Do you still fly GA?
 

My sister gave me a bunch of Plane & Pilot magazines the other day and as I read the March 2009 issue "Learn to Fly", I wondered how many of you still fly general aviation aircraft. I happen to own my own aircraft, so I get to do quite a bit of GA flying. But, how many of you still love to fly? Or has it become just a job? I loved flying the CRJ (before I was furloughed), but to climb into a single engine plane, on a crisp spring morning, and just fly is the greatest feeling. It brings back all those memories of $100 hamburgers or grabbing some friends and taking off for someplace that was too far to drive just for one day.

On a recent morning:
Me - "*** tower, Cessna N1234 inbound with Whiskey"
Tower - "Cessna1234, wind 330 at 14, gust 20, runway your choice"
Me - "Cessna1234 will take rwy 24"

Avgas - $5.15 per gallon
Oil - $4.60 per qt
A 14 knot gusting 20 crosswind in a Cessna.....priceless

I would honestly do it if I had the plane or the $$$ to rent one.

Well, yes, now that some of us are furloughed, we have no choice.:D It takes time to get used to pt91 flying again, throttles and mixtures.... but still flying is flying.

I learned what those things on floor do, after to many years of jet flying you forget what right rudder means!!!

I've been telling myself that I'm going to do it for years, but I never get around to it. Some of it has to do with money, for a while there it got out of hand with the gas prices; but in all honesty I get a kick out of flying the Embraer still even after going on 4 years now. It's one of those things, where we're fortunate to have lots of different flying here (Mexico, non-precision approaches, Canada, the Bahamas) so for me it's hard to get bored, I just adjust my bid and I do something different from time to time.

I would imagine that if I ever do decide to do it, it will most definitely have to be with another pilot that flies g.a., cause I can just see myself coming for the approach at 130kts redlining it, and starting the flare at 50ft....:D

I flew GA once after starting with the airlines. I did it with a friend/instructor. It was extremely fun yet interesting at the same time. I was afraid to slow below about 75 on final because I figured we would fall out of the sky. Haven't been up GA flying since but I would love to get back into it because it was REAL flying. It was always fun no matter what.

For the most part I miss the fun feeling and don't have it when I am at work. Every now and again I will get it. Today was one of those days. Thunderstorms rolled through DFW early today and this afternoon I did one turn and being between layers seeing the buildups and the sun come through the cloud formations reminded me of why I will never work in an office. It reminded me of why I love this job even with the disdain I have for it at times. It reminded me of why I am a pilot.

I just rented a 172 yesterday. Haven't flown GA in two years, it was fun! Now I'm all checked out and can take their 99 dollar an hour 172 out anytime i please. Summer is coming and I'm going to take advantage of the good weather up here in PDX.

I've flown GA twice since I was furloughed. It reminded me of how much fun flying used to be. Like many others, if I had the money I would fly every chance I got.

No thanxs. Those things are dangerous.

I rent a Cub out of a grass strip during the summer months. Cruising along at 65 mph with the door and the window open, I still love it as much as I did 30 years ago. And at $55/hr it’s a bargain.

Well I'm back to the right seat in the bug-smashers out here in LA...and its quite the difference from the E145.

All-in-all I missed it... I didn't miss students no-call/no-showing me but still...I missed my old groove...

I got my ASES rating in a J3 a few years back. What a great experience, flying at 300 feet with the door and window open and watching the water splash along the floats on touchdown.

GA is where my heart lies anyway. Been flying fairly regularly since I quit 121.

I have been flying for three companies since my furlough. I fly a 172 doing aerial photos, I fly a Bird-dog(L-19) and a Pawnee Towing banners and I rt seat part 91 in a Lear-60 too. still not flying enough to pay any bills. but I'm flying and it's NOT GOJETS.

Just out of curiosity, how do you go about finding an aerial photography outfit?

I fly GA very often typically weekly in a plane that my father and I built. You can do a search there are quite a few photos on here of it and the price is right.

We typically burn 4 GPH average and it will take 100LL or autogas so we can usually get out of it for 12 bucks an hour plus the hangar cost and insurance and a few misc items. Id say high end is 30 bucks per hour we fly it.

I dont care what anyone says part 121 flying does not compare to the enjoyment of flying 50 feet over the ocean off the beach and then putting it down on some obscure strip that is smaller than your driveway.

C47 for an air museum,and every Champ I can get my hands on. I was a DC3 freightdog starting out,and skipped the regionals,though many friends and my wife took that path and loved it. I still love the DC3.

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I think that's entirely subjective to the individual. I enjoy 121 a lot more than I ever enjoyed flying cessnas, but that's just me, it varies from person to person.

Cessna 150M
 

Had I not been laid off I believe that I could have stayed away from General Aviation and never looked back. Two summers ago I bought a Cessna 150 to be able to build the minimum of 50 hours a year to stay current in the eyes of most airlines. And, to my surprise I am having a blast with it.

I must admit that by the time I bought it 14 years had passed since I flew a 150 and I was a bit nervous about the prospect of getting into small GA planes again. It seems that airline pilots crash an awful lot in small planes. My sense of security had become dependent upon thrust, glass and the system.

To go back to packing five gallon cans of gas and relying on what basically is a lawn mower engine attached to a leaf was not all that reassuring. However I have flown it more than 100 hours and love the heck out of it. Now I can not imagine going back to procedural automation.

My instructing career is even kindling back to life a bit. Students seem to be coming out of the wood work. I just turned away another one last week.

Skyhigh

On highspeed reserve at Mesaba (7pm-12am) and not getting much flying. I'm going to apply at a few places and instruct during the day to have a little bit of fun and get paid for it... It's been about 8 months since I've been in a two or four place haha can't wait!

Its all good, curving round the Canarsie approach in a 727, greeting the break of day in a Champ at 500 agl, cruising the stratosphere at Fl 450 in the XLS,or flying a demo off a grass strip in the C47, its all flying, God bless it, it is all good !

Ah, the VOR 13L! I love that one, one of my favorites! Ranks up there with the River Visual 19 and Mt Vernon Visual 1/Circle 33 (5204ft), both at DCA.

It is great to watch a 747 or A340 do the VOR 13L, my girlfriends crash pad is right under the turn and it's awesome to watch.
Hmm, this might call for another thread "Favorite Approaches"

I haven't flown GA for 12 years. I'm checking out in a C172 next week. I'm sure it will be a shock to my system. I've been flying long-haul widebody, and now I'll be flying something the size of one of my tires. :D

I do miss it. I have about 4,000 hours GA flying. I might try soaring too.

Just flew my aircraft today........a little bumpy, but had some good X-wind practice and got in an practice ILS at a nearby tower field. It's amazing how much you miss an HSI and F/D when you ain't got one.

Not to be Johnny Raincloud, but @ many airlines that is against company policy. Most will not allow their pilots to have another paying job, so you should check your FOM or consult your Chief Pilot.

Shouldn't have a problem, if you're sitting reserve and never even getting close to the 1000 hr year limit (or any of the other limits). Still best to check with your company.

crashpad in South Ozone Park,or Howard Beach? I played under that pivot turn when I was a kid !

Our FOM says instruction is A-OK.

That's nice.:)

SOP (extra typing for posting reasons)

I still own two.... formerly owned an FBO, and a small on demand 135. Still love going to work everyday, hate the company, but love everything on the other side of the hold short line.

This is some kind of joke right?