its been a while and you're rusty. there's actually an Advisory Circular which recommends what the instructor should cover.

Speaking of medicals...they just extended the valid times...i think the third class (all you need) is valid for 5 years now...but dont quote me on that, as i have to maintain a 1st class, which is good for 1 year for those of us under 40.

Apprehension during any stalls is normal. Its the instructor's job to get you through it. I have found that thoroughly briefing, diagraming, and explaining the maneuver, followed by some dual "chair flying" (in a classroom) before the lesson, as well as a rehash just before takeoff tends to make it easier.

Spins are NOT required for any certificate--except the CFI. (Certificated Flight Instructor)

I see you're on the opposite end of the country...but if i can help somehow...let me know. We get to Boeing field and Sea-Tac now and then.

-cheapo

Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:55 am

I'm actually disabled for now so I don't have a means to pay for instruction or rental; before I missed the BFR I had a job working at two different charter companies, the idea being I could rent a plane from them at a discounted rate and get current again before the BFR, but on both occasions after I passed their mandatory one hour checkride they deliberately dragged their feet on clearing me for solo rentals because of a fairly bad accident I had flying a plane I'd rented from the flight school I got my license from, and the school was dragging their feet on letting me rent again also. My license didn't get taken away after the accident, but every place I tried to rent a plane from after the investigation apparently didn't want to hand me the keys and kept procrastinating, for several months actually till I gave up. I eventually decided to concentrate on college for the next three years, and afer that I found myself several grand in debt so even worse off. The debt is paid off now but I'm in a big mess with the disability and need to move cross country to get back into college to get my Masters degree. I am moving to the east coast though so if I'm ever in a situation where I can try to get flying again I'll drop you a line. I do appreciate your advice Cheapo, thank you for that. I have the skills to build a plane from scratch right now, and almost all the materials, just not the space to store it or a suitable tow vehicle. I was fixing to build a KR-2 with a 2180cc VW engine. So it's probably not as bad as it seems, but the disability thing is a bit of a roadblock right now.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:33 am

I'm sorry to learn of your situation, and i truly wish you well...if youre in the NJ/PA area...drop me a PM sometime.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:46 am

tstracy39 wrote: I'm actually disabled for now so I don't have a means to pay for instruction or rental; before I missed the BFR I had a job working at two different charter companies, the idea being I could rent a plane from them at a discounted rate and get current again before the BFR, but on both occasions after I passed their mandatory one hour checkride they deliberately dragged their feet on clearing me for solo rentals because of a fairly bad accident I had flying a plane I'd rented from the flight school I got my license from, and the school was dragging their feet on letting me rent again also. My license didn't get taken away after the accident, but every place I tried to rent a plane from after the investigation apparently didn't want to hand me the keys and kept procrastinating, for several months actually till I gave up. I eventually decided to concentrate on college for the next three years, and afer that I found myself several grand in debt so even worse off. The debt is paid off now but I'm in a big mess with the disability and need to move cross country to get back into college to get my Masters degree. I am moving to the east coast though so if I'm ever in a situation where I can try to get flying again I'll drop you a line. I do appreciate your advice Cheapo, thank you for that. I have the skills to build a plane from scratch right now, and almost all the materials, just not the space to store it or a suitable tow vehicle. I was fixing to build a KR-2 with a 2180cc VW engine. So it's probably not as bad as it seems, but the disability thing is a bit of a roadblock right now.

I'm sorry to hear that, I couldnt imagine losing such a thing..As for power on stalls, those scare me and the power off stalls are just fun. Im any of you guys are up in Washington, PM me and perhapts id see you guys up in the air. And ill for sure make any air shows in your guys' area once im licenced. And just out of curiosity, my prelflight list and check off list are in Knots..and My 1969 Cessna 172K is in MPH, anyone else seen this?

Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:40 pm

Check these things out :shock:

http://flight.cz/cricri/english/cri-cri-videos-movies.php

Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:15 pm

Cheapo wrote: I'm an ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI, Hawker typed, and a former FAA examiner. I do fly for a living..

Cheapo wrote: And I'm 29, by the way

Nice.

I wanted to get my commercial ticket, but had to quit after 28 hrs. toward my private. Ran out of money, and had a full time job that required too much time.

