2013 flying year in review

GeorgeC

GeorgeC

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GeorgeC
I gotta say it was a good year:

  • 9 XCs, hopefully will be able to squeeze in a 10th
  • complex endorsement
  • tailwheel endorsement
  • spin endorsement
  • first bfr
  • first non-pilot passenger
I'm hoping to start my IR next year.

How was your flying year? What are your aviation new year's resolutions?
 
At the beginning of the year I started on my dream of becoming a pilot. I'm now at 39 hours and my resolution is to finish this journey. Since I still haven't taken the written yet, it looks like I won't have my PPL by the end of this year, but hopefully I'll be done sometime in January which would be 1year after I started.
 
1 .most recently broke 200 hours
2. got my instrument rating in september
3. working on my commercial currently and finishing up the time building
4. take the written in january (just got the book and started studying)
5. goal is to get my commercial SEL and get a flying job doing tours, scenic flights, photography and quit my crappy dunkin donuts job by spring, maybe before!
 
Due to planes not being available and having to switch from renting from an FBO to a club I didn't get into flying until the year was almost all done. However, I started my IFR training and got checked out for the G1000 flight deck.
 
Did sun n fun ,OSH, Sebring. A couple of the military air museums .put about 160 hours on the airplane. Did an owner assisted annual. Did my first young eagle flights.
 
For what it is worth, I intend to win the Fairchild 24 that the EAA is giving away this year. :yes::D
 
Greg Bockelman said:
For what it is worth, I intend to win the Fairchild 24 that the EAA is giving away this year. :yes::D
Click to expand...

I think that is probably the hardest one to win with of the others out there. They have to mix the tickets with a cement truck! That's a lot of tickets.
 
I consider the eaa chances to be a donation,just the tickets sold at OSH makes chances of winning near impossible
 
Flying:
Was the recipient of the AZBAA scholarship for flight training
Finished commercial in may, and will apply to take the CFI-A this week.

Airplane:
Annual turned into almost complete restoration of the AA-5
-O-320 got the high compression pistons for the 160HP stc
-New leather interior
-new radio stack
-paint in progress

Then sold my interest in the airplane due to the cost of unforeseen mx. 2013 was a very positive year with a few setbacks.
 
0.6 hours after 17 years away. That's how my year's gone. :D
 
frfly172 said:
I consider the eaa chances to be a donation,just the tickets sold at OSH makes chances of winning near impossible
Click to expand...

Yet we have two members on this forum who have won an airplane. How many people do you know who've won a car?
 
Airventure was a very "welcome back to flying" experience. Got my TW endorsement. Learned a lot. Joined a club. Awesome freaking year.
 
FlylikeaGirl said:
Airventure was a very "welcome back to flying" experience. Got my TW endorsement. Learned a lot. Joined a club. Awesome freaking year.
Click to expand...

Which club?
 
FlylikeaGirl said:
I need to know how this is done. :D
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Mine was from the Wings of Hope raffle. Look it up, buy a ticket or more if you want. They only sell 3000, so the chances aren't too bad. The trick is to put your ticket on the fridge, cover it with take out menus, forget about it, and don't answer the phone the first time they call (I was at the vet).
 
Good year for me, also:

- Added about 150 hours to my logbook (255 TT now)
- Complex endorsement
- High performance endorsement
- Checkouts in C152, C172RG, C182Q, C182RG, PA-28, PA-28R-201, DA20, DA40
- 22 XC flights
- mountain checkout
- instrument rating
- survived flying solo in IMC. heh
- started a turbo transition
- commercial knowledge test

I've scaled it back quite a bit. My major goals next year are to continue to not bend any metal or get any phone numbers to call. Other than that, I hope to stay instrument current and get some more wx education.
 
Pretty good year so far. A little more flying would be better, but I'm happy. I learned long ago, the hard way, it is better to want more flying then to want less.
 
Seems like I haven't done enough flying recently, but looking back, quite a year:
  • Got my PPASEL
  • Around 40 hours in the logbook
  • Joined a flying club
  • Added 4 new states to my visited states map
  • Have not crashed yet!
 
Good stuff?

Bought my Aerostar and got almost 100hrs out of the over TBO engines. Did numerous cross countries in it without any troubles except a leaking O-ring. Got a good deal on newly O/H props and swung those as well. Sold my old plane for slightly more than I'd hoped for.

