Any other pilots on the forum?

I got into flying remote control planes in the mid 90’s and morphed over to Cessnas and pipers from there…
Today I fly Citation 525’s as a part time Corp pilot and feel totally blessed to get to do what I love and still keep it like a hobby.
Please post your story and any pics you have.

 

I flew an XL for 6 years based out of Sacramento. Then a LR45XR for a short time later. Mostly retired now but instructing PPL and instruments part time. I do miss being up in the flight levels.

 

Ooooo that would be a sweeet part time gig!!!

Flew a couple hundred hours in 172s, 150s, Archers, and a Arrow. Standard FBO rental fare, until I realized inhad nowhere to go haha.

Hate to say it…it feels like yesterday, but that was way back in the mid 90s. I used to be able to rent an aerobat back then for 25 bucks an hour, wet! As long as you didnt mind closing the door right at takeoff speed. Those things would bang hard when that door popped open. Renters insurance was cheap back then too. But over just a few years, prices really started to climb.

Still love airplanes. Very glad I got to do it back then. I even got to land at Meigs field before it got razed.

Now my aviation fix has to come through DCS or other flight sims. Not quite flying, But VR has really changed the flight simming experience.

 

I took over controls for a minute or two does that count?

 

Boy! That brings back memories of long ago. I hadn't thought about "remaining in the pattern" for years!

 

Used to fly into Meig’s field from Indy a lot in the early 90’s. Fly up, borrow the crew car and go to lunch. Back in the good old days when it was still affordable. Chicago really screwed up when they bulldozed Meig’s!

 

I flew into Miegs once in 2002.
We had the first Cirrus in Kansas City (at least I think so), and that was my intro flight with it...

I have pictures somewhere. We arrived right at dusk as the lights were on but it was still light enough to see.
a very memorable flight.

 

You did ask for stories. No pics as this was still before digital cameras.
Cessna 150 aerobat. Im a student pilot. My instructor was looking for a spot for me to get some soft field experience. We looked for a while until finding a field where airplanes supposedly landed. I didnt see it, so he “vectored” me in until the only thing in front of me was a supposed runway. Powerlines on the road at the approach end. We landed up hill.


The second we touched down, We felt the drag of the grass. It was then that I realized the difference between 2inch high grass, and 8 inch high grass might prove to be a really important detail. It was not 2inch grass lol.

After a bit of chit chat, we decided it would be a bit better to take off with a tailwind. Because taking off up hill in that grass was not gonna happen. Not that it would have killed us if we tried it, because it wasn't even able to accelerate uphill at full gross.

Anywho, we lined up. We saw a pickup truck stop to watch, right at the extended centerline at the departure end. The field wasnt super short, but the grass was the real issue. As we bumbled down the runway, I was surprised how quick we were off…. We gently lift off, then BANG!…the right door pops open, as per usual, and I give it a quick slam shut as per usual. Still in ground effect, building speed. It felt like a long time in ground effect.

About this time, the guy in the pickup truck (under the powerlines), seemed to anticipate our possible need for the airspace he was occupying, and politely scooched forward to clear the area. Now it was just time to nurse the airspeed up to get out of ground effect. Which was quite a long time of I recall. Enough time to have an an exchange regarding our options…below the power lines, or up over the top lol.

I thought I remembered, but I’m actually hazy on whether we stayed low or went high. Either way, we made it lol.

 

That Cessna vinyl is hard to yank out of your ass once the pucker factor sets in!

 

Truth

 

FYI— there’s a massive aviation thread over on Tacoma World. It’s a fun one.

But fun to have one over here, too!

 

FL510 51,000MSL. One of my most memorable flights in the Lear. The other primary flight display showed us exactly on altitude. Mine always read just a bit lower. It was eerily quiet up there and we only stayed for a few minutes. If you suffer a pressure loss yer out cold after 7 seconds or so...

 

I use to fly. Now I get paid to watch airplanes.

 

I am trying to get back into it! I was a student pilot in high school in 2000 (through my high school) but it got to expensive when I graduated to keep it going. Now I fly with my friend a few times a month in a Cherokee 180. I am looking to buy into it or start building a kitfox.
My 8 year old has gotten 6 or so hours in the seat lately

 

Your 180 has a lot better instrument panel than mine did!
N5133L is still flying. I stalk it once in a while on flightaware.

 

Had aspirations to become a commercial pilot at one point! I still have my PPL and at one point had my instrument, but then it became decision time...do I want to pull out a 70k loan and go all the way or just keep it as a hobby. I went with the latter. Unfortunately after that decision was made my time in the air has dwindled to nearly zero. Hoping to pick back up some day! Sure do miss the views.

 

This 180 is a great plane. It is my friend/step father's. I am looking at starting a kit bush plane for myself. I figure I can finish my license before a kit is finished haha. Too many hobbies and projects

 

The wife and I built and flew this RV-6 for 10 years, great airplane.