Wish I would have started younger like you did.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:16 pm

This thread brings lots of memorys. I hold a private pilots ticket,sel,plus
instrument rating. I've been flying on and off since 1970. I'm a retired career 30 year Navy guy 1957 to 1987. Got my ticket thru the navy flying club at NAS Ault Field at Whidbey Island. Before I joined the club I had maybe ten hours with my division officer, an A-6 Intruder pilot, who flew a Piper PA-12 super cruiser out of a three thousand foot dirt strip in Oak Harbor at the time. (Its paved now) I can still recall the feeling I got handling the airplane the first time. We were perhaps 1500 feet over the Skagit river on a beautifull summer day. He called back to me (seating in the Piper was fore and aft with stick controls) and said "Hey I'm trying to pour a cup of coffee here, how 'bout holding her for a bit". Ten minutes later I was hooked. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever accomplished to realise I could fly. At the time I'd been in the navy about 13 years and the only pilots I'd seen were military pilots with college degrees flying
complex military stuff. Te idea that anyone could learn this skill was
mind boggeling to me. Flying in Washington state is as close to God as one will ever get in this life I believe. In the navy flying club at whidbey
I flew 150's,172's, and got a bunch of time in T-34's. Subsequently I flew
with Navy clubs in Japan at NAS Atsugi, and the Phillipines at Cubi Point.
Flying in Washington State however was "the bomb". After getting my
license I bought a 1947 Cessna 140 in 1971. The airplane taught me a lot about flying, particularly about flying tail wheel airplanes. I put that rascal in the grass several times before I figured out what the rudder was for
on landing, but fortunately I never wrecked it. Good kharma I guess. The log books were complete and it was fun to read the notes of past owners.
The first owner was a ex-soldier building time for an airline job. He was flying from Memphis to Los Angeles two or three times a month. I don't know if he ever got the job but the last entry he made stated
"Got married today! Flew Alice back to Memphis. what a nice flight!"
Later the airplane was in Alaska on floats when the owner at the time wrote "Took oldest son for first flight near mount Mckinly. Beautifull day."
I was the 13th owner. In 1971 the airplane cost 2,700 dollars. 80/87 av gas at the time was 32 cents a gallon. To support my flying I turned to Aerial photography. I bought a used K-20 camera wich took 4X5 in.
photos. I could enlarge these to 16X20 and sell them. I flew with the door off and shot my own photos. Life was good.
My only problem was my Japanese wife. She was absolutely terrified of small airplanes. This included anything smaller than a 747. She just wouldn't go with me, no matter how nice the weather. In 1973 she was hospitalised for a week at the Naval hospital in Bremerton. Getting to Bremerton from Oak Harbor is a two to three hour drive depending on your route of travel. The squadron I was in at the time was preparing for
its administration inspection so time off was hard to get. Fortunately it was summer. So I made up a cardboard sign that said
Bremerton naval hospital" on one side and "Kitsap county airport" on the other. I'd get off at 4:00 in the evening and head for Oak Harbors airstrip.
It was about a 35 minute flight over some of the most scenic country in
Puget sound where I'd land at the Kitsap airport and park my plane as close as possible to the gate and fence. Then I'd go out on the nearby hiway and hold up my sign showing I was trying to reach the nearby
naval hospital and within minutes I'd have a ride. I'd visit my wife untill
visitor hours were over at 8:30 then with my sign I was back on the road
telling folks I was headed for the airport. Once more it never took more then minutes to "hook" a ride. A quick preflight and minutes later I'd be
2,500 feet over Puget Sound sometimes with a cup of coffee watching the
most beautifull sunsets over the mountains and water that God has priveliged a man to see. I did that for five days with no problems.
On the third day while leaving the hospital I got a ride from one of the nurses caring for my wife. She was amazed to learn I was flying down from Whidbey each day. I explained the whole deal to her and she smiled.
The day before my wife was to be discharged I visited again with her.
She looked at me and shyly asked "is the weather going to be nice tommorrow?" Surprised I answered "yes" She said "good. the nurse told me I should fly rather than drive. Its better for my condition."
The next day that flight home was one of the best ever. The sunset was
spectacular. After that my wife flew everywhere with me. All over the west coast. I kept the 140 untill 1990 when I swapped it off for a 1950 Cessna 170. By then my co-pilot was my daughter......
Anyway, thats another story. Sure wish you luck with your flying, PatterBon!!
Don't quit! Stay with it.
Good luck :D

Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:16 pm

:o This is so cool to hear all of your stories. My great grandfather was one of the first few men to fly out of Lake Union in 1927, then going on to become a CFI for World War II pilots in the 40's. But you're completely right, there is nothing compared to flying over the Puget Sound in the summer time. Every time I go up, I get the same rush I get when I was told I had a flight instructor. Hearing all these stories is something that you could never connect with if you weren't a pilot your self making it so special.
My 172 was originally a rental plane in Yakima and my great grandpa bought it for my uncle and grandpa in the 80's and its been in the family ever since..Soon to be co-owned by me too. Thanks for the support you guys it means a ton to me and I love reading them, I have a few too :wink: but I'll post those when I have more time. :o

Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:48 pm

BTW, disabilities don't have to preclude flying. I've flown dozens of hours with my paraplegic buddy. Hand controls are easier to implement in an airplane than in a car:

http://www.wheelchairaviators.org/