Long Angel Flight tomorrow

Friedrich Ostertag wrote:
The problem isn't the $100 hamburger, it's the $500-$1000 one. It
runs me just over $100 per hour to rent a C-172. $100 would allow me
to fly somebody maybe 50 NM... not much of an angel flight.

Yes, I can see that, fair enough. As I said my take was that angel flights
are mainly conducted by pilots who would have flown the respective time for
enjoyment anyway, and instead of just picking a random destinations turn it
into something useful. If somebody uses AF as an "excuse" to fly more than
he would have otherwise and can afford it - good for him, but nobody will
expect that.


I don't disagree with a word you said. I was just lamenting my own situation,
where I have the time and the willingness, but not the wherewithall. It's one
of those things I'll do after I win the Powerball.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Travis Marlatte wrote:
I could afford to fly when I was renting too. If you fly at all, charity
flights are a pretty good excuse. If you go out to just fly for the fun of
it, then you can easily substitute one of those flights with a charity
flight.


I'll tell you another concern for me and it really bears down hard on my
thinking: I used to fly Monday through Friday as a courier pilot, in all kinds
of filthy weather. When I was doing it, I was a damned fine IFR pilot. I also
have managed to crash and suffered some pretty severe injuries.

I fly so little these days I know my IFR skills are as rough as a cob. I know I
do well enough for myself but I'm leery of taking somebody else along for the
ride. I used to take friends and family up without thought of consequence, as I
always assumed there would be none. Now I think about what would happen to my
friend's kids if he were to be with me when I had another accident.

And it's not the accident per se that bothers me as I flew as a courier pilot
afterwards... it's the rust. IFR flying used to be pretty effortless for me;
now it makes me uneasy. I know how to fix that, but I'm either going to have to
work more hours or win the Powerball to correct the problem. I just need to fly
more.

But I know I'm not on top of my game and subsequently I'm reluctant to bring
along anybody, much less a stranger in poor health.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

In article ,
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote:

[snip] When I was doing it, I was a damned fine IFR pilot.
[snip]
But I know I'm not on top of my game and subsequently I'm reluctant to bring
along anybody, much less a stranger in poor health.

Here's a thought or two...

Once current again. even if you aren't as sharp as you could be, would
you still be able to fly safely, confidently in soft-IMC? And a well-equipped
aircraft could certainly help the workload.

Maybe you could connect with a (relatively) low-time pilot and mentor
him (or her) through these angel flights.

And remember that no angel flight pilot HAS to fly. If you can't do
the flight, then you cancel.

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in message
...
I'll tell you another concern for me and it really bears down hard on my
thinking: I used to fly Monday through Friday as a courier pilot, in all
kinds of filthy weather. When I was doing it, I was a damned fine IFR
pilot. I also have managed to crash and suffered some pretty severe
injuries.

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure that we have all had incidents that made us
think. The more severe the incident, the deeper we are caused to dig in our
emotions and self-assessment. I tend to be pretty conservative. If you don't
feel comfortable taking family, friends or Angel Flight passengers, then
don't do it. But it's not a personal failure. It's a reasonable decision
based on your current situation.

If you only feel comfortable in VFR conditions, that doesn't mean that you
can't fly Angel Flight. Pilots bail on Angel Flights all the time - because
of weather, because of mechanics, or just because. Don't let pride get in
your way of signing up for an Angel Flight.

I fly so little these days I know my IFR skills are as rough as a cob. I
know I do well enough for myself but I'm leery of taking somebody else
along for the ride.

There are many non-IFR pilots flying Angel Flights every day. There are more
Angel Flights in VFR conditions than IFR.

-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK

Bob Noel wrote:
In article ,
"Kobra" wrote:

On a trip by trip basis we do.