 

There are a bunch of those around Kansas City, but I've never flown in one. Are they aerobatic?

 

I worked airport operations for several years and then worked airfield maintenance for about 4 years before getting into law enforcement. Ive responded to 5 aircraft crashes , 4 of which were RV's. 2 were the same RV twice. I don't know what it is about them.

 

Flew myself, my family and friends for the better part of 25 years. Mostly US and Mexico. What a privilege and what a ride it was!!

Pics of my last three…

 

I got involved with Cirrus Owners and Pilots Assn. in 2014(ish) and learned a lot about how to be a better and safer pilot through their programs and website.
I started attending their events and seminars which really promote training more frequently than just BFR's.
Up until that point I had pretty much stuck to bi-annual flight reviews and, although I had my instrument rating, I was fearful of weather and cross country travel.

I started training every 6 months and keeping notes of things that gave me issues in between so that I always worked on my weaknesses. I started filing IFR on any flight that was more than just a joy-ride to get used to being in the system. That's when I decided that a BFR was never going to help me be a better pilot and that getting a rating would be a better value.

At this point I had been flying for close to 20 years and had not taken a FAA written since 2000 (It's now 2018).
The Commercial written is almost just a recap of the PPL I got 98% on in 1998... Wow, not studying for years and getting older really takes it's toll on your ability to read and retain, so I started taking King online courses to keep my mind working.

2020 - Multi engine Instrument
2021 - 525 Type Rating
2022 - Airline Transport Pilot / 61.58
2023 - 61.58 / CJ4 indoctrination.
2024 - Planning at least a 61.58 and possibly a Phenom 300 type rating.

I keep thinking I'll get an instructor rating, but I just haven't made the time.

Also, you are still instrument rated, you just need to do a Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) with a CFII, which could be done with your biannual flight review, albeit there would likely need to be some training involved. Would love to see you back in the air.

 

Yes the RV-6 is aerobatic, at a reduced gross weight at Va, it is -6, +6 G’s. But you would have to have an inverted fuel and oil system to go negative G’s. I did loop and rolled mine, but you have to be careful, it builds speed quickly pointed down and the Vne is around 185kts.

Here is a link to a site that talks specifically about the RV series accidents.
https://www.kitplanes.com/homebuilt-accidents-focus-on-vans/

 

All my certificates ran out years ago.

I got my glider's liscence a week after I turned 14, in 1974. About a month after I turned 16, I got my private cert. Friend of ours had a Citabria, and he let me go up when I could afford the fuel. That's how I LOST my private cert: I was chasing a herd of cattle in the hills of the Coast Range. Inverted, at about 50' AGL. Gad, but it was a blast. Right up until some United pilot managed to read my tail number, and called it into the FAA rep. There went that.

I was working to getting it back, in 1992, when I ran into a horse at 60 MPH on my motorcycle. Now I was told by the FAA Medical examiner he couldn't certify me any more. DAMN!!!!

There went my flying career. I do miss it though...
Pat☺

 

Look at you people with the fancy throttles and thrust levers in your a/c! ASEL-PP w/taildragger & Aircraft Dispatcher. I can't afford to fly aircraft with those spin'y things in front, so this is now my wing...

 

Looking at your background it doesn't appear you are in a mountainous or even hilly part of the nation... Assuming you fly in the area, how do you get into the air?
Sorry, I know nothing about hang gliding, but it seems like you need a hill to get into the air and to provide some constant updraft, can you help me understand that?

thanks
Dan

 

PILOTS - That’s what it is. Gotta have those “Happy Feet” when your dealing with a tail wheel. They’ll reach up and bite your ass the second you think I’ve got this down pat.

 

Good question Dan!

At this site, we get airborne via winch tow. The winch is an old CB750 with a line drum replacing the rear wheel. The line is run from the winch through pulley at the end of the field and back to the glider. When ready, the winch operator will put 'er in gear and give it gas. The tow site is 80 acres or so, and with favorable winds and temps, we can get approx 1000 feet of altitude. A takeoff to landing lasts around four minutes unless the pilot catches thermals (lift).



Training on the flats is safer and more controlled for the pilot and instructor than a mountain launch. On a good day, I will do six or seven tows. I'm still a student, and tows are a great way to get a lot of
practice in a relatively short amount of time. We will also practice foot launches at another local site, as that's how we get airborne at the mountain sites.

Here's an old video capture of me while being towed:


And here's one showing the altitude we can get on a good day (before I bought my wing):

 

That is AWESOME!!! That is some full on "hold my beer" ingenuity.

 

Some time in 172's (Skyhawks) and 182 RG's. Love flying. Marine Corps riding around in CH-46 Sea Knights.