Did I miss the Era of GA?

"Google Madness" wrote in message news7cKh.3341$I56.128@trnddc06...
: Twenty years ago I almost got into flying, I'd even taken my Discovery
: Flight and was all set to dive in. Then my wife-to-be put the kabosh on it
: saying it was too much money.
: Now money isn't so much an issue anymore and I'm all set once again to
: follow my dream of having my PPL.
: But, I've heard so many depressing things about the state of ( and future
: of ) GA I'm wondering if the era of GA has passed me by.
:
: Here's one article, like many others that I've read, that expresses many of
: the issues that sounds so dismal for GA. I'm now seriously considering
: scrapping the idea of a PPL once again but I'd like to hear from some people
: out there if the situation is not really as bad as this sounds.
:
: http://www.megginson.com/blogs/lahso...eral-aviation/
:
: Thanks
:
:


I learned to fly in the mid 70's and flew for a while as a CFI and com pilot, oh the passion! After so many hours and so
many layoffs, I found a 'real' job and did not fly again for 24 years. A couple of years ago my wife finally prodded me
back, and it is great. GA is not dead and the freedoms we enjoy here in the USA are like no where else on earth. Raise
your flag and fly! You will regret it if you don't, and have adventures like no other when you do!

Dan D.

There aren't many other light singles that will take a family of four
and baggage without exceeding weight and balance. That Cherokee is a
mighty workhorse.

At every fuel stop, the line guys were amazed that I wanted all four
tanks topped off, after seeing the gang (and stuff) that came out of
Atlas. After watching one poor Bonanza driver in Myrtle Beach trying
to figure out how to keep his beautiful steed inside the envelope with
three people and fuel, I spent the rest of the journey counting my
blessings.

That guy may get their quicker -- but he'll have to make two trips to
carry what I can haul in one!

I found that on long legs at high altitude, mild hypoxia insidiously
impacted my abilities just when I needed them most, at the approach
and landing phases of flight. I started carrying a small oxygen
bottle just to sharpen up when it was necessary. Have you got one of
these? http://www.mhoxygen.com/index.phtml?...=23&news_id=13

Nope, but it's a good idea. On this trip, after spending 4 hours at
8500 feet, I felt just fine -- until I tried to compute how far out I
would have to start my descent in order to reach pattern altitude
properly. Suddenly I realized that mild hypoxia had robbed me of my
(already normally challenged) math skills.

It took greater-than-normal concentration to come up with the answer
-- which alerted me to be very careful with my other decisions. (Yet
another advantage of a two-pilot cockpit. I can tell Mary to keep an
eye on what I'm doing, just in case.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message ups.com...
:
: Nope, but it's a good idea. On this trip, after spending 4 hours at
: 8500 feet, I felt just fine -- until I tried to compute how far out I
: would have to start my descent in order to reach pattern altitude
: properly. Suddenly I realized that mild hypoxia had robbed me of my
: (already normally challenged) math skills.
:
: It took greater-than-normal concentration to come up with the answer
: -- which alerted me to be very careful with my other decisions. (Yet
: another advantage of a two-pilot cockpit. I can tell Mary to keep an
: eye on what I'm doing, just in case.)
: --
: Jay Honeck
: Iowa City, IA
: Pathfinder N56993
: www.AlexisParkInn.com
: "Your Aviation Destination"
:

You coulda used the Lowarance 2000 to do it for you...I suppose the 496 has the calcs available also?

On Mar 15, 7:47 am, "Google Madness" wrote:
Twenty years ago I almost got into flying, I'd even taken my Discovery
Flight and was all set to dive in. Then my wife-to-be put the kabosh on it
saying it was too much money.
Now money isn't so much an issue anymore and I'm all set once again to
follow my dream of having my PPL.
But, I've heard so many depressing things about the state of ( and future
of ) GA I'm wondering if the era of GA has passed me by.

Here's one article, like many others that I've read, that expresses many of
the issues that sounds so dismal for GA. I'm now seriously considering
scrapping the idea of a PPL once again but I'd like to hear from some people
out there if the situation is not really as bad as this sounds.

http://www.megginson.com/blogs/lahso...-to-general-av...

