GA is priceless

Mxsmanic wrote:

You said "the incredible utility and convenience of GA," but GA is
neither convenient nor useful, specifically because of issues like
weather that make it impossible to depend on GA.

I fly my Warrior in any type of weather that's thrown at me. I've flown
in the worst icing conditions and terrible thunderstorms and I've made
it to my destination every single time. Don't give me that crap about
GA not being useful. If it get's too bad, I just hit "P" to pause
everything and rethink my options. When it gets really bad (or if I
just don't have the time), I use the all-powerful "Go to Airport"
function from the top menu bar and viola! I'm there with nary a
scratch. Sometimes, when I'm really up for an adventure, I even switch
to my trusty Pilatus and the icing becomes a cakewalk.

Sheees, these amateurs should learn how to fly their airplanes and use
basic Microsoft Windows skills before putting down GA.

Marco Leon writes:

I fly my Warrior in any type of weather that's thrown at me. I've flown
in the worst icing conditions and terrible thunderstorms and I've made
it to my destination every single time.

There are bold pilots and old pilots, but no old, bold pilots.

If it get's too bad, I just hit "P" to pause everything and rethink
my options.

That cannot be done in real life. Even in simulation, pausing the
simulation may only delay the inevitable.

--
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Mxsmanic wrote:

Naturally ... but that is a tacit acknowledgement of the fact that GA
cannot be depended upon for transportation. Cars and buses and
commercial airlines can be seen as modes of transportation; GA is
still largely a fair-weather hobby. If GA allows you to actually
travel in a useful way, that's just a happy (and occasional)
coincidence.

If one wants to be a spoiled little robot to whom all things must be
guarenteed, GA isn't for him. It is for me and my wife.

Just took a 4 day trip where we visited family in two states and
brought home a plane load of merchandise we had purchased on the
internet. Saved 8 hours over driving. Useful? Yes. Did we have a Plan
B? Yes. But still, in the middle of winter we had a great GA trip.

I work at home but travel to remote sites a couple times per month to
work, using either GA or commercial aviation depending on
circumstances. In the last year about 2/3 of such trips have been by
GA, and were usually faster and more convenient than commercial would
have been. Usually I could land closer to my destination and could
choose my own schedule. And it was all VFR. In only two cases did I
have to cancel a trip I had planned by GA and in each case I simply and
easily shifted to Plan B. Once I drove and once I went commercial. The
worst experience was sitting in a passenger terminal for two days when
commercial flights were grounded by ice.

We have learned and experienced more interesting and memorable things
when our plans have been challanged than we ever would have if our
every move was planned and results guarenteed. This is simply the icing
on the cake of the useful thing called GA. I am not a robot. I
experience life. GA gets me what I want. You can't convince me
differently because I'm living it.
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html
Because we fly, we envy no one.

Gene Seibel writes:

If one wants to be a spoiled little robot to whom all things must be
guarenteed, GA isn't for him.

If a person wants reliable transportation on demand, GA isn't for him,
either.

The worst experience was sitting in a passenger terminal for two days when
commercial flights were grounded by ice.

How many GA flights were departing at the time?

--
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In article ,
Mxsmanic wrote:

You said "the incredible utility and convenience of GA," but GA is
neither convenient nor useful, specifically because of issues like
weather that make it impossible to depend on GA.

Duane Cole flew from one corner of the United States to another every
week for many years in a single seat, clipped wing Tcraft. He never once
missed an airshow because of a weather delay.

john smith writes:

Duane Cole flew from one corner of the United States to another every
week for many years in a single seat, clipped wing Tcraft. He never once
missed an airshow because of a weather delay.

What is your point?

--
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"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
...
GA is much like motorcyle riding. You don't want to do it when the
weather sucks, but when the weather is nice, there is simply no better
way to go.

Yes. But I was taught not to depend on motorcycles for
transportation, for exactly this reason.


Well, you were taught wrong. A car may be warmer and drier, but when push
comes to shove, a motorcycle will get through a lot more than a car. How do
I know? Because for years, ALL I owned was a motorcycle. Summer, (Michigan)
winter, rain, snow, no problem. There were lots of time when a snow storm
would pretty much shut down the city - so I always would take the
oppurtunity to go for a ride. Very little traffic. Plus I got to wave at all
the poor saps that were stuck in their cars. Now, cars are convienent, but
now that I don't own a bike any more, I have had to miss an occasional day
of work because I couldn't get in due to snow. That never happened on the
bike.

The funny thing is, when I sat down to type this, the talking heads on the
TV were going on and on about the National Gaurd having to rescue all the
stranded drivers in Colorado. If they were on small motorcycles with knobby
tires, they wouldn't be stranded.

The only thing tha twas a problem was ice. But cars don't do that well on
icy hills either.

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

Jay Honeck wrote:
God almighty, I can't understand for the life of me why there
isn't an airplane in every American garage...

Just thank your God there isn't, or you'd be more likely to be able to
pose your query in person, sooner.
-----

- gpsman

Jay Honeck wrote:
God almighty, I can't understand for the life of me why there
isn't an airplane in every American garage...
--
Jay Honeck

Jay,
I agree with you 100% on the convenience and utility of, and the love
of owning, my own airplane. However, to state "I can't understand for
the life of me why there isn't an airplane in every American garage" is
not only a disgusting comment, but one that suggests that you are
totally out of touch with the condition of this country. Sounds like
a person who once commented..."Let them eat cake."

Are the proletariat welcome at your motel, or only the AIRPLANE OWNERS?

"skym" wrote in message
ups.com...

Jay Honeck wrote:
God almighty, I can't understand for the life of me why there
isn't an airplane in every American garage...
--
Jay Honeck

Jay,
I agree with you 100% on the convenience and utility of, and the love
of owning, my own airplane. However, to state "I can't understand for
the life of me why there isn't an airplane in every American garage" is
not only a disgusting comment, but one that suggests that you are
totally out of touch with the condition of this country. Sounds like
a person who once commented..."Let them eat cake."

Are the proletariat welcome at your motel, or only the AIRPLANE OWNERS?

Speaking of "being out of touch..."

As one who is also self-employed, I find it entirely impossible for your
accusation to hold up when you consider what Jay and Mary do for a living.

I think you'd better Google Jay Honeck's participation here and his views on
GA before you go casting aspersions.

There is nothing "cake" related about having a desire to see GA grow and
prosper anymore than should participating in GA be viewed as some form of
royalty.

To agree with Jay in one sentence (especially in light of your own aircraft
ownership status) and then damn him in the next (for expressing the desire
that everyone be able to enjoy similar access to personal
transportation..which you yourself enjoy) is, IMNSHO, hypocritical in the
extreme.

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