2023 aviation goals

Hey, @SkyChaser ! Making any progress on this one (I hope)?

2. Get @2-Bit Speed started on getting his cert

I achieved my primary 2023 goal of not ending up in a burning pile of melting aluminum, and actually made a couple of trips with SWMBO this year despite time-consuming life events (which also effected @SkyChaser and @2-Bit Speed ). Hopefully 2024 will be calmer and have more air time.

I do have the plane scheduled for paint in the spring of 2024, which has been a goal since I bought it. Most of the known mech work is now done, with the exception of the landing gear donuts. I finally have all the necessary parts, so I hope to get that work done soon.
 
Well I didn’t have a published goal the beginning of this year but I had first lesson in march and checkride in September,I have about 80 some hr now.
-Goal is tailwheel next
-Maybe complex and high performance(not sure why except for the excuse to fly different airplanes
-Fly as many different airplanes as I can get my hands on
-Build lots of tw time,I have faint dreams of aerial application
 
yeah 2023 can go get bent. Big trip TX-to-Chitown got icing wx cnx (United profited handsomely lol), no flying opportunities of interest for the rest of the year, then the airplane loss. Then just recently my wife totaled the second car (they were ok, the car was not) in 5 years since moving to the sprawled-congestion hellscape we call SAT, and there went the remainder of the Arrow firesale I had closed on just the week prior. poof!...yipee.

The work flying is still awesome as always, and I'm still alive, so twofer! :thumbsup: I suppose I still have the outstanding goal carryover from the 2020 thread (remember life in 2019? Pepperidge farm remembers), but until something significant happens on the M2 front, I'll be on the sidelines on that one. Here's to 2024 sucking a little less. Cheers!
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Hopefully have airplane uptime better than 50%.

Goal is always 150 hours per year. Might get my Commercial done.
Plane uptime was 75% and person uptime was 85%. Combined uptime was 60%.

As of today at 112 hours. Me quitting my job slowed my flying down. Still didn't move forward on the commercial.
 
Be safe.
I logged 308 hours in 22. Would like to equal that.
Would like a greater percentage to be fun flying with family.
Get my MEI.
Get insurance on the 414 without huge increase.
Yikes, not so good.
#1 Met
#2 Will be close
#3 Nope. Probably 3 or 4 to 1 ratio instruction and contract flying to family flying. (Plane was down for months for right engine overhaul)
#4 Nope
#5 Huge, huge no.
Maybe better not to do goals for ‘24.
 
Continue to fly and instruct.

I will turn 75 in July and I never expected to last this long of be having this much fun.

Life treats me well.

It would be fun to find a Lycoming IO-320 B1A with enough hours left to outlast me and have enough money to buy it.
 
2023 Goals
1) Maintain current (2022) OpEx budget
1b) build some capital for a purchase
2) GA International trip (Bahamas, Canada, etc)
3) More XC trip hours than ‘22

Stretch goals
- West Coast!
- Buy a plane!
1) Mixed success. 2023 actuals are down 30% from 2022. However, I flew 182 hrs in 2022 and I'm at 172 hrs as of today. So my hours are cheaper this year!
1b) I eliminated debt but no capital yet
2) Success! Flew to Bahamas in March and Montreal in October
3) 2022 -> 65hrs; 2023 so far -> 120.. so big success!

Stretch goals remain elusive. Where I think I really succeeded in 2023 was on the professional flying side, which a year ago weren't even on the RADAR.

Will have to start thinking about good 2024 goals.
 
Fly 100+ hours

Instrument rating (written passed in ‘22, so clock’s ticking!)

Make two or three long XC trips (4+ hours or ~500+ miles one-way)

Attend more fly-in gatherings / meals
✅ 146 hours in 2023, plane went into the paint shop in August and expected back in January.

✅ Instrument checkride passed June 30.

✅ Santa Fe NM in March … Charleston SC in June … 2-day trip to Arkansas in June as part of IFR training.

❌ missed all the midwest POA meals due to work or weather, missed 6Y9 due to lack of airplane. Only one day at OSH.
 
Fly with my dad at Delta. He’s just waiting on the FAA for his medical
He’s got his medical back and I just got awarded the 767-400. 3 days of training at the end of January so I should be able to fly with him in February for a few more years until he has to retire.
 
