Thoughts on a beautiful spring evening...

The youth destroy their life with drugs.. before they realize what
they have
done to their future.
BT


Well said BT... Somehow I managed to not communicate well in my
post...

denny

All of the hangars at FRM are occupied (though one is currently occupied by
a couple of the airport manager's boats, which will be moved to make room
for my airplane)...but nothing lives on the ramp, and there is a distinct
lack of hangar flying in the evenings I've been out there.

We have boats, RV's, trailers, and furniture accupying some of the
hangars.. Others are empty... Anyone who wants a twin size hangar for
their plane, it's a hundred bucks a month...
Gawd help Michigan...

denny

On 2008-05-23, Denny wrote:
All of the hangars at FRM are occupied (though one is currently occupied by
a couple of the airport manager's boats, which will be moved to make room
for my airplane)...but nothing lives on the ramp, and there is a distinct
lack of hangar flying in the evenings I've been out there.
We have boats, RV's, trailers, and furniture accupying some of the
hangars.. Others are empty... Anyone who wants a twin size hangar for
their plane, it's a hundred bucks a month...

That's what the desirable hangars are going for at FRM. I'll be paying $70.
(The main difference is that mine will face north; they tell me that will
make clearing the snow from immediately in front of it so I can pull the
plane out harder.)
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
Fairmont, MN (FRM) (Yes, that's me!)
AMD Zodiac CH601XLi N55ZC (ordered 17 March, delivery 2 June)

We have boats, RV's, trailers, and furniture accupying some of the
hangars.. Others are empty...

Our airport commission went on the warpath against that sort of improper
storage a few years ago, which then morphed into a particularly nasty
campaign against EVERYTHING that was deemed to be "superfluous" in hangars.
The debate eventually devolved to the point where the commission was
considering banning BICYCLES in hangars -- at which point the utter
absurdity of their mission became obvious, and the effort collapsed.

Anyone who wants a twin size hangar for
their plane, it's a hundred bucks a month...
Gawd help Michigan...

Yep, Michigan is in dire straits, largely apparently of its own
construction. Your politicians have (according to my sister, a long-term
resident of Lansing) shown a remarkable knack for making a bad situation
worse...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On May 22, 9:47 am, "BDS" wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote...
Had this conversation recently with a patient who is a pilot but not
flying due to money issues... I floated the thought that we are headed
back to the 30's where airplanes (real airplanes, not self loading
cattle haulers) will be an unusual sight...

Yep, it's already happening. Our flight of two last night represented the
only aircraft flying at Muscatine Muni, on a picture-perfect gorgeous
spring
evening.

Iowa City was somewhat busier, with four of us arriving in the pattern at
sunset, but that's always a good time to watch traffic, with everyone
trying
to get down before darkness sets in.

It's getting harder to enjoy the warm afterglow of a flight well-done.

Our home base is starting to look like a ghost town. The ramp used to be
brimming with aircraft and it's so sparsely populated now it's actually
depressing.

Happily, the opposite is happening at my home base (KTTA). We have a
45+ year old nonprofit flying club (that I belong to) with about 200
members and 10 planes on the ramp. Next door to us on the ramp is the
U.S. headquarters of Fantasy Air (sellers of the Allegro LSA). The
airport authority is planning to build more T-hangars and the ramp is
full of planes.

Our flying club's monthly cookouts and bi-monthly safety meetings are
open to the public and attendance has been increasing, with several
dozen guests in addition to club members. On a nice day our pattern
buzzes like a beehive. with Allegro demo flights, club flights, and
other traffic. The club's 152's were having an availability problem
until we just bought another one, as are our instructors (we're
cajoling former club to come back part time) and we always seem to
have a large cadre of student pilots.

I don't know all the reasons why we are so lucky and don't know how to
bottle it for other aviation communities but some things in our favor:

1. The flying club and the LSA dealer provide a solid nucleus for a GA
community. The flying club is a nonprofit and endeavors to keep rates
low (currently ranging from something like just under $70 for a 152 to
about $155 for a Mooney, wet). The FBO doesn't do much flight
instruction but runs a very well-regarded repair shop, and we also
have an avionics shop on the field.

2. The airport's owners (the county) are enthusiastically pro-aviation
and supportive of the airport, because they see it as a part of their
economic development strategy, and oh yeah it helps that a local
tycoon who owns a jet based on the field is on the airport
authority.

3. The airport, which was built from scratch in 1999, has few
neighbors, and (most important probably) especially none in the
approach and departure paths, except for the Sheriff's firing range
(which never complains about aircraft noise

4. Nearby metro areas with good highway access have a good economy and
lots of wealth and high-tech employment.

It could be (unfortunately) that what's really happening is that
what's left of the region's aviation culture is consolidating at our
field (perhaps because of the above factors). There are several
similar fields in the area, and none of them are doing as well and in
fact most of them seem to be declining. The field where the flying
club used to be (IGX) is in danger of being closed by the university
that owns it, and FBOs are struggling at other airports in the
area.

Happily, the opposite is happening at my home base (KTTA).

For future reference, it's always nice to include the name of your home
base, since not everyone knows you're in Sanford, North Carolina!