Thanks

Either you want to fly or you don't. You decide.
--
Gene Seibel
Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

Is the era of GA over?

I started learning to fly about 4 months ago. I'm about 10 hours from
my practical test (winter weather in the northeast teaches one
patience).

In my perspective, flying is a challenge and an adventure. I'm
doing this because it is fun. And because it can be done .
I'm not convinced flying a practical or rational thing to do.

I'm not doing this because I hope to get a job in aviation (I have a
job).
Perhaps it is an obsession I had to defer 25 years ago after I took my
first rides in a small plane (I couldn't afford to pursue it as a
student);
perhaps I need a new hobby now that the kids are off to college.
Maybe it's my mid-life crisis (motorcyles are too dangerous;
motorboats
are too expensive).
I don't question my motives; I'm just having a great time.

There were years I skiied every week; there were years I golfed nearly
every day; this summer I may be flying the skies of New England when
the
weather is VFR and the winds are low.

The era of GA is just beginning.

Fred

In article . com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

Nope, but it's a good idea. On this trip, after spending 4 hours at
8500 feet, I felt just fine -- until I tried to compute how far out I
would have to start my descent in order to reach pattern altitude
properly. Suddenly I realized that mild hypoxia had robbed me of my
(already normally challenged) math skills.
It took greater-than-normal concentration to come up with the answer
-- which alerted me to be very careful with my other decisions. (Yet
another advantage of a two-pilot cockpit. I can tell Mary to keep an
eye on what I'm doing, just in case.)

And you were dehydrated because you didn't drink enough water!
Several of us here continue to warn you, and you just won't listen to us.
Buy some piddle packs at the sporting goods store, carry an empty gallon
antifreeze jug, whatever you need, but start drinking water on those
long legs. :-))

On 17 Mar 2007 16:55:28 -0700, in rec.aviation.student, "fred"
wrote:

perhaps I need a new hobby now that the kids are off to college.
Maybe it's my mid-life crisis (motorcyles are too dangerous;
motorboats are too expensive).

Hmm...so what does it mean if I'm riding my motorcycle to the airport where
I take flying lessons? I don't own a boat...but my wife does....

I very much like the idea that today is the best of all possible days, aside
from yesterday, to take up aviation. If I can just figure out how to pay
for it....

-Scott

Mxsmanic wrote:
Larry Dighera writes:


If you require the reflection of another person to validate your
aviation experience, you aren't doing it right.


The law requires it, unfortunately.


The joy of dwelling in the third dimension and beholding the sights
from a lofty vantage point, not to mention the utility of aviation as
a mode of transport, are the true reasons for becoming a pilot.


Best not to mention the utility of aviation as a mode of transport, at least
with respect to small GA aircraft.


Are you kidding me? Just because you don't think it is a good mode of
transportation does not mean it isn't so. Many people use it as a
hobby. Others use GA for transportation.

I fly to my vacation home in Vermont from Long Island. That trip in a
car takes about 7 hours without traffic (NY city area and Albany). In a
plane I can be there in 4 hours door to door. Saving 6 hours round trip
(approx 40% savings in time) is wonderful. I value my time. However, I
can see where someone who is unemployed, does not participate in the
real world, and plays games and simulations for hours on end would not
consider saving time to be a useful aspect of flying.

The costs are not so bad either. It is marginally more expensive to
fly, since I don't have to pay tolls over all the bridges, for a ferry
and for the interstate highway when I fly.

Mxsmanic wrote:
Larry Dighera writes:


While I can understand your desire to get some feedback from those
currently enjoying the joy of flight before committing the not
insubstantial time and resources required to obtain your airmans
certificate, if you would let their input, or indeed that of your
wife, stand in the path to your dream, you may not have the requisite
'fire in your belly' to make a good airman.


Why must one have "fire in the belly" in order to be entitled to fly? Is it a
hazing ritual, or is it a hobby?

There may be some justification for certain qualifications to be required when
one is doing something that directly affects others, such as flying a
commercial airliner. It's difficult to see any justification for this when
one is doing something as a hobby that affects essentially no one else.

Suggesting that someone needs arbitrary qualifications or must overcome
arbitrary hurdles in the latter case is simple elitism.