Finish up IR (should be done end of March)
Fly 150+ hours
Start flying some PALS flights
2-3 1500+ mile XC trips ( 1 so far this year hopefully launching on number 2 Monday)
Things changed with the work situation so I actually got IR on 7/1
Currently at 128 hours for the year not sure I'll squeak out 150
Did my 1st PALS (and only so far) on 9/2 BED-PQI
So far got a bunch more XC time this year only 1 1500+ PYM-BBG so far. If the weather works we will launch on Christmas afternoon on a PYM-HUT adventure (fingers crossed)
 
2023 goals

1) multi-engine rating :yes:
2) fly a jet :no:
3) high altitude endorsement (thinking C421) :no:
4) complete the annual inspection without a heart attack :yes:
5) ponder about the CFI ticket or seaplane rating :yes: (seaplane but not CFI)
6) new destinations, a couple of them would be nice, Colorado, Tahoe, Cali, Alaska, Grand Canyon, Toronto, revisit GA/FL again (enjoyed that before) :yes: (Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Washington state, & New Orleans)
7) hit 500 hours :yes:
8) complete a paid one off gig, ferrying an airplane or something :no:
9) not get banned from PofA :yes:

Let’s make a new thread for 2024 goals?
 
Sadly much fewer hours than the year before @ 40 but I managed to fly enough to stay instrument current. Moving and finishing the new house took priority but now that we're settled it's time to explore New England by air.
 
Ratings:
CP-SES (scheduled, start tomorrow!)
CP-MES
CP-Glider

Endorsements:
Tailwheel
High Altitude

Fly the club twin some more. IPC.
Hmmm.

CP-SES, yes. (And it was a ball!)

But only 13.9 hours total all year. Mostly in January. No twin time.

Gotta get motivated.
 
1) Get my commercial ASEL before my written test expires.
2) fly in actually IMC more often
3) get used to flying in the 3rd person. (Drones)
Well this didn't go to plan.
1) did all the aeronautical experience stuff, but not confident about the oral portion.
2) did this. It's weird to rush to the airport only to find your flyable IMC turned into a giant swath of VMC.
3) Not sure why I crash a 250g drone so much but fly a 1 ton bird with ease. Feels backwards
 
After a review of last year's goals...I want to fly 160 hours in 2023, which will put me over 700, and knock out the last three airports on my illinois completion list. I also intend to continue my streak of never falling out of instrument currency/proficiency, and do an IPC anyway to make sure I'm as competent as I think I am.

Harder goals would be spend less than $5k on maintenance and upgrades and fly 6 "lifeline pilots" flights.

Stretch goals.... let's go with 12 lifeline flights and making tangible progress towards the commercial rating.
Wrapped up what should be the last big trip of the year, so I guess I can do my year in review. Turns out I missed almost all of them lol.
I have 173 hours so far, the most since I started in 2019. Hopefully will get a couple more flights in before the end of the year.
Did not finish my Illinois airports yet again. I did get one of the final three.
Did remain IFR current; still current through February, need to get a couple in yet this month. Did not do an IPC. I really should.
Blew the $5K MX goal out of the water....but I got cool new flashy lights, so we'll call that a draw.
Did 8 Lifeline flights. No progress on the Commercial. Next year...
 
Posted this in the daily pic thread as well

A busy year for me. 600 hours of flying and I’ve been out on leave from the end of August until now. Lots of ocean crossings and only had to endure ATL 3 times:). Last flight was August 19th FCO-JFK

Longest flight: JFK-ACC (5,111 miles) - 11:18
Shortest flight: BER-AMS (371 miles) - 2:11. This wasn’t scheduled. We had a maintenance issue.

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Well, it didn’t start out as a goal for the year, but I changed jobs and added a Falcon 2000 type rating today, just before year’s end. I guess I’ll have to add a Falcon 8X type to my 2024 goals since nice we take delivery next year. :)
 
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Here's my 2023 map. I didn't feel like I flew enough this year but then when I think through each of these it feels like a good year. I had 6 LifeLine Pilots flights and 4 Pilots N Paws. Also one commute to work.

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Here's my cross-country map for 2023. Only one Pilots n Paws flight, two concerts, a film festival, a few college hockey games, a string of $100 hamburgers, and a couple of fly-ins. I'll have to broaden my horizons a bit in 2024.

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