The fixed costs are already sunk, so we get to fly for the cost of
fuel, oil. In my Cherokee that's about $40/hr, substantially less
than the ~$100/hr they want for renting the 172s at the local FBO.
BS!!! How about engine amorization and maintainence amorization. You can
add about 17 bucks per hour for the engine and about 30 smackers for the
maintainence amorization. With fuel at 4.40 a gallon and 9 gph on average
and through in another dollar for oil you have about 87 to 88 dollars per
hour true cost.

The first hour I fly my cherokee 140, it's about $3500. After that, my 140
is about $40/hour, including fuel and engine reserve (the annual is included
in the $3500).

ymmv


By that logic, if you don't fly it at all during the year then it is free.

Matt

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
Travis Marlatte wrote:
I could afford to fly when I was renting too. If you fly at all, charity
flights are a pretty good excuse. If you go out to just fly for the fun of
it, then you can easily substitute one of those flights with a charity
flight.


I'll tell you another concern for me and it really bears down hard on my
thinking: I used to fly Monday through Friday as a courier pilot, in all kinds
of filthy weather. When I was doing it, I was a damned fine IFR pilot. I also
have managed to crash and suffered some pretty severe injuries.

I fly so little these days I know my IFR skills are as rough as a cob. I know I
do well enough for myself but I'm leery of taking somebody else along for the
ride. I used to take friends and family up without thought of consequence, as I
always assumed there would be none. Now I think about what would happen to my
friend's kids if he were to be with me when I had another accident.

And it's not the accident per se that bothers me as I flew as a courier pilot
afterwards... it's the rust. IFR flying used to be pretty effortless for me;
now it makes me uneasy. I know how to fix that, but I'm either going to have to
work more hours or win the Powerball to correct the problem. I just need to fly
more.

But I know I'm not on top of my game and subsequently I'm reluctant to bring
along anybody, much less a stranger in poor health.

I'm in the same boat as you. I wouldn't fly an IFR flight in more than
"light" IMC with a patient if I was still flying these missions (it is
too variable without my own airplane). Heck, I won't fly myself in
serious IMC at the present. I only flew maybe 1 flight in 6 years that
was in lower than 500 and 1. Most flights were VFR or popping up
through a layer and back down again.


Matt

In article ,
Matt Whiting wrote:

The first hour I fly my cherokee 140, it's about $3500. After that, my 140
is about $40/hour, including fuel and engine reserve (the annual is included
in the $3500).

ymmv

By that logic, if you don't fly it at all during the year then it is free.

well, I'll never know, since I won't fly less than 1 hour per year (I hope!)

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

Bob Noel wrote:
Once current again. even if you aren't as sharp as you could be, would
you still be able to fly safely, confidently in soft-IMC? And a well-equipped
aircraft could certainly help the workload.


Oh, yeah. I'm sure I could do that. I was just thinking about a trip I made
with a buddy not too long ago where we had a rough ride out to the coast, in and
out of the clouds and rain all the way. I dropped him off and flew back, only
to stumble into a cell and get the hell beat out of me. I'm here to tell the
tale but I'm eternally grateful I was alone when it happened. It's one thing to
kill me; entirely something else to take somebody with me... particularly a
father with preteens at home.


Maybe you could connect with a (relatively) low-time pilot and mentor
him (or her) through these angel flights.


Now that I would enjoy. It would be like starting an IV for another nurse. If
I can't get it, it wasn't my patient anyway. No pressure. G


And remember that no angel flight pilot HAS to fly. If you can't do
the flight, then you cancel.


I am familiar with the concept, though I did damned little of that when I was
flying for a living. Nowadays, I look at things a bit differently.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Travis Marlatte wrote:

There are many non-IFR pilots flying Angel Flights every day. There are more
Angel Flights in VFR conditions than IFR.

Be sure to check with the particular group. Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic (or it's
nom de jour) requires all flights with patients to be made with an IFR flight
plan.

-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK



--
Don Poitras

In article ,
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote:

Now that I would enjoy. It would be like starting an IV for another nurse.
If
I can't get it, it wasn't my patient anyway. No pressure. G

OUCH!

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)