The path to an airmans
certificate is expensive, and donning the responsibilities of becoming
a 'pilot in command' is, or should be, a life-changing event.


What responsibilities? If you are flying on your own, they are practically
nil, not any greater than riding your own motorcycle.


Becoming a responsible airman is not really at all akin to becoming a
licensed motorist.


Sure it is, fundamentally. But many artificial barriers exist in order to
ensure that only certain people are allowed to join the club. A lot of
aviators do _not_ want other people to fly, as this would lessen the ego trip
they get themselves out of flying. The idea of anyone being able to do it
bothers them. And just about anyone _could_ do it, if the artificial barriers
were removed. It's not that difficult.


And it's not possible to be a dilettante airman; it requires constant
exercise of your right to fly, almost weekly ...


See above. More of the treehouse-club effect.


You will have to MASTER several disciplines to achieve the status of
pilot.


No, you won't. All you have to do is pass the tests. If pilots _mastered_
the skills that are supposedly represented by the tests, they would have no
accidents due to pilot error.


You will not only need the motor skills necessary to control
the aircraft ...


Which anyone who can ride a bicycle or roller-skate already has.


... you'll need to acquire mastery of the fundamentals of
meteorology to read mother nature's ever churning skies ...


Fundamentals is an overstatement. I'm sure many meteorologists would agree.
And many pilots barely manage that, as accidents regularly prove.


mastery pilotage, dead reckoning and several types of radio navigation,
mastery of voluminous aviation regulation details, mastery of radio
communication techniques and operation, mastery of a myriad of
aircraft systems, how to effectively employ cockpit resource
management, and most importantly, you'll need to learn how to be a
CAPTAIN capable of abandoning your pride when safety demands that you
make a socially unpopular decision and sticking to it in the face of
what will feel like overwhelming social pressure.


Pride seems to be the predominant characteristic under discussion here.

Maybe some people should become doctors instead of pilots. From the way you
write about it, becoming a doctor sounds a lot easier.


In addition, you'll need reasonably good health over the entire time
you exercise your right to ply the skies.


More like robust health (far in excess of what would actually be required to
fly), thanks to archaic rules and more of the treehouse-club mentality.


If you have what it takes, do it. If you lack TOTAL commitment, don't
waste your time.


In other words, if someone isn't as fanatic as you think they should be, you
want them to stay out of the club.



There may be some in the community who feel more special because they
fly, but that is not the norm. If so, it is not unique to pilots.
However, that has not been my experience. I think your view is skewed
because you feel ostracized by those whom you belittle and whom you
think you are better than because yo have 10000 hours in barons and 747s
and they have just a few hundred hours in old cessnas with old analog
radio tuners and no autopilots...

What would you say to someone who said he knew Paris better than most
Parisians, yet had never been there. THis person watched videos of the
Eifel tower, read about the Louvre, ate french bread from the local
bakery from his local town in the USA. He/she also had "conversations"
in french with his computer language tutor program. He/she even took
lessons in how to surrender and hold his/her hands up so he/she would be
more French. Does that help you see how your claims are viewed by
pilots? Perhaps not.

Getting a certificate in the US is a challenge and if that is the goal
it should be understood that it will take a lot of motivation. There
are many factors that inhibit achieving the goal - outside of money and
skill/learning. Contrary to what you might think it is not a bunch of
hazing rituals or secret handshakes. The process of taking lessons,
dealing with cancelations due to weather, instructors, maintenance,
shceduling, etc wears one down and makes getting a pilot certificate
more an acheivement of persistence than one of skill or talent or
learning. It is not hard to fly. Most people can learn to do it.

Most people though have false notions that it is overly complicated, too
expensive or something that is too dangerous.

I've never met a pilot who wasn't thrilled to meet other pilots or who
disuaded others about learning to fly. On the contrary - all the
members of this "elitist club" (that you like to call it) usually go out
of their way to introduce others to the joy and fun of flying and will
mentor, give free flights, teach, talk about it or do anything else to
promote this passion of theirs.

You coulda used the Lowarance 2000 to do it for you...I suppose the 496 has the calcs available also?

I know, but it's the kind of simple math that I *should* be able to do
in my head.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"