Bad stuff?

Overhauling both engines. Two turbo housings need replacing, wastegates marginal (but can hopefully be saved), cracked engine mounts needing welding and all the other small stuff. It doesn't just stop at the quote you get from the engine overhauler. Which I knew of course, still, it's only when you start adding things up you get the full impact....:eek::rolleyes:
 
Great year for me!

  • Got back in the air after an 8 year break :D:D:D
  • Logged a little over 30 hours since I started back up in June
  • Joined a flying club and started flying Pipers (had only previously flown Cessnas)
  • Got some family to come up with me which was awesome

Looking forward to getting my Instrument & Commercial in 2014!!!
 
FlylikeaGirl said:
Hi, Ted. Victory Aviation at KHAO. I think you're nearby!
Click to expand...

Yep! We're based at I67 - Harrison. My cube neighbor is in Victory. It's a good club.
 
Not a lot of personal flying, about 20hrs of that, but got my multi so on the whole productive!
 
All in all it's been a good year, even if work and mx issues kept me on the ground more than I'd like. Still flew >100 hours (owning a plane and insisting on a couple hours in the air every week to keep engine corrosion at bay will do that ;)). Finally got my IR in January and have done 5-6 practice IFR flights shooting approaches in actual since then. Did one XC that I couldn't have done without the IR.

Oh, and I broke the 1000 hour mark in June or July. Yes, it's been a pretty good year, everything considered.
 
Bought into a partnership in March. Logged about 30 hours there. First BFR. Took my dad to Sportys. Took nieces and nephews on first flights. Almost 65 hours for the year. Looking to start IR training early next year
 
Got my BFR, did a bunch of XC's to build time towards my commercial, got checked out in 172's (previously I had only flown Piper's), almost finished with my IR...I should be done in early January at the 1-2 times per week I fly.
 
160+ hrs with 100+ hrs of xc time
flew coast to coast
took my brand new daughter flying (35-40 hrs so far)
upped my PP IA to CP ASEL/ASES IA
got my CFI-A and started teaching a bit
oh! Logged some sim time and approaches for the first time
Busy year :) But good kind of busy. Hoping to add CFII before the year's end
 
Good year for me:

Got my FAA medical (anyone that has read medical posts know what I went through to get to that point. Luckily, found a great AME who was a great consultant as well)
Met Doc Bruce
Passed knowledge test
Got my FAA license (BFR and Canadian PPL conversion)
100 hours logged this year so far
Took my son flying. First passenger in 34 years.
Visited my daughter in St Louis for an $896 lunch
Oshkosh first time
Complex endorsement
Flew on vacation in Hawaii, California, and Florida
Started my IR
Started my son in his pilot journey
Got a simulator
Broke 200 hours
High performance endorsement maybe this month?
 
Great year of firsts.
Bought first plane (a 182)
HP endorsement
Over 100 hours in the airplane and logbook
First long XC flights - California, Oklahoma, Kentucky (and experienced wx delays on each one!)
First flights in clouds
A shorter XC but across the White Mountains of AZ
First owner assisted annual
Took five people on their first GA flight
 
A slow year flying. The Brides health limited our travels but we hope to add some 4 day weekend get-aways this year along with our weekly beach runs to KOXB.

ASEL:
(85 Landings, 17 Approaches) 71.9
Approaches - ILS: 5.0
Approaches - RNAV/GPS: 10.0
Approaches - VOR/DME: 2.0
Cross Country: 41.8
Night: 1.0
IMC: 3.0
Simulated Instrument: 4.9
PIC: 71.9
Total: 817

From the 2013 wish list 08Romeo was upgraded to WAAS for the Garmin 530 and the Collins transponder was replaced with a Garmin 327 which enables the Zaon PCAS to work flawlessly. I love having my traffic back!

A look ahead to 2014...
I want to replace my Collins audio panel with a PMA8000B.
Get the Commercial rating.
More 4 day get-aways and a long trip or two.
BAC Fest is planned for Hillsboro, Oregon what a fun adventure that would be if we fly 08Romeo north west!
 
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Flew a crapton of hours in my new-to-me RV through the winter, then managed to all but miss the "flying season"
Time to get back on that aluminum pony...
 
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