2019 - Year in Review

38.6 hours this year. Plane access has been a problem so partnered on an airplane this year and 19.4 of those hours were in my own airplane since September. I expect that 2020 barring any major mechanical issues should be a better year hopefully with some longer cross country flights.

19.4 1957 Cessna 172
19.2 1946 Aeronca Champ
 
One tandem skydive.

I'd like to do more next year, maybe get my A license.

In 2018, I had gotten very interested in trike flying, but since the only way to become a trike pilot is to first become a trike owner, I can't see that happening, and I don't need another vehicle to be responsible for. Skydiving may be a good way for me to get my air fix, assuming my knees will tolerate the landings.
 
A pathetic 31.7 hours total for the year. That said, I did accomplish one goal, which was to fly more than the even more pathetic 29 hours I did in 2018. One issue is that I'm just getting tired of flying alone. My wife claims she'd fly more if we had our wills done (why?? Kids are all on their own...) So, in January I'm going to get that taken care of and we'll see if there's another excuse teed up or not.

I flew some Young Eagles, enough to put me over 50 total, but not as many as in the previous two years or so. The highlight of the year for me was spending a full day shuttling people between KMLE and KFET after the severe flooding we had that essentially cut off several communities. Even my tiny little RV-12 proved useful, shuttling half a dozen people to and from work. That included my daughter, who made it to work on time when she would have otherwise not made it at all.

I'm setting a 50 hour goal for 2020.
 
Oh hey. I discovered a stuck page in the log book. I actually have 50.1 hours for 2019. Not quite as bad as I thought. Still probably about on par with my lowest year prior, though.
 
New high for me:-
64 hours

Highlights-
Awesome night flights where the day was bumpy and hazy, the night flights were cool, calm and clear. Reminds me of the gift of flying
Flight to another state to pick up a local good beer
Used all the endurance on a trip back from Rapid City. Had a great tail wind so I decided to just stay up as long as the tanks would let me.
Took up the neighbors and my kid for their first flights
No progress on my IR. I need to find the time and money to get that knocked out
Plane has been flawless since the annual. Just oil changes

I want to-
take it to the east coast
start my IR
take the plane camping one weekend outside of cell range
take it to OSH. I talked myself out of it this year, I will not do that again.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
--met up with Jack Fleetwood for a photo shoot in Sedona, AZ. What a blast! Great people, to-die-for scenery and a chance to do some safe, close-in maneuvering with the photo plane. Took my favorite image and had a 30" x 40" print on aluminum made for the living room. Jack, you rock!! :D:D
Click to expand...
Thank you! You guys made it awesome for me. Lots of beautiful planes and I enjoyed meeting each of you. I think I spent more time with you than anyone else, talking photography & magazines. Lots of fun!
 
Got my ticket May 31st 2019, since then I’ve flown 216 hours as PIC.

Started instrument training.

Did a few missions with Angel Flight West and Pilots & Paws.

Bought a Saratoga II TC and had it photographed by Jack in Sedona.
 
2019 was a pretty good flying year for me, especially since I hadn't flown an airplane since 1991 and only got current in late 2018.

I got all my CFI certificates reinstated and updated my physical, so I am completely legal now.

Of course, the event of the year was picking up my little airplane and flying it half way across the country just in time to put it into its annual: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...-flight-in-a-humbling-little-airplane.119692/

Lots of non-aviation stuff happened too, but I'll try to forget it all...
 
Well....I got close. Taxied in this evening after a scenic flight and as I wrote down the hobbs, my heart sank. I logged 99.9 hours this year. Should have landed long and taken the next exit. Lol
 
79 hours
After 15 years of procrastinating since the last rating, I added the commercial SEL this fall. I got a few hours of multi engine time over the holidays and hope to add the commercial multi in early 2020.
 
Got my medical sorted. Took the AOPA Rusty Pilot seminar.

Sorting out which of 2 flying clubs to join.

Will be in the air, getting my periodic flight review, after getting proficient, confident. Starting no later than end of February.
 
  • Got my IR
  • Got about 120 hrs, which is about double to triple what I've been doing. (See 1.)
  • Flew to Oshkosh (KOSH)
  • Flew to First Flight (KFFA)
  • Flew up the Hudson corridor and ate lunch in Poughkeepsie. Restaurant is good (KPOU)

Still on list (FWIW, I'm based at Bay Bridge (W29) in Maryland)
  • Fly to Merritt Island, FL (KCOI), which is 1.5 mi from where I grew up and my Dad still lives. Fly to visit my brother over near Apopka (X04)
  • Fly to Oshkosh and then fly over to visit relatives in Merrill (KRRL) and Tomahawk (KTKV)
  • Get commercial, maybe ground instructor, ground instructor instrument.
  • Camp on outer banks at Billy Mitchell (KHSE) and Oracoke (W95).
  • Fly in CA, Camarillo (KCMA) to Santa Maria (KSMX) and other places. Would have to get checked out on a rental plane out there
Way down on list
  • Fly in Alaska
  • Fly a fast airplane (e.g., Mooney, etc.)
  • Own an airplane (and be able to afford and hangar it)
 
So I looked through my logbook (a bit late, I know) and made my map for 2019:

82868250_976389595553_2761754625202716672_n.jpg


A few interesting statistics:

1) I flew about 175 hours, almost all in the MU-2
2) There were only two times that I took off and landed in the same state. First was going from IXD down to K81 (both in Kansas), and the second being when we were flying home from dropping dogs off in FXE and spent a couple days in Destin. There are a couple other short hops (MKC to IXD and AIK to AGS) which are very short, but still technically I landed in a different state.
3) I touched 3 corners of the country (just about), but not the 4th. My map looks a lot sparser than in previous years, so apparently I flew the same routes a lot more than I have in the past. My hours this year weren't low per se (although lower than in 2018), so apparently I mostly flew dogs to and from the same places.
4) The MU-2 only had one visit to the shop last year (CTS in Aiken, SC - KAIK), and it was scheduled. I did have to have a boost pump changed on it but was able to get that done locally. Otherwise, it's just been put fuel in it and fly it. That's pretty amazing.
 
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