I don't know all the reasons why we are so lucky and don't know how to
bottle it for other aviation communities but some things in our favor:

1. The flying club and the LSA dealer provide a solid nucleus for a GA
community. The flying club is a nonprofit and endeavors to keep rates

This is hugely important. The flying club is, well, a CLUB, and is
therefore focused on its membership. This is inherently a much more
sociable arrangement than a bunch of individuals renting tin shacks on a hot
asphalt tarmac, and is yet another big reason why we're starting a small
flying club here in Iowa City.

2. The airport's owners (the county) are enthusiastically pro-aviation

Again, this is hugely important, and increasingly rare. An example of our
city's ANTI-airport sentiment -- the American Barnstormers Tour is coming
here next month, for a two-day appearance. The city's "risk manager" (what
the hell is THAT?) announced that she will require them to carry a FIVE
MILLION DOLLAR insurance policy for those two days!

No one knows what will happen, but those barnstormers are just guys like me
and you, operating on a shoe-string. They don't have any way of purchasing
that kind of liability insurance, if it's even available.

It could be (unfortunately) that what's really happening is that
what's left of the region's aviation culture is consolidating at our
field (perhaps because of the above factors).

I'd be willing to bet that this is happening everywhere.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On May 21, 10:50*pm, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
I was sitting on a Mississippi River levee this evening, eating a big piece
of home-made pecan pie, watching a tugboat struggle against the current, and
pondering life.
--
Jay Honeck

Nice reminder of what it's all about.

This last week we moved into our dream home. One mile from our hangar
on St Louis Regional Airport - a fabulous little towered airport with
102 based aircraft and a thriving flight school. Just outside our
office window is the spot where students and old-timers alike pull
power on left downwind for 17. Scanner chatter fills in all the behind
the scenes details. We can be pulling the Cherokee out of the hangar 5
minutes after stepping off our front porch. Life is good as you know.
--
Gene Seibel
Tales of flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
Because we fly, we envy no one.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:G8nZj.121411$TT4.52000@attbi_s22...
All of the hangars at FRM are occupied (though one is currently occupied
by
a couple of the airport manager's boats, which will be moved to make
room
for my airplane)...but nothing lives on the ramp, and there is a
distinct
lack of hangar flying in the evenings I've been out there.

It's funny -- all the hangars in Iowa City are occupied, and there's
actually a small waiting list for them -- but no one is flying. People
still want planes, but they apparently can't afford to fly them.


Apparently, the use of a item goes first, and, eventually, the item itself
goes after the owner wonders why they are paying for something that is not
being used.

On May 21, 10:50*pm, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
I was sitting on a Mississippi River levee this evening, eating a big piece
of home-made pecan pie, watching a tugboat struggle against the current, and
pondering life.

We had flown here in Atlas, our Cherokee Pathfinder -- a flight that took a
whopping twenty minutes. *We'd made the flight a hundred times, over the
last eleven years ---- but every now and then
something made it different.

Tonight was different.

Whoa, thats heavy G


We had flown there as a flight of two, with close friends. *They had brought
their baby and toddler with them, while we had flown with our daughter, who
has been flying with us since birth. *The evening was sublime, with the sun
a low, glowing orb in the sky.

Speakin of orbs, if you were a real pilot, you would have ditched the
women/kids, flown over with your budy, then called home and said
(Insert excuse, Bad WX, rough mag, flat tire, etc) so you wouldnt be
home that nite. Then instead of pecan pie, you and your flying buddy
would be downing shots and beers at the nudie bars all nite. Then fly
home the next day in time to show face at the office for a couple of
hours. What are airplanes for man? *


As I watched the great river roll by, at the end of gorgeous, late-spring
flight, eating home-made pecan pie with family and friends, I thought of the
trolls who have done such damage here, and was overwhelmed with sadness for
them.

You'll get over it. It does kinda make you wonder which is worse, MX
or the guys like Viperdoc who seem to spend a dispraportionate amount
of his life bashing MX.

Touching down lightly back in Iowa City,
however, taxiing past the Ercoupe that we've offered to buy, pushing the
plane back into the hangar, I realized that these trolls, these wannabe
pilots and former pilots, are quite simply pathetic.

So thats how you do it ? Touch down lightly ? Ive always thought that
to make a good landing you should touch down really smooth. Guess Im
not the only one with this view.


Something's got to change. *Aviation is a tiny, ever-shrinking group, with
diminishing political clout and threats on all sides. *This group has, in
the past, represented the best of the piloting community, and we simply
can't waste any more of our time tussling with trolls and malcontents.
Ignore 'em, kill file 'em, do what you gotta do -- but do NOT engage them.

Dude, your preaching again G. Unfortunatly, Usnet is the only outlet
for some because if they pulled this **** at the pilots lounge no one
would listen. Guess you gotta put up with some backround noise if you
participate here.


Take the high road, please -- we've simply got to fix this!

Ill do my part.
--
Jay Honeck

F Baum

Speakin of orbs, if you were a real pilot, you would have ditched the
women/kids, flown over with your budy, then called home and said
(Insert excuse, Bad WX, rough mag, flat tire, etc) so you wouldnt be
home that nite. Then instead of pecan pie, you and your flying buddy
would be downing shots and beers at the nudie bars all nite. Then fly
home the next day in time to show face at the office for a couple of
hours. What are airplanes for man?

I'll file that away for future reference!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"